Design-build Systems Gain Popularity

As soon as they move beyond the basics—beyond the simplest pulpit mics and speaker arrays, for example—media managers in houses of worship often face some daunting decisions about just how to approach larger installations. These installs can range from more sophisticated video systems to entirely new sanctuaries, and large sums of money are often at risk.

Both the general construction industry and the AV business have evolved a variety of strategies for executing larger projects. The choice of a so-called “project delivery system” is often the first building block of success...or trouble.

Although other methods are used from time to time, the two chief approaches to construction projects, including major AV installations, are design-bid-build and design-build.

Design-bid-build (DBB) is recognizable as the traditional strategy in which the owner contracts separately with an architect or other designer to produce complete drawings and specifications for a project, then uses those design documents to create bid solicitations, which are circulated to as many bidders as want to be involved. Based on the bids received, the owner selects a general contractor to execute the work.

Design-build (DB), on the other hand, unites the design and general contracting functions in a single supplier. The Design-Build Institute of America says the method is rapidly gaining popularity for several reasons.

First, it offers owners the opportunity to have a single point of responsibility for every stage of their construction projects. It''s often possible to fast-track projects by starting work on some portions while design of other portions is still in progress. Changes, too, are easier, since the designer is part of the project team throughout.

According to consultancy ZweigWhite''s 2004 Design/Build Survey of Design and Construction Firms, 80 percent of all survey respondents expect the use of design-build project delivery to increase over the next five years.

Glenn Polly of Videosonic in New York says an increasing owner focus on the bottom line is one reason for DB''s popularity. But so is design flexibility.

“The job can be reconsidered and modified over the entire life of a project,” he says. In contrast, once contracts are let in a traditional DBB system, the designer''s job is considered finished. Any changes requested by the owner or contractor can incur additional charges, and complaints about shortcomings in design documents have a way of becoming contentious.

When Videosonic offers design-build services to clients, Polly says, “We''re expected to make those changes as part of the scope of work.”

The selection of DBB or DB hinges in part on the time frame for a job and in part on its budget and complexity. InfoComm International's new Audiovisual Best Practices book notes that design-build processes are commonly led by an AV integrator who delivers design services as part of a total package. On the other hand, larger, costlier, and longer-term projects generally gravitate to DBB and are generally led by independent consultants. There are always exceptions, however.

One additional key factor in selecting the right project delivery strategy is the owner''s level of knowledge and experience. Often, the design-build approach can appeal to an owner who''s wary of having to manage multiple points of contact and responsibility and wants a simpler organizational structure.