| Volume 2, Number 1 Summer 1999 |
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The design/build approach to facility design, construction and construction management has always been a popular method in the private sector, but until recently design/build had made few inroads in the public sector. The traditional linear process of design, bid and construction though appropriate for many types of projects  is not always the optimal approach in these days of fast turn-around times, multiple trade specialties, and high liability.
For public maintenance facility owners, design/build can be an alluring way to help shrink the project delivery process, while ensuring quality and cost control.
In theory, the design/build approach (versus the more common design-bid-build) is a more cost-effective way to manage construction projects. With a design/build firm guaranteeing a maximum facility price and assuming oversight for all aspects of a project, fewer people are involved, decision-making is consolidated, and work can proceed more quickly with fewer ancillary and unexpected expenses.
"Most design/build firms gear their services toward commercial projects such as strip malls, automobile dealerships, etc.," says Mark Ellis, senior project manager for Maintenance Design Group (MDG). MDG provides planning and design services for public works, transit and municipal maintenance facilities across the nation.
"Public projects-and certainly vehicle maintenance facilities-are very different, however. A well-designed vehicle maintenance facility can involve many systems-central lubrication distribution, vehicle exhaust, vehicle wash, welding and fabrication equipment, compressed air, fueling, and automated parts storage-that must all work in unison. These facilities typically have large, fixed equipment such as bridge cranes, vehicle lifts, automated vehicle washers, and other elements that impact the size and scale of the facility, requiring an inordinate amount of design discipline coordination."
Thousands of details go into a vehicle maintenance facility, and none can be overlooked. Design/build firms must be aware of what issues can develop in the coordination of these details during design and construction.
"The design/build approach may not be applicable to all projects," Ellis says. "A maintenance facility is an example of where special expertise is required. From the ground up, these facilities must be designed for vehicle maintenance. You must design function into the space; form must follow function. We always place a high priority on programming space such that it truly performs the required functions. You must always keep sight of that goal."
To stay sharply focused on their goal, Long Beach, California, planners tried design/build for the first time last year. Until legislation passed in 1998, California public works officials  were precluded from entering into design/build contracts. Free at last to do so, Long Beach in December turned to design/build for a 20-acre, $22 million fleet facility. Encompassing three buildings and a total of about 130,000 square feet, the complex will house vehicle maintenance, refuse operations, and the city's towing enterprise.
"Work began last December and will be completed by December 22 of this year. We're way ahead of schedule," says Dennis Hill, manager of fleet services for the city of Long Beach.
Able to draw a fresh comparison to traditional design/bid/build management, Hill says design/build brought his city benefits it otherwise would not have enjoyed.
"With design/build, you can make decisions faster and that shortens the time-frame. It also consolidates accountability and keeps costs more competitive. Clearly, we will continue to use design/build," Hill says. Despite the special expertise required for designing maintenance facilities, owners around the nation are beginning to realize the many advantages offered by design/build. Foremost among those benefits is increased efficiency.
"Careful planning is essential," says Ellis, "not only to avoid overruns, but also to avoid problems that will cause delays and add to the cost. Larger projects are particularly vulnerable to these risks. A problem in one area could have serious repercussions for the entire operation. That's why it's so important to have a responsible single source acting on behalf of the owner to ensure their interests and needs are met."
Paying special attention to the client was the top priority for MDG when it became design/build consultant last year for Washington County, Oregon. County planners contracted with MDG to guide construction of a $20 million operations center and maintenance yard. Included in the 20.5-acre project are a 90,000-square-foot office building, 30,000-square-foot vehicle repair facility, and other storage structures.
"Because the county hadn't done something like this in 30 years, we needed a lot of preliminary information," says Larry Eisenberg, Washington County's manager of facilities. "As part of providing that information, MDG took our senior managers to see facilities similar to what we wanted. That was a big help because it enabled us to develop a common vocabulary, a common frame of reference. It also allowed us see what was going on in terms of state-of-the-art maintenance facilities and equipment."
A fairly straight-forward project, Washington County's maintenance center was perfect for design/build management, Eisenberg says.
"Design/build has many benefits, including a much smoother work flow. Consequently, the entire work took only 11 months, which is amazingly fast. Moreover, the project ended up costing $50 to $60 per square foot, which is very inexpensive when you consider that other county projects can cost as much as $140 per foot," Eisenberg continues.
For owners to benefit as much as Washington County's planners, preparation is required.
"Owners must do their homework first," Ellis emphasizes. That includes defining design criteria for the facility before deciding to use the design/build approach. Without proper preparation, the owner may not get the facility they are expecting."
By using the design/build approach, maintenance facility owners can control  quality and costs, reduce change orders, and develop a more dependable system of coordination. Yet the facilities constructed by design/build firms are only as good as the project design criteria handed them by owners.
"For the design/build approach to reach optimum efficiency, owners must define as many of the details as possible," Ellis says. "Design/build is a great way for maintenance facility owners to control project costs and transfer many small decisions to a dependable second party. Articulating the design criteria is critical when using the design/build approach."
To get ready, maintenance facility owners should take certain steps to protect their interests. Here are four suggestions that may help prepare for the design/build experience:
- Owners should take advantage of experienced local design firms and special design consultants to perform programming, facility needs analyses, and conceptual and schematic design. These firms should work with the owner to develop the initial planning and design criteria for the entire project. This should allow the selected design/build firm to provide a more accurate guaranteed maximum price (GMP). The design criteria should be set before a design/build firm is selected.
- Owners should use a formal selection process to choose a design/build firm. According to Ellis, "a selection committee consisting of facility users, advisers, and special design consultants and peers who are accustomed to working with the design/build approach can help guarantee selection of the most qualified design/build team possible. The selection committee and the owner should review the qualifications of all potential design/build team members involved, just as they would if they were selecting an architect or a general contractor."
- Users should plan on remaining very involved throughout the duration of the design/build project. Design/build management, where essentially one firm is in charge of all the work, has a fairly limited system of checks and balances. Contracting with a special design consultant who can help set project goals and continually monitor design work, costs, and progress can ensure the owner that his interests are served throughout the project.
- Before the design/build process begins, owners should have in place an internal system for managing the amount of information provided by the design/build team. A good way to accomplish this is to form a project committee with the purpose of evaluating information and relating information and decisions back to the design/build team.
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