Benefit sofDesign/Build - Haskell

1 From the great pyramids of Egypt to the Theater of Dionysus to theParthenon and the Brooklyn Bridge,design/ build has played a role in some ofthe world s most outstanding struc-tures. And while traditional construc-tion methods such as design/bid/ build (DBB) and construction managementat-risk (CM at risk) have ruled the con-struction industry for the past 200 years,design/ build is emerging once again as acost-efficient alternative. According to the Design BuildInstitute of America, the design/buildconstruction delivery method has grownapproximately 40 percent over the past15 years, which makes it one of the mostsignificant trends in design and con-struction today. Total revenue from non-residential design/ build projects grewfrom $47 billion in 2004 to more than$97 billion in 2008. Until recently, highly contentiousrelationships among architects, engi-neers, contractors and subcontractorscharacterized the design and construc-tion industry.

2 However, in recent years,collaboration, alternative delivery sys-tems and more enlightened owner-designer-contractor relationships suchas design/ build have improved theseadversarial relationships. Design/ build isa system of contracting under which oneentity performs both design and con-struction for a client. In traditional con-tracting, a client commissions an archi-tect or engineer to prepare drawings andspecifications, and then separatelyselects a construction contractor or con-struction manager. In design/ build , a sin-gle entity produces a product that meetsa client s needs. Collaboration between designers and builders is the foundation ofdesign/ build , and this method offersthe client the benefits of even greaterdesign and construction integrationand singular responsibility for the out-come and overall process. There are essentially five advantagesthat are associated with the design/buildprocess:1.

3 Single responsibility The design/ build approach provides both architec-ture/engineering and constructionunder a single contract. Therefore, the owner s control of the entiredesign/ build process is strengthened andfinancial risk is reduced by contractingwith a single firm that is unconditionallycommitted to the success of the project. 1.)Early knowledge of the firm price Adesign/ build team, working closely withits client, accurately conceptualizes thecompleted project at an early and concurrent estimating14 b&c midsouthspring 2010 WWhile design/ build has emergedas aleader in today s cost-consciousconstruction industry, it is a con-cept that is more than 4,000 yearsold. The design/ build method isbased on the ancient concept of amaster builder who accepted fullresponsibility for designing andconstructing a project from concep-tion to completion. >Although it s been around for thousands of years, thedesign/ build method recently has become a popular choicewith contractors and owners looking to cut project // by paul the development of design resultsin accurate, guaranteed constructioncosts and schedule far sooner than tradi-tionally possible.

4 This permits the firm establishment ofproject feasibility and financing well inadvance of the drafting of final construc-tion documents. 3.)Value-engineering Design and con-struction personnel working as a team evaluate alternative systems, materialsand methods efficiently and the outset of the project, both designand construction expertise is brought tobear upon all components of a expense is evaluated againstcapital cost to optimize lifecycle )Time strategies The design andconstruction processes can be over-lapped, bidding periods and redesigntime are eliminated, and long lead timepurchases can be made early on in thedesign phase. The total project durationis significantly reduced, resulting in earlier utilization and superior total proj-ect )Quality enhancement Design/buildinherently provides higher quality thanthe separate, often conflicting architectvs.

5 Contractor approach. Because the design/builder has re -sponsibility for performance, it is moti-vated to build with quality. Design/buildeliminates the traditional finger pointingamong the architect, engineer and con-tractor, and allows resources and atten-tion to be productively focused on cost-effective solutions that reflect best valueand EfficiencyThe Construction Industry Institute andPennsylvania State University studiedreal-world application of the design/ build process and found some interest-ing statistics. The study evaluated the three projectdelivery types mentioned earlier design/ build , CM at risk and DBB com-paring total cost, schedule adherenceand quality on 351 projects in six markets:light industrial, heavy industrial, multi-story residential, simple office, complexoffice and high technology. The industry study concluded thatdesign/ build is the most economical andefficient project delivery system in thebuilding and construction industry to -day.

6 The findings of the constructionstudy included: Unit cost Design/ build costs at percent less than CM and 6 percentless than DBB; Construction speed Design/ build is constructed at least 7 percent fasterthan CM and 12 percent faster than DBB; Delivery speed Design/ build is deliv-ered at least 23 percent faster than CMand 33 percent faster than DBB; and Quality Design/ build exceeds qualityexpectations at all is little doubt that thedesign/ build method is more cost-effec-tive and time-efficient than other meth-ods the only obstacle that it currentlyfaces is education about its owners are unfamiliar with thedesign/ build delivery system and its benefits . However, there are majorFortune 500companies that are using thedesign/ build process to construct new,quality facilities. Such companies using design/buildinclude Frito Lay, Kraft Foods, Gatorade,Nestle Waters, PepsiCo, Anheuser-Busch,Starbucks, ConAgra, Procter & Gambleand Sara Lee.

7 It is evident the design/ build processis gaining momentum to become theleading project delivery system in theindustry, and by 2015, the Design BuildInstitute of America predicts that morethan 50 percent of all projects will bedesign/built. In the final analysis,design/ build is easier for the owner,more efficient, faster and less expensivethan any other process of facility plan-ning and Tyleris president of the commercialgroup at Haskell , ranked the No. 1 2010healthcare design/ build firm by ModernHealthcaremagazine. Tyler oversees theoperations of Haskell s Commercial ProjectDelivery Group, which specializes in thedesign and construction of various struc-tures. Tyler can be reached at Paul. 2010 spring b&c midsouth15xIt is evident the design/ build processis gaining momentum to become theleading project delivery system in theindustry, and by 2015, the DesignBuild Institute of America predictsthat more than 50 percent of all proj-ects will be design/built.

8 In the finalanalysis, design/ build is easier for theowner, more efficient, faster and lessexpensive than any other process offacility planning and construction. by paul tyler \\ desig