Discussion topic

Design and build vs. management and traditional approaches. What are the main differences?

Management and Traditional Approaches

Before delving into what constitutes a Design and Build contract, it might be helpful to
understand in the first place what is a traditional building contract. Broadly speaking, the
traditional approach has three stages. First, the design stage. At this stage, the project owner
works with an architect or designer to come up with a design for the building. Second, the
bidding stage. At this stage, several potential contractors will tender bids on the pre-decided
design. This means that they will submit their proposals to the project owner, who will then
decide which contractor he wants to construct the building. Finally, at the construction stage,
the actual construction of the building will take place by the contractor who won the bid, in line
with the original design.

Design and Build

In contrast, there are two key differences between a traditional contract and a Design and Build
contract. The second stage, i.e. the bidding stage in the traditional contract becomes the first
stage in the Design and Build contract. The first and third stages in the traditional contract are
meshed into one ongoing process in the Design and Build contract. This means that the project
owner will first select an entity with design and constructions capabilities to undertake the
project. This process of designing and constructing often happens at the same time, and may
overlap with each other.

Exercise:

Consider the project delivery and the construction process of the bungalow detailed in Figure
45 and think about the following questions:

1. Determine how many different construction teams would be required to build the bungalow;

a) Architectural drawings. This will include a complete design, which gives the production teams
sufficient information to undertake their aspect of the work. The architect is often engaged in
the project execution stage to make sure that the design is being followed.
b) Management (the individual housing sector is dominated by customers directly managing the
project. However, some employ an external project manager to oversee the production
activities on site).

c) Construction site preparation (this include clearing the vegetation and topsoil, grading and
securing the site perimeter)

2. Outline the requirements an architect would need to consider to produce a detailed design
of the bungalow;

Step 1: Interview and initial discussions

Step 2: Information gathering + documentation

Step 3: Schematic Design and Feasibility

Step 4: Design Development + Permit Documents

Step 5: Construction Documents + Permit Acquisition

Step 6: Selection of a General Contractor

Step 7: Construction Administration

3. It is likely that there will be rarely more than three construction teams working on site at the
same time. How would you manage such a project in order to ensure a smooth sequence of
activities?

a) Establish Timeline Through Contract

A construction project is more likely to linger around if there’s no set timeline. That’s why
before you get started, establish how long the project is supposed to go through a contract.
This sets the project as it would define how you’ll be scheduling the phases of the construction
process. Aside from that, knowing the duration can motivate people to work faster. If a project
is supposed to be done in two years, the workers will do their best to ensure it’s finished by the
time the two- year mark arrives.

b) Schedule Your Process and Review Constantly

After determining the duration of the project, the next part is to schedule accordingly. Divide
the whole time in different processes, from initial planning to building to completion. Of course,
you should schedule assessments in between so you can check for any discrepancies and
mistakes. You should also regularly check your schedule because when a whole project takes a
long time, it’s easy to forget what stage you should be in at that point in time. Also, remember
to open up your schedule for any mishaps and delays. Not because you’re expecting it to
happen but because it’s better to be prepared.

c) Maintain Procedure and Standards of Training

Once timelines and schedules are finalized, all of the people working on the project must be
aware of the process. A miscommunication or mistake due to ignorance of the process can lead
to delays or much worse. It also goes without saying that the people you’ve hired should be
highly trained. If they don’t have enough experience and have to be trained from the ground
up, you risk the possibility of delays and/or mistakes along the way.

d) Document Frequently

Last but not least, it’s important to document and record everything happening on the project.
This allows you to be on top of anything and everything that is happening. It also helps you to
be informed and inform the rest of the team so they know where they’re at in terms of the
project process.

Keeping track and staying on time can be difficult for a construction team. Even if you follow
the tips above, there are still some external factors that can affect the capacity to deliver
punctually. With that being said, you must still make the effort to ensure your project is right on
schedule. This is to minimize the chances of delay, and the possible repercussions if it does
happen.

4. What would you need to do if several different manufacturing and production teams report
design errors?

The relative limited number of teams and interactions involved in building a family house
suggests a traditional procurement approach would be adequate. There are hardly ever more
than two or three teams working on the construction site simultaneously, so any
misunderstandings and errors can easily be resolved on the spot. The client would also be able
to explain requirements in detail so the architect could produce a complete design prior to the
start of construction.