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The Buyer’s Guide to Design-Build Construction

Due to the involvement of multiple groups, construction projects can become fragmented without continuous communication among all stakeholders. Design-build offers a remedy to the challenges encountered in traditional construction processes by fostering deliberate collaboration to achieve seamless project synchronization.

This approach minimizes friction between contractors, construction managers, and designers by convening all parties around the same table and promoting open dialogue. Such an enhanced construction process adopts a proactive, client-centric stance, laying the groundwork for innovative solutions.

Overall, design-build proves more advantageous and productive compared to other performance services prevalent in the construction industry. This assertion is substantiated by the fact that design-build construction constitutes an average of 40% of non-residential construction projects.

However, before delving deeper, let's dissect the essence of design-build, its streamlined procedure, and the reasons underpinning its success.

Understanding Design-Build Construction: Design-build is a construction delivery method that amalgamates design and construction functions under a singular contractual entity. This framework provides project owners with a solitary point of contact encompassing both the design and construction phases. This entity, termed the design-builder, shoulders sole responsibility and contractual risk for all project facets, including:

The design-builder is also entrusted with managing contracts formed with owners and sub-contracting entities, such as electricians, plumbers, equipment vendors, and materials suppliers.

Design-Build vs. Traditional Construction: In contrast to general contracting and construction management, traditional construction methods frequently entail a multi-sourced approach, with owners serving as intermediaries between distinct parties. For instance, owners might engage an architecture firm for structural design, a contractor for general construction, and sub-contractors for specialized systems.

In the traditional model, the owner assumes the role of managing disparate contractors, acting as a mediator to resolve conflicts and enhance communication. This segregated communication often leads to disputes over costs, project delays, design discrepancies, and unforeseen issues.

Conversely, the design-build approach coalesces all contracted entities into a single unified entity. Owners manage a solitary contract and liaise with a lone point of contact. This entity shoulders complete project responsibility, ensuring transparency and continuous communication with designers, contractors, sub-contractors, and other consultants.

Design-build empowers the project team to offer insights into the costs and feasibility of diverse designs throughout the project's lifecycle. This refined design process yields a robust design, a controlled budget, and a streamlined timeline. It guarantees that the project achieves its objectives, leading to owner satisfaction during and after project completion.

The Design-Build Process: The standard design-build process involves five phases, which often overlap but represent crucial stages in construction. While other construction methods often comprise discrete steps executed by separate entities, design-build adopts a more fluid approach. Collaborators within the design-build team collaborate across various phases to expedite progress and ensure smooth transitions.

The five design-build phases encompass:

Team Selection: The initial step in design-build entails choosing your design-builder. Owners meticulously assess potential teams, selecting the design-builder that offers optimal value. The ideal candidate is the one that aligns with your requirements, budget, and vision. Extensive experience, credentials, and budget compatibility are key considerations when selecting a design-builder.

Pre-Construction: The pre-construction phase holds significant importance within the design-build process. It encompasses a comprehensive evaluation of the project from both a business and financial perspective, along with discussions about the owner's vision.

Once project objectives are established, the design team and contractors collate critical data. This includes site assessments, structural integrity analysis, examination of building systems, finishes, and more. These assessments dictate construction plans that adhere to codes, compliance requisites, topography, environmental regulations, and on-site resources.

Upon gathering essential information, your design-builder collaborates with your project team to formulate a design and construction plan that aligns with your defined goals. This phase also aids in defining solutions that meet estimated budgets, timelines, and project scope.

Architectural Design: At this juncture, the design-build team commences work on the architectural design strategy, if not already underway. All team members contribute to devising a design and addressing any requisite design solutions.

Your design-builders rigorously evaluate the design for cost efficiencies and optimized productivity, all while adhering to functional prerequisites and aesthetic preferences. The team presents preliminary drawings and pricing estimates to finalize the design. Moreover, the design-builder establishes a project schedule and outlines project expectations.

Construction: Once the design is finalized, the design-build team initiates the construction phase. Given the streamlined communication inherent in the design-build process, project timelines often accelerate. Owners rely on a singular source for all communication, mitigating hurdles that typically impede construction projects. This process also bolsters collaboration and establishes accountability, ensuring seamless coordination among workers throughout the construction phase.

Post-Construction: Upon project completion, the design-build team furnishes project deliverables and offers relevant O&M training materials to appropriate personnel. As this work is undertaken by a unified entity, the post-construction phase unfolds smoothly, with designers and contractors working in concert.