A Solution-Oriented Design Firm
We listen carefully to understand our clients’ needs and challenges and use our staff’s 100+ combined years of project experience to come up with practical solutions that can make your project efficient and cost-effective. Here is how we do it:
Efficient Design Planning
- Early Collaboration: Engage with clients early to understand their needs and prevent costly changes.
- Sustainable Design: Use energy-efficient systems and materials to reduce long-term costs.
Cost-effective Materials and Methods
- Material Selection: Considering durable, low-maintenance materials.
- Modular Construction: Considering prefabricated components which can speed up construction and reduce labor costs.
- Comparing Vendors and Costs: Comparing vendors from around the globe, factoring in shipping costs and tariffs, whenever selecting materials and FF&E.
Technology Integration
- Building Information Modeling (BIM): Option of utilizing BIM for accurate planning and minimizing errors.
- Virtual Reality (VR): Ability to implement VR for client walkthroughs to ensure design satisfaction before construction.
Project Management
- Clear Communication: Maintaining transparent communication to avoid misunderstandings and delays.
- Time Management: Efficient scheduling to prevent cost overruns.
Value Engineering
- Cost-Benefit Analysis: Evaluating different design options for the most economical solutions.
- Alternative Solutions: Proposing cost-effective materials or methods.
Regulatory Compliance
- Permitting and Codes: Creating designs that comply with local regulations to avoid fines and delays.
Post-Construction Support
- Maintenance Plans: Providing maintenance schedules to prolong the building’s lifespan.
Collaboration with Construction and Project Managers
- Early Involvement: Involve managers early to identify potential issues and streamline processes.
- Efficient Resource Allocation: Optimize resource use to reduce waste and costs.
- Risk Management: Identify and mitigate risks early to prevent delays and overruns.
Working with Cost Estimators
- Accurate Cost Projections: Provide detailed cost estimates to help clients understand financial commitments.
- Budget Management: Develop and manage the project budget to stay within financial constraints.
- Value Engineering: Suggest cost-effective alternatives without compromising quality.
Collaboration with Contractors
- Design-Bid-Build (DBB): In this traditional method, the project is designed first by the Architects, then put out to bid to a number of Contractors. The Client selects the Contractor based on their responses to the bid. This method provides clear separation of design and construction responsibilities but can be time-consuming due to the sequential process; however, it does let the client compare the costs of Contractors.
- Design-Assist: With this method, the Contractor is involved during the design phase to provide input on constructability, feasibility, and cost. This collaboration can lead to more practical and cost-effective designs; however, the bidding process is omitted since the Contractor is on board from the start of the project.
- Design-Build (DB): This process integrates design and construction under a single contract for better communication and faster project delivery, reducing risks of cost overruns and delays. However, just like with Design-Assist, the bidding process is omitted since the Contractor is on board from the start of the project.