Design-build: LeChase design-build provides the owner with the ability to contract with a single entity; LeChase, to provide both design and construction services. Design-build is growing in popularity as owners look to avoid conflicts and realize the benefit of one single point of responsibility for the delivery of their project.

Design-build can be used for any project large or small. It is most prevalent in private sector work, but its acceptance in the public sector is growing. Many states around the country (over 40) permit some form of design-build. The federal government has been proactive in using design-build and uses it in agencies.

Benefits of Design-Build:

Sole Source Responsibility

LeChase takes full responsibility for quality, cost and schedule. By managing multiple, parallel objectives, including aesthetic and functional quality, budget and schedule adherence, we free the owner to focus on timely decision making, and scope and needs definition, rather than coordinating between designer and builder.

Quality

The sole source responsibility inherent in design-build provides the basis for quality and proper project performance. There are no conflicts or finger pointing between designer and builder over quality issues. If a problem does arise, LeChase, as design-builder, addresses it.

Cost Savings

Design and construction personnel, working and communicating as a team, evaluate alternative materials and methods efficiently and accurately. Value engineering and constructability are implemented from the beginning of the project. The 1997 Penn State study that evaluated the traditional design-bid-build, CM at risk and design-build found that design-build delivered projects at less cost than the other two delivery methods.

Time Savings

Design-build is the fastest project delivery method. Because design and construction are overlapped, construction of the project can start before all systems are totally designed. Long bidding periods and redesign are eliminated. Time savings reduce labor costs and earlier utilization of the completed facility.

Early Knowledge of Firm Project Cost

Guaranteed construction costs are known much earlier than in other delivery systems. It is not unusual for LeChase to guarantee the project cost at 30-40% design or after the schematic design phase. This allows the owner to spend much less money (reduces risk) to get to a guaranteed maximum price (GMP).

In 1997 the Construction Industry Institute in conjunction with Penn State University completed a study analyzing the three prevalent project delivery methods used in North America – design-build (DB), construction management at risk (CM) and the traditional design-bid-build (DBB). The study compared total cost, schedule adherence and quality on 351 projects.

The Construction Industry Institute is an independent organization dedicated to research of the construction industry. The study led by researchers, Victor SanVido and Mark Konchar, at Penn State, set out to determine whether significant differences existed among the various systems. Quantitative data was used to determine which of the three systems might be most advantageous.

Design & Construction Cost Growth:

Cost Growth=[ (final project cost – contract award cost) / contract award cost] x 100 Findings are interpreted as the percentage overage of final cost vs. original contract amount.

Design & Construction Schedule Growth:

Schedule Growth=[ (total as-built time – total as-planned time) /total as-planned time] x 100 Findings are interpreted as percentage delivered late vs. schedule.

The study evaluated the cost, schedule and quality performance of 351 projects in six market sectors; light industrial, multi-story dwelling, simple office, complex office, heavy industrial and high technology. Facilities of 50,000 to 2,500,000 square feet from 37 states were analyzed. The facilities ranged in cost from $30 per square foot to $2,000 per square foot.

Design & Construction Speed:

Square Feet/Month=[area /(as-built construction end date – as-built design start date/30) ]