Design-build experiences?

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As an architect, I have no contractual or financial relationship with your contractor. My job during construction is to look out for your interests. On every project, there are moments where the contractor and I are at odds, sometimes that means that I’m advising my client that some portion of the work needs to be redone. Two real world examples: A contractor runs plumbing lines and HVAC ducting, but installs them in such a way that it will be necessary to lower ceilings in 2 rooms, box in some piping in one corner of a bedroom, and move the location of the light fixtures so that they’re not centered in the room. Or a contractor uses the wrong rebar, and pours 2 new footings that are smaller than what was called for. In instances like these, contractors sometimes say “you’re right, we’ll fix it.” But since redoing work equals losing money, they often argue that “there was no other way to do it,” or that “the engineer oversized the footing.” Other times, “there was no other way” means just that, and I need to adjust my design to work with the new conditions that couldn’t be avoided. Your concern with design-build should be that when push comes to shove, the architect or designer’s interested is aligned with the builder (themselves), not with you. And as a layperson, it’s unlikely you have the experience to know when there really was no other way to do something, vs. when the contractor took a shortcut that will negatively impact the final results. In the end, you’re entirely relying on the designer-builder to act ethically. I’m sure most do, but if they’ve made a mistake that will cost $5,000 to fix, and their kid’s summer camp has to be paid for that same week, ethics can go out the window pretty quickly. jcarch ———————— James Cleary Architecture brownstoner.staging.wpengine.com/jamescleary

And therein lies the conflict of interest that is often mentioned by opponents of the design build delivery method…which is why my firm never pegs its fee to the cost of construction. One thing you might want to consider is to NOT sign up for a full design-build arrangement at the outset. To go through a typical design period, which allows everyone to get to know each other, and then discuss whether or not segueing into a design-build arrangement makes sense. I do have to say though, there are some projects that are too small for this process, which is why design build was for many years used almost exclusively for large infrastructure projects.

There is nothing better or worse about design build than any other method – it all depends on the contractor and their willingness to work with you. We used design build for our kitchen and it was a nightmare. First, they tried to continuously up sell us from the package we bought, which I think they low balled. Then the company kept adding extra charges for minor things. For example, they wanted $5000 for plumbing work that Vigilante did for $500\. They never finished the punch list and we were unhappy all around. I can’t say design build was the problem instead of the company but we felt like we were in the hands of crooks. We started to use design build for a bathroom but the company would not break down the various costs in detail. Without the breakdown we couldn’t weigh our options to stay within our budget. It was feeling like the kitchen experience all over again so we went the traditional route. Be sure you know what is and isn’t included and have the completed design and plans before you set the final price. Transparency and clarity are key. Both were missing with our kitchen project and the bathroom project was heading the same direction before we pulled the plug. This isn’t a problem inherent in design build but it might be how it’s practiced in NY. If we ever do a major project again, I would use an architect who is my advocate and oversees nearly all aspects of the project. We’ve done two projects this way with better results. Good luck!

We’ve been offering design build services for @10 years and in that time have come to appreciate the benefits of this type of delivery method. Design Build work is quite different depending on scale, and typology of project. Since we’re on Brownstoner I’ll comment on residential design build work, though we have experience in other categories as well. From my point of view, by far the biggest benefit is qualitative as pertains to dollars invested. There are always more than a handful of ways to build something, ranging from small details to larger features. Design Build allows us to have an open dialogue with all the vested parties (Owner, Sub-Contractor, Architect, etc.) in order to determine the best solution from quality and cost points of view. At the end of the project, after having undergone dozens of exercises like these, we tend to arrive at a project that is extremely high on design and construction quality. You also tend to know precisely when and how all your dollars where spent. The main negative aspect of design build is rooted in the same. Because there are more options laid before you, it is best to have the Owner more involved in the discussion. This creates some wrinkles because most Owners are going through the process for the first time. Therefore the process is likely to get bogged down a bit in order to allow for a decision making process to play out…sort of a more cooks in the kitchen dilemma. I’d say design build is not for those who want to give the keys away, only to return several months or a year later to find a completed house. It requires Owner participation, and this can test your stamina and patience. I’m a huge fan of design build work, and it has been interesting to see over the last few years more design build firms propping up around the City. I highly recommend it to all. Best-Andrés Agencie Group www.agenciegroup.com