Why You Should Consider Design Build Construction for Your Next Building
Design Build Construction
Design build construction is an age-old art, but many people are not aware of it. Thankfully, it is becoming more popular thanks to its many benefits. Design build construction can save you money, create a higher quality product, and accomplish your construction goals much faster than you may have imagined possible. Here's what you need to know about design build and why you should consider it for your construction project.
What is Design Build Construction?
In design build construction, the design-build team works under a single contract from start to finish. This is opposed to other styles of building, in which there are multiple contracts and multiple phases of construction.
Design build construction can also be known as single source building responsibility or design/contract projects. It is becoming an increasingly popular way to build both commercial and residential structures in the United States. While it is considered a newer way of construction, in fact, traditional design bid build goes back to ancient times, when one craftsman and their team was responsible for an entire construction project, rather than dividing projects into the responsibility of many contractors and subcontractors.
Advantages of Design Build Construction
Cost Savings
Some of the most wasteful aspects of construction are delays between projects and wasted supplies due to poor planning and communication between construction teams. When working with one firm to do the entire design and build, you will save money, since workers can be more efficient with time and resources. Furthermore, instead of having to negotiate separate contracts with every stop, you can negotiate one contract at a reduced price for the entire job.
Increase Quality
Rather than depending on a number of contractors and subcontractors for project management, design builders take full responsibility for the efficacy of their work and materials. They are more likely to source very high-quality materials and deliver top-of-the-line work because of this increased responsibility.
One Point of Contact
Instead of potentially having to work with dozens of teams in order to accomplish a job, design build construction enables you to connect with just one project owner to coordinate every aspect of the design making things very convenient for the project owner.
Save Time
In multi-step building projects, there are delays between every step as general contractors are found, hired, and gathered together on the job site. By contrast, the design-build process is one fluid process from beginning to end, saving significant amounts of time on the overall construction.
Decrease Confusion
Working with multiple contractors can be a headache. Each team can hold the previous team responsible for problems in the workflow and you will have to coordinate with multiple contractors at each construction phase. However, with the design-build method, one team is responsible for every detail from beginning to end and you only have one project leader to coordinate with.
What Kind of Construction Projects Can Benefit
Any kind of construction project is a good choice for design-build procedures, however, it is especially desirable for commercial projects since these projects can't afford to waste any time and require the utmost highest quality in the result. Here are just a few types of projects that can see significant benefits from using design build construction:
- Car dealerships. A dealership has to strike a balance between being inviting to customers and showcasing large vehicles within their showroom. A design build construction team can help you to find that balance and build a dealership that sells more cars.
- Retail stores. Whether you need to build a single retail store or you want a connected strip of them, a design build construction team can create customized spaces at an affordable cost that stays well within your bottom line.
- Professional offices. Whether you need a dental office, office space building, or another medical or professional office, design builders can create a specialized space that meets your needs while also being highly attractive to customers.
What Steps Go into the Design Build Process?
If you are accustomed to a traditional architecture process with different contractors and subcontractors working at every stage and different contractors working on different parts of a project at the same time, you may be surprised by the sheer simplicity of design build construction. Here are the steps to expect in the creation of your project:
Choosing a Design Build Construction Team
The first step will be to choose a highly qualified team that meets your needs. Here are some tips to help you choose the ideal design team for your project:
- Experience. Look for design builders that have led design build projects similar to the one you are hiring for with results that you love. A strong portfolio of beautiful projects that you admire is one of the strongest reasons to hire a given design build construction team.
- Satisfied customers. Choose a design build construction team that has a portfolio of satisfied customers who were happy with the builder’s design-build approaches through every design phase. Ideally, you'll be able to talk to these customers or there will be reviews posted on reliable third-party sites.
- Logical design-build approaches. Your design build construction team should be able to talk with you in detail about every step of the design and construction process so that you'll know exactly what steps they plan to take and how long every stage will require.
- A clear budget. You want to know that project delivery methods will fit within your required budget. It is perfectly normal for there to be some variation within the budget as a project progresses, but your designers should be confident about giving you a firm range at the beginning of the project.
Planning
Once you have selected your team, they will get to work designing your construction project. This step requires extensive communication between you and the project manager. You will need to let them know exactly what you want from the structure and they should be open about communicating with you about whether your desires will fit within your designated budget. They will analyze every detail, including:
- Exterior construction
- Existing floor plans
- Electrical systems
- Mechanical systems
- Safety preparations like fire and smoke detectors
- Structural support
- Topography
- Codes and compliance
- Local weather characteristics
- Usable resources on site
- And much more
Expect this to be a fairly elaborate process that takes a bit of time to complete. While it can be frustrating to wait while time is being used up without construction having been started, this is one of the most important stages in the project, since it will determine the plans, materials, time frames, and final budget for the entire project. At this step, compromises will likely need to be made between function, cost, and aesthetic goals. Everything needs to work within your budget.
Design
Once your design build construction team has a thorough concept of project limitations, your goals, and how everything will work together to accomplish the project, it is time to begin the design process. Architectural plans will be laid out and blueprints will be developed. You will have the opportunity to go over these design plans in detail to be absolutely certain that they will meet your needs.
Construction
Once the sometimes seemingly arduous process of planning and designing are completed, you may be stunned by how quickly construction takes place, especially if you are more accustomed to traditional construction techniques. Because the entire construction crew will work together directly underneath the design manager, the process moves fluidly from one step to the next, with many aspects of construction being taken care of congruently.
Aggressive schedules are perfectly normal within a design-build construction project. Rapid development of the construction process can save significant money on labor costs and wasted materials. Everything will come together quickly and easily, leaving you with the structure that you had envisioned during the design phase.
Post-Construction
In traditional construction, once the building is complete, you are often left without much in the way of explanation. However, with design build construction, the same team that has been working on the project along and along will be there to explain every detail to you.
They will walk you through the construction and show you the durable and high-quality aspects of the materials and workmanship. They may also provide benefits like hands-on training or instructional videos to show you how to use any elements of the design that you may find confusing. Finally, this stage gives you the opportunity to ask questions and ask the team to remedy any concerns that you may have about the final product.
Consider Aztec Building Systems for Your Next Project
Aztec Building Systems has been designing and building beautiful buildings since 1965. They have completed thousands of projects, making them an extremely experienced design-build company. They can go through every detail of your project with you so that you know exactly what to expect at every stage of designing and construction. Their vast wealth of experience enables them to get the job done faster while saving you money compared to their competition.