Project Delivery Method: How are We Building? Part 4

Save Your Church Money Blog

This is the fourth part in a series of articles describing the different project delivery methods. The first part dealt with Design-Bid-Build. The second part dealt with selecting the architect, the third part dealt with Construction Management. This article will deal with the Design-Build Method.

Design Build
Although not as common as Design-Bid-Build in recent history, the Design-Build process actually harkens back to the “Master Builder” concept used to build the pyramids and great cathedrals. In this method the Owner contracts with a single entity, the Design-Builder, who orchestrates the whole design and building process which many times can reduce risk for the church. This is in contrast to contracting with at least two entities in Design-Bid-Build and at least three in Construction Management. The relationship between the parties is illustrated below. Probably the most attractive aspect with this method is the communication and collaboration between the contractor and architect thereby minimizing risk for the church.

Strengths
o Fewer change orders
o Collaboration between architect and contractor maximizes value
o Mitigates church’s financial and legal risk
o Best way to manage schedule. Fewer construction delays.
o Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP)

Weaknesses
o Lack of direct communication between Owner and architect or contractor.
o Potential for compromises in quality to meet budget.

In our experience, we have found that the costs saving and minimized risk imbedded in the Design-Build method makes this the best approach for most churches.