Why Design-Build?
“Wow, you got your General Contractor’s License? That’s huge!”
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard this (and agreed!) in the past 7 months. I knew it was a pretty big undertaking, but I’m not sure I really knew HOW huge. The comment that immediately follows is, “What made you decide to do that?”
I’ve seen a disconnect for years between the designer and the general contractor. Most homeowners would get a partial design, then run off with the general contractor and I would never see how things came together. I would hear stories about how things were changed on-site and sometimes return later to see changes that destroyed the integrity of the design. These changes had been made in haste or misunderstanding.
My initial reaction was to involve the general contractor from the beginning. It turns out, the contractors were interested, but they did not have the infrastructure to cover the cost of dedicating that much time to a project they may not work on. I can’t tell you how many times I said, “we need to be a team, under the same roof working side by side”.
I kept an eye out for the right general contractor and a few times had moments of interest and it seemed possible. But, there was also the conflict of the years spent to establish my business, not wanting the design to come second to construction. I love my brand, my logo, the image and care, the sustainability and the communication.
I wanted a DESIGN-build, not a design-BUILD.
So, why? Because I want your design to be fluent from beginning to end. I want your space to be built to the standard that it is envisioned. The benefits that follow this- better drawings and more inclusive knowledge of what is being built, make me a better designer with each project. The solutions developed in design are more well-rounded because they include the input of someone with a builder’s eye and knowledge.
