How projects are designed and built and what it means to you: 

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All projects are developed through a variation of one of two methods: Design-Build or Design-Bid-Build. Every project requires the skills of architects, engineers, consultants and contractors bringing their expertise to the project’s execution. These methods define the consultants’ and contractors’ working relationships as well as their accountability and responsibility to the project owner.

Design-Build brings together the design and construction teams into a unified relationship, providing the owner with a single point of accountability for all aspects of the project. The process is set up to establish a collaborative working process where construction input is included in the design process and vice versa. It establishes the design and construction team early on with a clear target for the project’s cost and schedule.

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Design-Bid-Build is based on a separation in the relationships between the design and construction teams, with each team providing responsibility only for their scope of work. The process provides the owner with the maximum flexibility in pursuing the best possible cost and schedule from each consultant and contractor through a competitive bid process throughout all phases of the project.

A key factor in deciding which method is best for your project is understanding your available time and expertise required to implement the proposed methodology. Design-Build focuses the owner’s engagement on high level decision making with the Design-Builder accountable for the project’s execution and coordination. Design-Bid-Build requires the owner to provide focused and dedicated engagement to ensure the coordination of the project team and to hold each portion of it responsible for execution throughout all phases of the project.

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Your success and satisfaction will be significantly influenced by which approach best suits you.

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Design-Build = Collaborative process / Single point of Accountability = Passive Owner Engagement.

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Design-Bid-Build = Competitive process / Multiple points of Responsibility = Active Owner Engagement

Ray Lastra