Design-Build - What is it?

Foremost, Design\Build implies a very capable team. The team is made up of the owners, the architect, the contractor and consultants specific to each project. The purpose of this team is to develop a plan based on the owners’ budget which will result in a project that can actually be built.

Too often owners hire architects who develop plans, do all the drawings and then send the plans out to bid only to find that the designed project is way over budget. In over 30 years experience, many of the plans that I have seen that went out to bid never got built. The bids were simply too expensive and too far over budget.

By building a team that includes the contractor from the beginning, a realistic budget can be developed. On-going consultation and participation by the contractor as the plans are developing can help to keep the project within the bounds of the budget.

Good communication between the team members make the plans simpler from the beginning. For example, the architect, Suanne Bassett, and I have worked together for so long that she does not have to detail every last item for us. We have also found that detailing of the drawings up front just costs the owners more money; and in the end those details often do not actually work when the time comes to implement them.

Our design approach is to prepare only those drawings necessary to put together an accurate bid and to secure a building permit. We work out important design details in the field, only after all of the unknown conditions are identified. We can then implement the best course of action which enhances the design intent. We don’t waste paper or valuable time on drawings that won’t be used. Hence, we save our clients money.

We use three dimensional drawings in the design process to aid all members of the team in visualizing the project as we are developing it. This helps to clarify ideas and to identify and eliminate problems quickly in the design phase before it is too late. This drawing method also gives our clients more visual control of the design before construction begins. We can catch those unwanted surprises before they occur in the field.

Another advantage of the contractor’s early involvement is that he\she can foresee structural issues before they get embedded in the design. We use an engineer, when necessary, to identify and calculate the structural elements of the design. These elements might be roof framing, foundation type and shear walls. The engineer becomes part of the team. We work closely with the engineer early in the process to pin point problem areas, clarify design intent and to simplify the structural elements. This process ultimately saves time and money. It eliminates costly changes out in the field and makes for a successful building when finished.

I think the greatest advantage of having the contractor as part of the team up-front is that he\she understands the intent of the project from the very beginning The contractor has listened to all the owners questions and desires and has seen the architect’s solutions. This gives the contractor a real advantage in preparing the bid. Not everything has to be detailed, but the scope of what will be needed is now in mind. This develops into a positive working relationship between the architect and contractor with the owners getting the product they want.

From the owners’ perspective, there is now a single source of responsibility. There is no finger pointing if something is not clear on the plans. The owners are not caught in the middle between the architect and the contractor. They all developed the plans together. This generally results in fewer change orders as the contractor and architect have already worked out potential problem areas in the design process. Team work and centralized control make Design\Build an effective and efficient alternative to the traditional remodeling process.