With a design-build project, a single contractor coordinates the architectural / engineering phases, as well as the actual construction. The primary benefits of this approach are the efficiency and accountability that result from having fewer parties involved in the project.

The first step of the design-build process is to assemble a strong, experienced, and compatible team at the very onset of project planning. This team typically consists of you the customer, the general contractor, and the architect and/or engineering firms. All team members have a clear picture of the exact scope of the work, all are aware of the challenges unique to the project, and all understand your expectations of them and their subcontractors.

As a result, under the design-build system, English can develop budgets that are precisely tailored to your building program, and can then establish a realistic, guaranteed maximum price for the job.

Our customers have discovered that the design-build approach consistently yields a well-defined program that leads to a smooth, cost-effective project.

How design-build practices can facilitate your project

For nearly 20 years, the majority of English’s private-sector work has followed the design-build model of construction. Our experience has shown that the design-build approach to construction can improve your construction experience in to main ways.

• First, it allows customers to enjoy the convenience of dealing with a central point-of-contact throughout the construction process.

• Second, design-build gives customers the opportunity to negotiate a Comprehensive Agreement in which terms can be established for every aspect of the project, from pricing and changes to schedules and maintenance.

• In recent years, we have applied the advantages of the design-build approach to such public-sector projects as roads, bridges, and educational buildings. An additional benefit of the design-build model in public/private partnership situations is that it enables a locality or public institution to transfer the risks of unanticipated costs and delays to the contractor.