Design & build

How design and build keeps project decisions connected

What an integrated appointment changes about the brief, cost reviews, documentation and responsibility from design to handover.

Box Hill residence — concept sketch exploring form, openings and landscape.Concept

Make the brief usable.

An integrated appointment brings design and construction considerations into the same programme. Begin with priorities for use, space, materials, timing and budget. Distinguish essential outcomes from options that can be tested during design.

Agree the scope of the appointment and what other specialists contribute. A useful proposal describes design deliverables, cost reviews, approval responsibilities and the point at which the construction scope will be agreed.

Test decisions while there is time to change them.

A change in layout can affect services routes, structure, lead times and cost. Review those effects when the option is being considered. For example, relocating a hospitality counter may change drainage and electrical routes, equipment selection and how staff move through the room.

Document the preferred option, assumptions and unresolved questions. Link the choice to the current drawings and cost plan so that future decisions use the same information.

Carry the information onto site.

Before work starts, confirm the drawing register, selections and procurement dates. Set a regular way to review progress, raise a site question and agree changes. This helps ensure that information travels from the brief to the installer and into the handover records.

If you already have drawings or a design team, a defined preconstruction review can establish the same coordination points before a construction appointment.

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