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DESIGN/BUILD-A FAST TRACK APPROACH | |
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Corporate
facility managers are interested in quality construction, delivered on
time and within budget. It
is with these goals in mind that Amelang Partners Inc. presents this
brief outline of the design/build concept.
Design/build represents the
ultimate in a coordinated team approach to the development of new
facilities. The
design/build process joins the designer, contractor, and owner into a
tightly-knit group whose common goal is a top quality, functionally
sound project completed on schedule and under budget.
In the traditional
one-step-at-a-time method, developers and building owners hire an
architect who may take several months to create working drawings.
Additional weeks are spent going through the bidding process to
hire a general contractor. Each
group—architects, engineers, and contractors—must complete its phase
of the work before the next group can proceed with the project.
The difficulties inherent in
such a process are many. Schedule slippages are common.
Unacceptably high bids and belatedly discovered design errors can
mean many months of lost time. Conflicts
and communication gaps among architectural, engineering, and
construction groups can adversely affect the schedule, the budget, and
ultimately, project quality. Cost
control often suffers because of dispersed decision-making.
API can reduce or even eliminate these problems because our
design/build system incorporates two vital components:
project manager control and fast track construction.
The API design/build approach
assigns one project manager to coordinate and control both the design
and the construction phases. This
experienced individual has extensive knowledge of construction methods,
component costs of buildings, design considerations, and budgetary
control. The owner deals
directly with the project manager throughout the course of the project.
The project manager works to understand the owner's needs and
concerns and employs all of the resources at API to provide the optimum
solutions to the owner's problems.
A single source of direction
saves time during construction. Any
problems which may arise are resolved quickly; no time or energy is
wasted in fixing responsibility with either the designer or the builder.
When we commit to a completion date, that date becomes one
party's contractual obligation: ours.
During construction, the project manager, working with the
architects and engineers, develops and closely monitors a strict quality
assurance program to ensure that the specified quality is achieved.
Developing the concept for the
client's project begins with the programming stage.
Here API begins with the client's definition of needs and
concludes with the preparation of outline plans and specifications which
are used to develop a firm proposal and clearly establish design
parameters. The second important feature of design/build is "fast tracking", a process which significantly compresses the construction schedule. This overlapping process allows field construction to begin prior to completion of detailed design refinements. After concept development, we can provide an owner with a firm price proposal that defines the design solution, the time, and the total cost for the project. This allows the contract to be executed and construction to begin before final working drawings are complete. Fast tracking can shorten the entire process of design and construction by 25 to 40 percent, compared to other more traditional methods. One of the outstanding characteristics of the API design/build approach is the closeness of the working relationships among the design, construction, and building management professionals. Under the direction of the project manager, the designers and construction personnel can search for alternative materials and methods, taking into account budgetary and scheduling considerations. This allows the owner to make informed decisions regarding a building solution in a non-adversarial context.
Our design group also has the
benefit of the input of our affiliated building management firm, whose
staff brings to the design process
the concerns of the people responsible for operating and maintaining
buildings. These
information exchanges with the building manager keep our designs abreast
of current technology and economic realities. API and its affiliates provide totally integrated services,
with in-house expertise from architects, engineers, construction
specialists, financial experts, real estate professionals, and building
managers. We also call on
professionals from outside our company for those situations where they
would benefit the project. Either
way, the benefits and the results of design/build are yours.
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Lunar Planetary Observatory
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