Mr. Rizwan Shawl explores the differences between commercial construction and commercial maintenance in his thesis. Commercial construction involves building new commercial structures from the ground up or making major renovations, and includes design, permitting, construction activities, and considerations of timelines, costs, and goals. Commercial maintenance focuses on the ongoing upkeep of existing commercial properties through routine inspections, repairs, landscaping, and cleaning to ensure properties remain safe, functional, and appealing. While construction aims to create new spaces, maintenance is an ongoing process throughout a property's lifetime to preserve its value. Both construction and maintenance play important roles in commercial real estate.

1. Commercial Construction vs Commercial Maintenance
Mr. Rizwan Shawl has been a part of both industrial and commercial construction and maintenance and
writes his thesis on Commercial construction versus Commercial Maintenance, while fulfilling his
obligations to his professional portfolio of large district wide facilities and operations. An issue that runs
through professionals’ day to day minds, is something Mr. Shawl like to dive into and explore through
his thesis. Commercial construction and Commercial maintenance are two distinct aspects of the
commercial real estate and building management industry, each with its own set of responsibilities,
goals, and activities. Here's a comparison of the two:
Commercial construction involves the creation of new commercial buildings, structures, or major
renovations to existing properties. It is all about building from the ground up or making significant
structural changes to a property. While the key activities of construction may include Design and
architectural planning, obtaining necessary permits and approvals, excavation, foundation, and
structural work, framing, roofing, and exterior finishing, Interior build-out, including plumbing, electrical,
HVAC, and interior finishes and Landscaping and site development, there are other factors that need to
be taken into account; Timeline, stakeholders, costs, goal and challenges.
On the other hand, maintenance focuses on the ongoing care and upkeep of these very well built
properties to ensure they remain safe, functional, and aesthetically pleasing. Routine inspections and
maintenance of building systems (e.g., HVAC, plumbing, electrical), repairs and replacements of
damaged or worn components, landscaping and grounds maintenance, cleaning and janitorial services,
safety inspections and compliance are all key in the upkeep of the buildings. We can safely assume that
goals are similar to that relied upon for value, through construction phase.
In relationship maintenance is probably the most important as its never ending; an ongoing process that
occurs regularly throughout the life of the property. Commercial maintenance can be challenging due to
the need for timely responses to repairs, budget constraints, and the need to balance preventive
maintenance with reactive maintenance.
In summary, commercial construction is about creating new commercial spaces or significantly altering
existing ones, with a focus on design and construction. Commercial maintenance, on the other hand,
involves the ongoing upkeep and care of commercial properties to ensure they remain operational, safe,
and appealing. Both aspects are crucial for the life cycle of commercial properties, and they serve
different purposes within the real estate and property management industry.