Design-build
Design-build is an increasingly popular construction delivery method that offers significant time and cost savings while improving the overall quality of construction. In a design-build project, a general contractor
is responsible for the entire project as defined by the owner.
If you put the word “bid” in the middle of the process, you experience completely different results. Under the traditional design-bid-build method, an owner hires an architect to design the project and draw up
plans. The owner then submits the plans to contractors for bids. The construction process is linear and segmented; one step must reach completion before another can begin.
Delays and cost overruns are common in design-bid-build. If all bids come in higher than the owner anticipated, the cost will be higher or the architect must modify the plans. Or if the contractor cannot obtain
specified materials at estimated prices, the project goes over budget. By contrast, using the design-build method the architect and the contractor both start work at the same time. The owner tells the team what is
needed and provides a budget, and the team works together to achieve the owner’s goals.
The construction process is nonlinear, and many steps can be completed simultaneously. If one area gets a little behind schedule, this does not necessarily mean the entire project gets behind. Project management can
simply shift people with the appropriate skills to that area.
This team approach offers significant advantages over the design-bidbuild method.
- Better communication
- Fewer surprises
- Quicker completion time
- Improved quality
Several companies may pool their resources to work on a single project. ConTrak often partners with an architectural or engineering firm to ensure that all aspects of the project delivery are covered. In a study by
the Construction Industry Institute, the design-build method improved quality by every measured criterion. At the same time, the method cut project costs by an average of six percent, accelerated construction time
by 12 percent, and improved project completion time by 33 percent. The institute estimates that almost 40 percent of new construction projects employ the design-build method.
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