Understanding the Benefits of Design-Build Construction

Being able to design your business from the ground up offers many potential benefits. If you work with a design-build firm to implement your vision for your space, you’ll have more effective input in your operations.

By working with skilled designers and builders who have years of experience in the industry and addressing common obstacles, you can bring your vision to life.

Image of engineers meeting to review construction blueprints.

Five Components of Design-Build That Create Success

Communication
By working with a design-build company when designing your commercial space, communication will be more streamlined and succinct. There’s typically one project manager who coordinates with both designers and builders to help facilitate better communication. This leads to less breakdowns in communication, resulting in fewer mistakes. In fact, it’s estimated that construction rework costs over $31 billion due to poor communication.

Well-established relationships with your designers and construction team lead to fewer hiccups, and a greater likelihood of maintaining the overall vision within the established timeframe.
Accountability
By working with one project team for your build, you keep all of the communication, expertise, design, and construction under one umbrella. This means that mistakes are not only less likely to happen, but if they do, it’s easier to hold people accountable. This accountability also enables the errors to be remedied quickly and efficiently, as communication is more free flowing.

If mistakes occur during the process, which is typical during any big project, no one can cast blame on another entity. This is vital for correcting errors quickly and with the least amount of money and time wasted.
Multiple Expertise
When employing the professionals in a design-build, their expertise extends beyond the traditional design or construction business. Because a design-build team makes it a point to work with both designers and a construction team, they have expertise in both fields. For example, you’ll have designers recognizing potential construction issues in design and a construction manager able to effectively work with designers to remedy any issues for a more optimal outcome.
Shared Vision and Ownership
Working with one team to design and build your commercial space helps to create the best outcome for your vision. This is due to you both developing your vision for the space together and then working with that same team to make it a reality.

You’re not taking your design and turning it over to a whole new team that is unfamiliar with the project. By working with everyone from the beginning under one business umbrella, your designers and project team will be just as excited in helping to make sure your construction project is everything that was envisioned.

Not only will you have ownership of your project as the original driving force in its production, but your project team will have ownership in the design and implementation and completion of the whole project.
Custom Projects
When determining if a design-build project is right for you, remember that these projects tend to be more custom. That means your business and commercial space is not cookie-cutter and has yet to be designed.

Of course, if you’ve already created and built a business, you might just need a typical construction team to replicate your same building model. If you’re looking to add some unique features and elements to a new space, working with a design-build company will enable you to capture that custom look.

What to Expect During the Design Build Process

Creating, designing, and building your business space from the ground up can be quite overwhelming. It’s important to understand some of the key steps and expectations in the process when embarking on your new venture.

Team Selection: The first step of your project includes picking the right team to help you design and build your space. This will help to set the tone for the duration of your project and should be carefully considered.
Project Planning: Once you’ve selected your team, you’ll begin the preliminary work of crafting your vision and goals. Your team will work on some rough designs and estimations for cost and timetable.
Design Phase: This phase includes the completion of the final architectural and design plans. During this process, the architect will consult with both your designer and construction manager to ensure that all of the elements for the design are being addressed.
Establishing a GMP: This is where your team will establish your GMP (guaranteed maximum price) so that your project won’t get out of hand. You’ll have a limit placed on all individuals to work within the designated price parameters. Bids will also be sent out to help ensure that your design-builder is getting you the best price possible. An important piece of the GMP is that your design-build team guarantees the price. This means if your project goes over this price tag, it’s the responsibility of the design-builder to pay, not the person(s) who hired them.
Construction: Once the previous steps have been completed, construction finally begins on your project. By working with a design-build team, your project will be more likely to be completed on time and with minimal time delays. This is due to the succinctness and efficiency provided with all individuals working under the same umbrella.
Work with a Commercial Building Design Firm: The appropriate commercial building design firm will be highly experienced, understand the importance of your operation and staying on budget, and will be able to work with you to meet deadlines and pass building codes and inspections as you work together to bring your vision to fulfillment.

Design-Build Firms in Massachusetts That Do It All

When you partner with a design-build firm, you’ll have an entire team on your side working together from concept through construction so your business turns out to be what you envisioned. These great resources will equip you and your firm for success.

Our design-build team here at Ironclad Services understands your unique needs and will work with you to make your vision for your business a reality.