Pre-Construction Planning Reduces Owner Risk

The rise in demand for design-build services is the latest evolution of the construction industry. The obvious benefit is an increase in efficiency during construction that inevitably leads to cost savings; however, the design build process also reduces risks for owners and places greater value on the architecture’s role.

“The need for predictability and the need for reduced risks between owners with lenders is driving growth of design-build,” Steve Tetens, project executive at Suffolk San Diego, tells GlobeSt.com. “This is just the evolution of the industry and we’ve seen the importance of the architect’s role in construction administration become more critical for them and other design consultants—and this is where those disciplines feel the most burden.”

The new focus on architecture is a shift for the industry, which previously kept the design firm out of the scheduling and pre-construction phases. “Previously, the architect was reactively involved in the building process, but with this process, we’ve seen how valuable it’s been for them to be proactively involved to improve schedules, predictability, accountability, and collaboration across all stakeholders,” says Tetens.

By bringing in the design team early, owners can create more accurate budgets, predictability and reliability, and it creates a better relationship with lenders. “We recently implemented this process when constructing the Palisade UTC, a luxury high-rise residential tower in San Diego, and we see tremendous potential for Plan and Control to positively impact other construction projects,” says Tetens. “This applies to various commercial, government/civic and aviation projects, and especially for higher education where Collaborative and Progressive Design Build is the predominant delivery method.”

Of course, it is not as simple as just sitting everyone down early. The process requires strategic planning and experience. “Any process requires a level of discipline to adhere to it through to completion,” says Tetens. “Plan and Control certainly requires an inherent knowledge of building. It’s a fully integrated process for inception to “key in the door.” As an architect, former developer and builder now, I’ve seen that this process delivers tangible results to our clients and to our project teams time and time again.”