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.