Design / Build

DESIGN / BUILD

Our services offered as a total package or individually tailored to supplement a developer’s resources. The integration of full-range in-house professional services eliminates costly delays and ensures well-coordinated projects. Our services are designed to approach each project with maximum efficiency, function, and economy. The following professional services illustrate the highly diversified skills and experience of our organization: 

DESIgn / build services

Design-Build is a construction delivery method that provides owners a single point of contact for design and construction services. One entity holds single-source responsibility and contractual risk for preconstruction, design, and construction stages of the project. This entity manages all contracts, including those with subcontractors, equipment vendors and materials providers.

There are three stages of Design-Build

  1. Procuring Design-Build Services
  2. Contracting for Design-Build Services
  3. Design-Build Project Execution

ELEMENT FOR A SUCCESSFUL DESIGN-BUILD PROJECT

The advantage of the Design-Build delivery system is quicker and more cost-efficient than the traditional design-bid-build system.  Tips to help you achieve a successful Design-Build project:

  1. Have a well-defined scope of work for the team leader and each team member.
  2. Have a defined criteria for measuring success.
  3. Have a knowledgeable owner who can make quick, sound decisions; and
  4. Have experienced downstream contractors committed to achieving the goals set by the owner.

1. Have a well-defined scope of work for each team member.

The hallmark of the Design-Build system is timely, cost-effective construction.  By eliminating hierarchical layers of management, the project moves rapidly, and decisions are made quickly, keeping the project on schedule.  Moreover, when the same group that designs the project also builds the project, there tends to be much more attention given to pricing and scheduling in the design phase.  However, a successful Design-Build project starts with a well-defined scope of work and a clear understanding of mutual expectations.  Like any project, if a Design-Build project lacks a clear and complete scope upfront, it is unlikely the final product will meet project and financial goals.

As with all teams, there should be one project leader as the single point of contact for the owner.  The project leader is generally the entity financially capable of contracting and guaranteeing the completion of the work and ultimately responsible for achieving the owner’s goals.  Consistency and project leadership from start to finish adding an inherent efficiency; the chance for things to fall through the cracks is greatly diminished.

2. Have a defined criterion for measuring success.

All too often projects start without any measurable criteria for success or with the wrong set of success criteria.  Every person, from the owner to the trades working day-to-day, must have the same idea of what success means, otherwise the project will not be completed efficiently.  Success may be measured in terms of schedule, budget, quality, maintainability, or a combination of all these and other factors.  Unless each team member is aware of the success criteria, the team will be unable to anticipate problems, work through challenges, and seek team solutions necessary for a successful Design-Build project.

3. Have a knowledgeable owner who can make quick, sound decisions.

Next, a knowledgeable owner is a key factor of successful Design-Build processes.  Since the Design-Build project moves swiftly, the owner’s representative must be capable of making decisions promptly.  Without a decisive, responsive, and knowledgeable owner, the Design-Build process will falter and stall, diminishing the time benefits of the Design-Build process and sapping the profitability from the project.  Ultimately, an inexperienced or unknowledgeable owner will lead to paralysis of design/review/design, which must move forward at a predetermined pace.

4. Have experienced contractors committed to achieving the goals set by the owner.

Finally, experienced downstream team members are a must.  To be successful, Design-Build projects cannot afford the tunnel vision seen in the traditional design-bid-build method mentioned earlier.  Rather, the owner, the design-builder, and subcontractors must all think of themselves as a team working to achieve the common goal of delivering the project on time and on budget.  The only success is mutual success.  When challenges are encountered on a project (and there are always challenges), pointing fingers is not an option, and everyone must be willing to compromise and find solutions.  Design-Build team members should not only be experienced in their respective fields, but they should be capable and willing to think outside the box to come up with win-win solutions to deliver a successful project.  Compromise and cooperation across the board are essential.

The use of the Design-Build delivery system continues to gain in popularity, with the West Coast and Oregon leading the charge with the most construction dollars being spent on Design-Build projects.  Applying these four tips will help ensure the success of your first (or next) Design-Build project, but even the best of the best can encounter problems.  A good team can make the problems that do arise easier to resolve.

DESIGN-BUILD DIFFERENTIATION

DESIGN-BUILD PROJECT DELIVERY

Owner manages only one contract with a single point of responsibility; designer and contractor are on the same team, providing unified recommendations, not excuses.

SINGLE SOURCE RESPONSIBILITY

One entity controls design and construction. This eliminates contractual disputes and provides flexibility for the Design-Builders to for form the best team partners.

CREATIVE SOLUTIONS WITHIN THE DESIGN PHASE

Early involvement of the construction team enhances constructability and maximizes team coherency.

DESIGN ALTERNATIVES DRIVE PROJECT VALUE

Close collaboration allows ownership and design teams to assess and select design alternatives that maximize project value while reflecting owners’ unique needs.

FASTER AND MORE EFFICIENT

On average, Design-Build is about 36% faster than the traditional design-bid-build (DBB) and 10% faster than construction management-at-risk (CMR). It is cost effective and schedule driven.

DESIGN-BUILD ADVANTAGES

  •    More Opportunity to innovate
  •    Ability to fast-track project.
  •    Highest quality delivery.
  •    More Collaborative process for the owner
  •    Early knowledge of cost eliminates surprises.
  •    Final cost closed to budget.
  •    Shorter procurement period
  •    Very few disputes
  •    Owners receive clear, realistic, and expeditious submittal and review processes.
  •    Transparency supports the owner’s ability to make informed decisions throughout the Design-Build process.
  •    Open communication between key team members