ARCHITECT-DESIGNED vs. DESIGN/BUILD?
Many people ask us the difference between architect-designed projects and the design/build option.
In the simplest terms, an architect-designed project is one in which the client engages an architect to design their project and provide thorough technical drawings for permit and bidding. The architect is also heavily involved in the observation of construction to completion.
The design/build method features a construction firm offering their own designers in lieu of a separate architect as well as being responsible for the construction of the project.
This appeals to some clients because of its implied simplicity as a “one-stop-shop” experience but it is a little more complicated than that.
We believe that for a high-quality project, a fully licensed, experienced architecture firm will always be preferable to the design/build method. For one, the client gains the knowledge, experience and design track record of an established architecture firm. This becomes even more critical when designing a house or adding onto a house that is either a historic landmark or in a historic district where the oversight of a historic commission of some type will be vetting the design for ultimate approval. An architecture firm with licensed architects who have experience working on homes with specific historic precedents has a deep level of acumen to navigate these complicated approval processes.
An Advocate in Architectural Design
Designers working for design/build firms frequently do not have the historic knowledge or experience to add onto a historic house or build a house in a historic neighborhood that will pass muster with experts on preservation commissions.
One thing that often gets missed about these two options is that when the owner hires an architecture firm, they have an advocate from beginning to end who will navigate all of the design, drawings, and construction issues for them. An architecture firm will not only design a project thoroughly, but also memorialize all of the critical decisions and details of a project in a very tight set of construction drawings. This extensive set of documents is not only a sure way to smooth the way to a building permit but also guarantees that the bids from contractors will be complete and comprehensive. Owners dislike facing the prospect of additional cost in the form of change orders. Having a very succinct set of construction documents protects them from these cost overruns.
Because the design/build firms are economizing, the architectural technical drawings are lacking in critical details and specifications that an architecture firm would not leave out. This is a recipe for disaster when the building is under construction. The client will reasonably ask about the level of finishes or the lack thereof only to be told that there is nothing in the budget for those items. Now the owner is forced to pay a series of “extras” at premium prices to get the house they want. In the design/build method, the owner is left to fend for themselves when it comes to insisting on design and quality of construction.
The Value of Building & Renovation Oversight
There are a couple ways that an architecture firm navigates the building process. The first, or most traditional, is the owner hires an architect to design and produce the construction drawings for permit and for competitive bidding by qualified contractors. The architect then helps navigate the bidding process to ensure that the owner is choosing the right contractor and that their bid is accurate, comprehensive and the best value.
Once the project is under construction, the architect is on site to ensure that the drawings are being followed precisely and with the appropriate quality of details. Your architect also is in charge of approving payouts to the contractor to ensure that their progress payments reflect the actual work completed on site.
The second approach is for an architect and owner to pair up with a reputable contractor from day one. In this method, the contractor becomes part of the team which is very valuable when a specific budget is paramount. In this method the contractor and architect, along with the owner, have regular meetings during the design and the construction document phases to ensure that the budget is on track. The contractor will be asked in this scenario, to elicit multiple bids from subcontractors and then choose the lowest numbers from that pool of subcontractors to form an overall construction cost proposal.
We have employed both the “owner hires the architect” and the “architect/contractor team” approaches with great success.
A footnote: There are some architecture firms that are now operating as a sort of hybrid. They offer the normal services of an architecture firm but also engage in the buying and selling of critical building components such as windows, doors and cabinetry for a project. A mark-up is applied to these items which would normally be in the hands of the general contractor. This architecture firm will now market their fees as being lower than other architects but then make it up on the back end through these commissions. This hurts reputable architects, clients and general contractors and is an ethical quagmire.