The benefits of the design-build approach in real estate development

Design-build is a project delivery model that can be highly appealing: offering greater control, reduced risks, cost savings and faster delivery times.

Teamwork and collaboration are at the core of design-build, versus the typical disassociated approach of steering design and then seeking fixed-price bids from general contractors. Design-build inherently incentivises all parties to identify ways to improve productivity and quality while offering a level of fairness and cost transparency.

The cost data from prior design-build projects contributes to greater awareness heading into new projects. Furthermore, the early involvement of construction trade teams offers architects and designers ongoing feedback on product and productivity as the design evolves. This environment of collaboration positively impacts cost, schedule and quality, reducing the risk of missing the mark with design and ensuring a tighter trade buy-out process during construction.

Firms can improve collaboration and help uncover design errors using building information modeling (BIM). By driving design and construction delivery through BIM workflows, companies can take advantage of:

• 3D digital viewer environments that are simple to use allow them to use a desktop or mobile device to view a building design that would typically be rendered on hundreds of 2D sheets
• A digital twin to quickly and cognitively recognise in digital form how the built asset will look
• Accurate and automatic production of quantities at the budgeting, bidding and forecasting stage
• Organising and managing meta-data to create a common data environment (CDE), which in turn ensures a level of common language among design professionals and constructors
• Effective structures for establishing work breakdown structures (WBS) driving frameworks for schedule and cost, such as budget and forecasting, and the potential to develop graphic recognition of earned-value validation.
• Drive exacting quantity takeoff scripts and then use the database to associate cost data, possibly driving real-time cost feedback

A recent e-book by Tech-Clarity takes an in-depth look into design-build in relation to other design and construction delivery frameworks based on discussions with residential real estate development firms who have either adopted this approach or at least experimented with it.

Read objective and exclusive insights on the challenges and opportunities facing the design-build industry. Dive in for insights on:

• How early involvement of construction teams enhances collaboration and feedback loops
• The game-changing impact of collaboration on cost, schedule and quality
• Comparisons between design-build and traditional design and construction delivery methods

Download your complimentary copy of Supporting Design-Build in Real Estate Development today!