Design-Build Construction: Because Your Budget and Schedule Matter
What business wouldn’t choose a building process that offers opportunities to save money, to reduce construction time, to allow customization, to optimize quality, and to streamline the entire experience?
No hands raised in the audience? That comes as no surprise to all of us at Friede & Associates. We’ve worked with hundreds of clients over the last seven decades, and those are key advantages that every one of our clients has valued.
Today, we’re pleased to be regarded as Wisconsin's expert in a process loaded with many intrinsic benefits. Known as “Design-Build,” its cost efficiency, time savings, and collaborative nature have made it popular among clients for everything from commercial and municipal buildings to sports facilities, churches, restaurants, manufacturing plants, medical facilities, and more.
How does it work?
To begin with, the design-build process is much more fluid than traditional design-bid-build, where the owner hires an architect to design a set of plans then puts the job out to bid. Instead of long gaps of time (and remember: time is money) between different phases of a project being completed by different participants, each member of a design-build team works together from the start and during every step of the process to help move things along quickly and more smoothly.
The design-build construction process allows you to vet potential candidates based on experience, then dig into the details of your specific project. This design-build selection process often overlaps with the next phase—the pre-construction phase—since the design-build team selected will likely have already done a significant amount of research and analysis of the construction site and other particulars of the project.
Notice that you’d be saving time even at the very beginning of the project.
This pre-construction step is critical. Attention to detail is paramount. This is when the design-build team will learn about the owner’s business, including its goals, challenges, budget, and overall vision for the project. It’s a time for asking as many questions as necessary, so as to get a solid picture of what is expected to be delivered. Our clients tell us that they find this phase invaluable. This is when our experience can help you fine-tune plans based on what we have learned from more than 100 years of construction throughout Wisconsin. Efficiencies, added benefits, cost reductions, and enhancements have grown out of this collaborative, team-focused process.
During this phase, the owner, architects, engineers, contractors, and other consultants work together as a team to assess existing structures, electrical systems, HVAC systems, operational necessities, and more to determine what needs to be done before construction begins. These assessments allow for a thorough analysis of the construction site, which helps the design-build team maximize efficiency throughout the project.
At this stage, we view our work—together with you and the entire team—as an excellent opportunity to assess areas for cost savings and optimized productivity, while also meeting functional requirements and style preferences. We’ll leave no stone unturned when it comes to suggesting ways to save time, money, or logistical hassles. This process helps us deliver a building that suits your needs and schedule.
The overall project vision is established during this phase, and preliminary drawings are developed. Pricing estimates can be established during this phase as well, and a firm budget is provided. In addition, we’ll have a timeline for you so that you understand start and end dates, and every critical point in between. Our goal is to ensure that you find the construction experience as disruption-free as possible.
Bottom line: we have experienced that fewer design changes and mistakes are made due to miscommunication when design-build is employed. The increase in collaboration enables customization and innovation, which results in less time and fewer materials being wasted at each stage of the project. The result? A higher-quality deliverable—with no surprises—ultimately resulting in increased satisfaction by the owner.
Another major benefit of design-build? This method works beautifully for all types of projects: new construction, renovation, expansion, historical restoration, retrofit, or a combination of one or more of these initiatives.
You work hard to make your business succeed, investing time, money, blood, sweat and tears. When it comes to growing your business' investment, we hope you’ll consider the design-build process.
Have a project in mind? We are always happy to talk to you about your project ideas and to show you how design-build can benefit you and your project.
About Friede & Associates:
When you select Friede & Associates, you are buying more than our quality-assured construction services. You also get the performance and reliability of some of the top suppliers and subcontractors in the area. While other contractors may be cutting quality to remain competitive on price, Friede is forging relationships with members of the project team to bring you the best value and highest quality for your investment.
