Design-Build Transforms Projects and Lays Foundation for Success

By Mike Benford, Business Development Director for Adolfson & Peterson Construction

As an increasingly popular method of construction project delivery, design-build benefits both owner/occupiers and general contractors. In fact, a study by the Design-Build Institute of America in partnership with investment banking firm FMI, projects design-build construction spending to yield a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.6% over the 2021-2025 forecast period and reach over $400 billion in 2025.

Overall, the study shows design-build is anticipated to represent up to 47% of construction spending across all segments surveyed. The greatest percentage of design-build construction spending by segment over the 2021-2025 forecast period is anticipated to be highway/street, educational and manufacturing.

We’re not surprised. AP continues to advocate for the design-build method. The process involves a single team under one contract with the project owner providing design and construction services instead of working with separate entities, separate contracts and separate work processes. Design-build is appropriate for projects of any size and budget and has been successfully implemented for a wide range of construction projects from apartment buildings and shopping centers to dams and roads.

In the DBIA/FMI study, more than 50% of survey respondents indicated design-build exceeded expectations. Additionally, over 75% of survey respondents indicated having a ‘very good’ or ‘excellent’ experience in their design-build projects. Among the top factors impacting the appeal of the design-build method is early involvement of key stakeholders, which allows the design-build team to identify and better address the owner’s goals and objectives.

The Upside of Design-Build

We agree with those findings. Some of the benefits of design-build we see:

  • Assigns accountability to one entity for cost, schedule and performance
  • Allows early on for the establishment of a high-performing team
  • Transfers risk from the owner to the design-build organization. This method assigns all complexities to one entity and reduces the administrative burdens related to managing multiple entities
  • Saves time and money during both design and construction phases
  • Streamlines project delivery by creating one unified workflow from initial concept through completion with one source of contact/responsible party

Design-build has the power to transform relationships between designers and builders, creating a partnership that fosters collaboration and teamwork. This usually prevents problems that may arise and certainly mitigates them when they occur.

With contractors and design teams collaborating from the beginning, design iterations are minimized, thereby reducing the time and money spent on re-design. Discussions around budget-suitable materials, for example, allow the team to make the right decisions from the start and avoid change orders later in the project.

“This level of collaboration enables projects to reach 100% construction documents. Once we hit that 100%, we can move on to the permitting and start construction. Moreover, combining design with efficient construction means and methods early in the process shaves time off the schedule during the construction phase.”

Bringing value to clients

Though owners/occupiers benefit extensively from design-build arrangements, like anything in life, there are some tradeoffs. Loss of design control is by far the biggest tradeoff related to design-build. However, strong communication and collaboration prior to signing a contract can prevent any design-related issues.

Hiring a design-build team that has worked together before and knows the product type can be beneficial. This shortens team integration and reduces decision-making intervals. Owners are able to select the most qualified design-build team and personnel through proper RFQ/P documents and selection criteria.

AP’s ability to successfully deliver design-build projects is a differentiator in the marketplace and adds additional value to our clients. A recent example of a design-build project is the expansion of Rockwall County Jail in the Dallas suburb of Rockwall, Texas.

AP and design firm DLR Group partnered on the jail project, which included an 82,943-square-foot expansion that added 204 new beds to the current 240-bed residency, ultimately increasing capacity to 444 beds.

The county jail development also includes new civil infrastructure with direct and indirect supervision in two-story cell housing units, a new intake, visitation, kitchen, laundry, as well as medical and mental health facilities. With the renovation, the facility now offers state-of-the-art features to increase overall wellbeing, efficiency, and safety.

AP is also involved in an exciting design-build healthcare project in Sherman, Texas. Most recently, the firm collaborated on the design portion of the 167,000-square-foot, three-story facility, which will feature about 80 beds and dedicated units for intensive care, surgery, OB-GYN and perinatal services. Construction on the acute-care facility, which will bring 400 jobs to the area, is scheduled to begin Fall 2022.

It’s easy to see why design-build continues to rise in popularity for owners/occupiers. Teamwork and collaboration play such a big role, and the construction process is often quicker and more efficient and, ultimately, less expensive than other construction methods. We’re on board.

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