General Contracting &
Construction Management Services Since 1916
P.O. Box 535, Fairchance, PA 15436
1 (724) 564-7485
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Design/Build is a process that has been embraced by the world's great civilizations. In ancient Mesopotamia, the Code of Hammurabi (1800 BC) fixed absolute accountability upon master builders for the both design and construction. In the succeeding millenia, cathedrals and cable-stayed bridges, cloiters and corporate headquarters, have been conceived and constructed using the paradigm of design/build
-From the Design Build Institute of America brochure entitled "An Introduction to Design Build" 1994
Throughout the ages, the Design/Build concept has been used to deliver projects under a master builder approach. The master builder was the one source responsible for the design and construction of structures. It has only been in the last 150 years that the Design-Bid-Build approach of separating design and construction responsibility has been used as the predominate method. The frustration of clients over the Design-Bid-Build method has brought a renewed interest in the master builder approach.
There are many reasons why Design/Build is a viable project delivery method in today's market:
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First and foremost, there is a single source of responsibility between the client and Design/Builder. This eliminates adverse relationships between the contractor and design team; so that the client has only one contractual relationship. |
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The time frame to complete a project is compressed since design and construction activities are concurrent. |
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Project costs are identified at an early stage then in other project delivery systems and budgetary concerns can be addressed in the preliminary design and not at completion of design as in other methods. |
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Design/Build inherently provides higher quality than other methods since the team's resources are orientated towards the goal of a successful project for the owner. |
All of these factors make Design/Build a feasible project delivery method.
