Design & Build
Why choose Design and Build?
Cost
- Design & build contracts are awarded for a fixed sum (which, contractually, cannot be exceeded). If the work goes over budget, the Design & build contractor picks up the tab.
- Reducing tender action from two stages to one – Design & build means that the selection of designers and fabricators is accomplished together – reduces administrative costs and associated time.
- Designers’ fees can be pitched lower in Design & build because the manufacturing process is being executed ‘in-house’ resulting in greater efficiency (speedy production as questions from fabricator to designer can be answered quickly; less travelling; easy supervision; etc).
Time
- D+B contracts can be executed very quickly (Coventry Boomtown galleries were completed, from concepts to opening, in four months and the Heart of the Black Country exhibition at the Black Country Living Museum in five months).
Open accounting
- The breakdown of spending should be available in spreadsheet format so that estimated and actual costs can be listed for each component and any movement of funds (some items will be over- and some under-estimate) can be easily identified and approved by the client.
Value-for-money versus quality?
- There should be no compromise between the two.
- Rigorous internal tendering of specialist sub-contractor works associated with a project should be applied (e.g. for showcase components, interactives, audio-visual equipment, AV + computer programming) to achieve best value for money with premium quality.
RFA Design and The ID Ess Group offer a unique design-and-build option for the museum, visitor centre and exhibition industry, with vast knowledge and understanding of the sector.