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The strategic need for speed and lower
cost is driving clients to examine new, more efficient possibilities
of how their projects are conceived, designed and delivered.
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Design-Build is a procurement method
and delivery mechanism in which one entity is contractually
responsible for both design and construction of a project.
It has been use for over 50 years as EPC (Engineer-Procure-Construct)
in the industrial sector and its application to building
design and interiors has grown exponentially in the
past two decades in U.S, Europe, Japan and now, India.
As per industry statistics, Design-Build has become
the project delivery system of choice for more than
50% of non-residential construction projects in European
Community and in more than 70% of non-residential projects
in Japan. A market penetration survey of major delivery
systems in U.S reveals that 40% of building and interior
projects at the moment are serviced by Design-Build.
It is expected that by year 2010, Design-Build will
become the dominant delivery mechanism.
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Utilizing Design-Build is a new way of
doing business, a major cultural shift. It manages to align
the interests of clients, designers, constructors and suppliers
through a transparent process of constructibility assessment,
design development, cost analysis and realistic scheduling.
It is an integrated process that enables formation of a cohesive
team of players who benefit from positive partnering and open
communication. It nurtures far more innovation, creativity
and project control than any other modes of delivery.
In India, our inheritance of statutory and case laws from
Britain determined legal rather than functional separation
between design and construction. Liability differences encourage
an artificial separation between design and construction agencies,
creating adversarial relationships and interests that work
at cross-purposes. 'Traditional' Design-Bid-Build in India
has ossified into an inefficient mechanism incapable of delivering
fast track, value engineered solutions that address the need
of clients competing in a global economy for 'just in time
capacity additions' and 'first to market new products' into
a competitive advantage.
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Peculiar to India is the issue of
limited designer liability coupled with low contractor
efficiency and credibility. Only rarely do clients get
comprehensive performance guarantees and post-completion
warranties without exceptions. Clients are now demanding
total facility delivery systems with both design and
construction in the hands of a single entity, with a
single point of responsibility for quality, cost and
schedule adherence. With Design-Build clients are able
to focus on scope / needs definition and timely decision
making, rather than coordinating between designers,
associated consultants and numerous contractors.
Regrettably, a perception remains in India that Design-Build
applies only to the simplest of projects, mostly interiors.
The true potential of this delivery mechanism to revolutionize
the Indian construction industry is yet, un-fulfilled.
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Planet 3 Studios Architecture Pvt. Ltd.
has pioneered the use of architect-led Design-Build for a
variety of projects in India. The quantifiable success of
these deliveries and an ever-growing list o Corporate and
Institutional clients are proof enough of the efficacy of
the system. Planet 3 Studios Architecture Pvt. Ltd. leads
the initiative to employ globally accepted 'Best Practices'
and to evangelize the benefits of Design-Build to the end
users and the industry alike.
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