1. Establish what specialist skills and experience will be required for your project, especially if work needs to be carried out in a live environment. Each design and build contract will bring its own set of challenges so you will need a contractor with a proven track record in overcoming these.
2. Ensure the architects have a well-established relationship with the contractor ensuring a cohesive and committed team. The strength of this partnership and a willingness to be flexible will be fundamental in developing a design that best meets your criteria, balancing functionality and efficiency with the right cost.
3. Make sure you are assigned a single point of contact from the outset who can oversee all activity from the design stage right through to completion. This person should be knowledgeable in all areas ensuring any queries or problems are addressed at the earliest opportunity and the construction programme remains on target.
4. Establish the roles and responsibilities of other key team members. Ideally, there should be an appointed manager dedicated to co-ordinating the designers to ensure your needs are met in the most cost-effective way and in line with your timescales.
5. Request an open book policy so that all costs are transparent. It should be clear how costs have been arrived at and if anything needs to change as the build progresses, you should be shown what effect that will have on the overall budget.
Ultimately, the key to success is being clear on your objectives and then finding a contractor with the skills and experience to match. With the right team, schemes can be delivered quickly and effectively both in terms of time and cost, and to the highest standard.
For further advice on design and build or for a free consultation, please contact us.
