Page 13 - spaces4learning, July/August 2020

pletion. While it’s true that speed is a benefit of design-build delivery, the design portion of the project timeline is usually the one shortened, as construction is a sequential process and there is no way to eliminate necessary sequences for sake of time. When design-build is chosen for speed rather than its overall benefits, design time is often accelerated as a result.
People who are drawn to design-build for speed and cost sav- ings are more likely to utilize the project method when they don’t feel design needs to be particularly original. However, as we’ll explore below, the academic sector is the perfect use case for exploring how design-build is the best delivery system for mitigating risk, increasing the speed of delivery, lowering costs, and delivering great design – all through a simpler, more col- laborative process.
Design-build benefits schools can capitalize on
Large-scale construction projects are part of the development plans at most academic institutions. But tightening budgets are forcing schools to look for better ways to contain costs and con- trol their exposure, all while ensuring that building projects are aligned with campus standards and culture.
One of the biggest problems with the traditional triangu- lar construction delivery method is that when challenges arise throughout project execution, it’s common for the triangle’s base points – the architect and the contractor – to point to each other as the cause of the issue or lack of solution. Because both
are competing to execute on the client’s goals, be this through delivering the client’s desired design elements or saving on bud- get, both tend to operate relatively independently on finalizing the project.
The design-build approach offers a more synergetic delivery system because the architect and contractor hear the owner’s project goals at the same time and work together to deliver what is feasible, aspirational or ideal for a given project.
Among others, the primary areas in which schools can ben- efit by implementing design-build in their new construction or renovation projects are:
• Risk Mitigation
Project challenges such as change orders and budget overruns are less likely because of the way design-build contracts are typically written. With architects and contractors working together for the entirety of the design and construction pro- cess, they collaborate better on certain design, material and construction elements that often drive budget, and timelines, decreasing the likelihood of unforeseen changes.
• Speed
The coordinated effort of the architect and contractor in delivering on the client’s wishes expedites the speed of a de- sign-build project. Synchronous teamwork proactively directs the work to the most efficient parts of the project team, such as subcontractors hired to complete the final detailing for review by the design team.
• Cost Reduction
With reduction in risk and increase in speed comes cost savings. Design-build’s cooperative nature between archi- tects, construction managers and subcontractors means that all parties are involved in both the design and construction phases of the project making the most efficient use of labor, materials, and constructability input. This helps to elim- inate many of the unknown factors that drive the size of project contingencies at all levels of the supply chain, thus minimizing the initially projected cost.
• Quality Control
Since design-build promotes collaboration, streamlines
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