Construction Planning: Keys to Picking a Project Team
Whether you’re working on a residential remodel or hospitality design we are firm believers that the ability of a project to be delivered on time, on budget, and as designed is closely tied to the project team you assemble. Most people think of hiring their team in a sequence as the project progresses, often by putting the project out to bid, but there can be big benefits to starting with a solid team of an Architect, Interior Designer, and GC to develop the project together. Depending on what your priorities are, picking a team that best fits you and your project may be the most beneficial route to take.
Familiarity With the Project
Every project requires some level of ramp up for everyone onboard to learn about the project, the team, figure out details, and ask questions. When teams are slowly assembled over time this has to happen several times. However, when project teams are created at the onset of the project, this process can happen fewer times and can happen organically as the project begins to take shape.
This also allows all the people involved in the project to be there as the visions and objectives are created, developed, and finalized so they have an intimate understanding of all aspects of the project. This allows for the important parts to be prioritized, and the details to be captured since everyone was there for their development.
Project schedules are traditionally one of the most impactful and frustrating parts of a project when done the traditional way. Especially for our San Diego interior design projects where builder schedules are busy and many are booked a ways out. However, when teams work together from the beginning, everyone is aware of its progress and can prepare ahead of time to be able to seamlessly transition between phases of the project.
Maximize Your Skill Sets
No one is a master at everything. Having an Architect, Contractor, and Interior Designer together from the beginning allows each of the team members to look at the project from their unique perspective and give input based on their knowledge. The contractor may suggest another way of doing something that would be more feasible, the architect may suggest a revision to avoid triggering a code issue, and the interior designer may see a floor plan different to account for a structural requirement. By having all the brains in the room, no one has to make assumptions where they’re less knowledgeable.
When everyone is looking through a project from the perspective of their discipline, it allows for checks and balances to ensure mistakes are caught and corrected early and the team can collectively problem solve to make sure a solution is found that satisfies all the project constraints and interests.
Having all these experts input also allows the design to take shape with more knowledge around budget impacts and limitations. Every project has a budget no matter how large or complex and having the information about cause and effect for the whole group allows decisions and revisions to be made earlier in the process to save time and avoid falling in love with a design just for it to be out of budget. Finding cost effective solutions early rather than having to cut costs on a final design is always the preferred outcome.
Invested in the Project
Good communication and trust amongst a project team is crucial to be able to deliver a project in a clean and enjoyable manner. Issues are inevitable in any construction project and having a group of people that have an established report can keep the project moving rather than letting small issues turn into big problems because of lack of collaboration and communication.
A big part of this is the time and attention investment you're able to get from the team knowing that ultimately the project will end up in their hands. Time and resources are precious for every project based company, and knowing they’re investing time in something that won't go to another vendor allows them to feel comfortable spending the time on the project that it deserves. This gets the team invested and having ownership in delivering the best possible result for the client.
The more anyone works together the smoother it gets as well. The more time the team gets under their belt together before breaking ground, the better the end result tends to be. Rather than having to learn communication styles, preferences, and goals you can start to anticipate and make the process smoother for everyone.
Ultimately every project is different, but if you value an efficient process and smooth experience to be able to deliver your project in a timely manner that meets your budget, having a construction team put together from the beginning of a project can help. The overall teams familiarity of the project, skill sets, and investment in the success of the project can get you where you want to be.
