Wolgast Blog - Construction Trends, Tips and Information

 

In this blog, I’ll explore how the Design-Build (D-B)method of construction is well suited to healthcare practitioners, more so than general construction.  To start, the D-B method was really created to suit the needs of busy business owners, including doctors, because it requires less attention from an owner and that owner can set their building involvement as much or little as they see fit.  Some customers like to be more engaged in the process than others and we are happy to accommodate each client’s unique desires.

 

The basic difference of D-B over general construction is the relationship between the architect and builder.  In this project delivery, they are on the same team. A doctor only needs to work with one entity to design and then build his or her office.  Also in this scenario, the doctor is protected from any discrepancies from the architect’s drawings to contractor’s construction application.  With D-B, the contractor and architect are consulting on budget, application, and material quality throughout design, so when construction starts there are very little interruptions or change orders. Should there be a discrepancy, the Design-Builder will work it out without involving the owner unnecessarily. This protection is valued by doctors who oftentimes aren’t as familiar with construction, nor have the time to deal with these issues on site. All of these reasons are exactly why D-B was created as an alternative to general construction.

We have had all kinds of business owners from varying professions ask us about using a pre-engineered metal building when they’re fact finding about new construction for their business.  We tell them a general rule of thumb to consider is that metal buildings are best for businesses that want an industrial look, or have a big enough budget to dress up a pre-engineered building with brick or EIFS (for example) to mask the industrial façade.