What is Design-Build Construction?

To understand the design-build construction delivery technique, it’s helpful to know that this method is a substitute for the conventional practice of issuing different contracts for building design and construction. All parties involved in construction (contractors, designers, subcontractors, and owners) form a cohesive unit. This ultimately ensures that the final product is up to par with the client’s standards. Teams are concerned first and foremost with working together to find solutions to issues in the construction process.

How the Design-Build Process Works:

Design-build involves five overlapping phases.  Other construction methods tend to include fewer steps, however, they are usually executed by independent companies.  Members of the design-build team coordinate their efforts at each stage to speed up and improve the project’s progress. The essential steps consist of:

1. Choosing Your Team

First, the owner chooses a design-build team. When hiring a contractor and architect, business owners typically look for a team with extensive design-build experience and a firm grasp of the client’s goals, constraints, and budget.

2. Pre-construction

Before construction can begin, architects, engineers, contractors, and other specialists must collaborate to evaluate the existing building, infrastructure, and more. These evaluations make a comprehensive examination of the building site possible, allowing the design-build team to operate at peak efficiency.

3. Architectural Planning

Architectural design can begin once the project’s scope, schedule, and budget are all established. During the pre-construction phase, some of the early design strategy work may have already begun. All project team members will work together to generate the optimal design for project success. During this stage, your team will define the project’s overall goals and provide the owner with conceptual designs. We can also establish estimates of costs as well as deliver a complete financial plan to the owner. Initial construction can already commence during this stage.

4. Construction

Initial construction can start right away if the team hasn’t already started during the design phase. In design-build projects, it is normal for there to be some overlap between the design phase and the construction phase. This overlap, which can speed up the project significantly, is one of the benefits of this type of project delivery.

5. Post-construction

Once construction is complete, the design-build team hands over a summary of the project’s outputs as well as helpful training materials.  Because all the work is done by one entity, the post-construction procedure is generally very straightforward.

The Design-Build procedure is efficient and economical. Indeed, one of its most appealing features is the speed with which projects can be finished. The design-build technique streamlines the entire process from beginning to end, making it easier to manage and execute projects than traditional methods. This strategy guarantees that your requirements, goals, and budget will be met while saving you time and money.