British Virgin Islands Design/Build   What is Design/Build?   Design/Build is an approach to construction that integrates the complimentary skills of architects and contractors throughout the building process. Delivers a product more quickly and more cost-effectively than the traditional system. In most instances, this approach leads to higher quality construction.       When Does Design/Build Make Sense?   The Process • The design/build approach can be used on virtually any project, but it is particularly well suited to small projects where schedule and budget are important. • Having both the architect and the builder working together from the outset of design allows for early estimates for cost and time of construction. • Design/Build eliminates many of the coordination problems that plague conventional projects.   • The Design/Build team first meets with the clients, preferably on site, to identify the existing conditions, define the goals and establish program parameters for the project. • Then the Design/Build team reviews the program with regard to budget and scheduling considerations and begins the process of Schematic Design. • During Schematic Design the team will develop a number of options, review these with the clients and finalize a design direction that is appropriate to all of the issues discussed above • The next phase, Design Development, is where the efficiencies of the Design/Build process are most evident. During this stage, the designers and the contractors work together to advance a design that is completely vetted in terms of buildability, scheduling and budget. This phase concludes with a final design sign-off by the clients. • In general, as a result of the close collaboration between team members in the earlier phases, the Construction Documentation phase can often be truncated and includes the beginnings of the construction phase – site preparation, interacting with building officials and ordering materials. • The project is then built with monthly meetings on site to facilitate communication between the team members and the client.     Why is Design/Build particularly well suited to the BVI?   • As is the case with most islands, the availability and cost of materials and labor is a significantly bigger issue than in more conventional markets. • Given inherently higher per square foot material costs, the ability to generate early and accurate cost estimates is essential. • Given inherently higher labor costs, the firm schedules and streamlined building approaches with Design/Build are particularly useful. • Design/Build allows appropriate materials and construction methods to be incorporated into the design at the earliest stages, which fosters higher quality building.
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