Batman & Robin

Batman & Robin – Night & Day – Salt & Pepper, these are all things that go together. They fit. One complements the other. It is the same with Design & Build, one completes the other. Too often today design and build are regarded as adversaries. They separately compete for the approval of the owner and/or the success of the project. This should not be! Just like Batman was not complete without Robin, the design of a project is not complete until it is built.

There are many benefits to the Owner when Design and Build are combined on a project. They include:

• A Team Relationship is established between the Design Professional and the Contractor which is built on trust and confidence.

• The Scope of the project is identified through the contract documents so that Cost and Schedule can be identified/verified/modified early in the process.

• The Design Professional becomes a Valuable Resource to the Builder during the construction process.

The Old Days of adversarial relationships which were formed by Architects/Engineers drawing blueprints for the Contractor to competitively bid must be reevaluated. If we, as Professionals and Contractors, desire to bring the best product to our clients then we must learn that Design and Build fit together.

Top Ten Reasons to Choose a Design Professional

Over the years, many of our ebits have taken a look at all the choices you face as you start a facility project. In other words – which, of the many items you have at your disposal, do you reach for to assure a successful project? This week we take a look at reaching for an “Engineer/Architect that you Know, Believe in & Trust” to be on your team.

Here are the Top Ten Reasons to reach for an Engineer/Architect for your next facility project…

Number 10: You need extra “horse power” to get those out of the ordinary projects completed.

Number 9: You need individuals with specialized skills on building codes, architectural design, engineering and construction management to supplement your in-house staff.

Number 8: You need political cover from the corporate “sacred cows” and all that jazz.

Number 7: You’re looking for Best Practices from someone who has served multiple clients facing similar problems across different sectors.

Number 6: You are looking for a fresh set of eyes that are not bound by daily routines.

Number 5: You are looking to validate ideas that have already been created within the organization.

Number 4: You are looking to understand the building codes & government regulations and leverage them to your advantage.

Number 3: Lawyers are too expensive.

Number 2: Your brother-in-law is busy this weekend.

And the Number 1 Reason you should reach for an Engineer/Architect is….It’s fun to look at all the drawings!

In all seriousness (not that these 10 Reasons are not serious), having a professional alongside you will calm the stress of the day to day decision making because this is what we do; nothing new here for us. Give us a call, we look forward to being a part of your team…

The Beauty of Teamwork

As many of you know, I am a huge Purdue fan and this past weekend saw my favorite team win its 25th regular season Big Ten Championship. I know that Purdue’s past struggles in the the Big Ten Tournamant and the NCAA Tournamant are well documented, but I’ll worry about that in the coming weeks of March as this team navigates its way through both tournaments. Watching Purdue play basketball this season made me think a lot about teamwork. These guys lost several key members from last years team and added several new faces this year. They came together and ended up having a very successful season.

Teamwork on the basketball court is very similar to teamwork within a buiding project. You have multiple members of the team (the client/owner, the designers and the contractors). All members have to come together and support one another, otherwise you will end up with a subpar project in the end. Much like a basketball team working its way through a 35 game season, building projects can be a bit of a marathon themselves. Up front planning (much like the basketball preseason) is essential to a successful project. If you skip the planning process, you will likely find yourself behind throughout the entire project.

If we can be of help, give us a call so we can team up with you on your next building project.