Learn more about the Clark Companies Design/Build Process
The “design-build” project delivery method is an alternative to the common “design-bid-build” process that many owners utilize for their construction projects. As a design-builder, Clark Companies acts as a single source for site evaluations, budgeting, renderings, project design, permit acquisition, construction and warranty issues. Holding professional engineering licenses in fourteen (14) states in the northeast, we have completed design/build projects from Dartmouth College (Hanover, NH) to Virginia Tech (Blacksburg, VA). Our typical project includes any or all of the following:
- Natural Grass Fields
- Bleachers / Press Boxes
- Fencing & Landscaping
- Synthetic Turf Fields
- Athletic Field Lighting
- Related Infrastructure
- Running Tracks
- Tennis Courts
- Site Utilities
The Benefits of “Design-Build”
Singular Responsibility:
With both design and construction in the hands of a single entity, there is a single point of responsibility for quality, cost, and schedule adherence. As design-builder we are motivated to deliver a successful project, including aesthetic and functional quality, budget, and schedule for timely completion. With design-build, the owner is able to focus on timely decision making, rather than on coordination between designer and builder.
Quality:
The singularized responsibility inherent in design-build serves as a motivation for quality and proper project performance. We warrant to the owner that we will produce design documents that are complete and free from error. During the construction process this attention to quality does not end, as we manage the construction of the project to completion and we are responsible for the warranty.
Cost Savings:
Our design and construction personnel work as a team to evaluate alternative materials and methods efficiently and accurately. Value engineering and constructability are utilized continuously and more effectively when the designers and contractors work as a team during the entire design process.
Time Savings:
The design-build process allows us to overlap the design, permitting and construction phases of the project. We also eliminate the need for bidding periods and redesign which significantly reduces the total project design and construction time. With design-build, materials procurement can begin before the construction documents are fully completed. We also have a sense of urgency to finalize the design and acquire permits in order to get our construction crews moving.
Early Knowledge of Construction Costs:
Construction costs are known far earlier in the process than in other delivery systems. As we progress with the project design we can simultaneously estimate construction costs and can accurately conceptualize the completed project. The decision to proceed with the project is made before substantial design expenditure and with knowledge of final project cost from the start.