How Our Collaboration With Contractors Benefits You

How traditional architectural firms work

Many architectural firms do not work directly with contractors and other suppliers or vendors during the initial design phase of your project. 

Often, they’ll create the set of design documents in their office and submit them to the contractor and/or other parties only after the design is completed. 

Creating designs without collaborating with the construction team means the contractor’s lack of involvement in the design process delays them from providing pricing estimates until the drawings are complete. 

As a result, this approach often leads to unanticipated pricing surprises later in the project development. It may also contribute to some of the negative experiences that owners have shared with us about their experiences working with other architects.

Any lack of communication or understanding of scope during the design phase of a project can result in significant discrepancies between the estimated and final costs. There are simply too many variables that can affect construction costs, including time, labor, materials, and market fluctuations, such as those seen recently as a result of the pandemic. 

How architects working with contractors more closely benefits clients

For Schimberg Group, we ignore traditional design processes in favor of actively seeking the involvement of contractors, subcontractors, and vendors for every project. We believe that the earlier we can bring the entire team together to inform our designs, the better. Here are some of the advantages of our approach: 

•  Reduction in unwanted surprises

One of the most significant advantages of joining forces with your contractors is creating your design with forethought. With the architect and contractor working together, costs can be considered early in the process, and this creates fewer surprises. And when surprises do occur, it is much easier to work together to overcome them. 

•  It gives you peace of mind

You want to know everyone is on the same page when it comes to your project. That means your architect, engineers, contractors, and other suppliers are all communicating effectively. 

We ensure that no crucial details get lost in translation, and you have confidence that every element of your design is carefully considered for your budget. 

The positive working relationships we develop with these contractors ultimately benefit you as it streamlines the entire process and reduces miscommunication.

•  It creates a well-rounded design

By welcoming contractors’ opinions and working together, our design is coordinated from every angle, rather than from a design perspective alone. 

When we collaborate with your contractors, it means we’re combining multiple talents, experience, and skills to create a more holistic final result.

• It gives us more flexibility

When it comes to the next phases in our design, such as construction documentation, we can make modifications to the design based on provided pricing estimates rather than guesswork. We take what we learn in our meetings with your contractors and apply those lessons accordingly and appropriately. 

•  It generates a more accurate quote

We have a good sense of material and contractors’ costs from our own experiences. However, it requires communication from day one with others on your team to give a precise estimate.

We explain every design component in our meetings, so your contractors understand precisely what’s involved.

•  It helps us stay within budget

We’re proud that our approach means that the final cost of the majority of our projects lie within 10% of the original quote. We see budget management as vital for our work and our reputation. No one can afford to waste time and money because of unnecessary and avoidable surprises. 

Our process

Though we develop the design, concept, and aesthetic to figure out how we want the building to look and feel, it’s important that all elements work together. 

That’s why we welcome all stakeholders involved in your project to attend collaborative meetings with our team. 

These meetings are highly structured to ensure that all of our bases are covered and questions are answered. Typically, we’ll go through every aspect of the design and its relation to each contractor or vendor. 

Our meeting agenda might include a discussion on the sitework, followed by structural, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing components. Lighting, materials, flooring, glazing and doors are often included. 

When you incorporate all of those thoughts, opinions, knowledge, and experience, the end result is a holistic, synergistic design that simply works better than not having them on board. 

You can’t design a building without considering how it will be built, what materials will be chosen, and how much everything will cost. That’s why our approach reaches outside the confines of our office and embraces the involvement of others. 

Don't just take our word for it.

We asked Brian Leaver at Tandem Construction, one of our key collaborators over the past several years, for his insights on the importance of collaborating early in the project process.

“We believe that being brought on early in the process is absolutely the right decision. We get to understand the project much better than if we were to price it from a set of documents. The collaborative approach that Schimberg Group uses avoids unwelcome surprises for the client. 

Our industry is so crazy with cost increases, as well as material shortages, right now. Our construction team being onboard early allows the architect and the client to know that what they're buying is the right choice, and is relevant in the marketplace today. With the full team approach, as opposed to an owner sitting in one spot, an architect sitting in another, and the contractor sitting in another, we're all pulling together, working for the project's best interests.”

Why does our approach work?

Our unique approach means you’ll have accurate pricing and realistic expectations at all stages of your project. 

You won’t have to worry about relaying information between different contractors. We advocate on your behalf for your vision and your budget. 

With every project, we embrace open communication, collaboration and implement an effective cost management system. 

We see budget constraints as a welcome challenge, not a limitation and our collaboration with contractors helps us solve those unique and interesting challenges. 

We take great pride in our commitment to our clients. We don't want to just be any architect. We want to be your architect.

If you'd like to discuss an upcoming project, give us a call at (941) 894-6888, or to share your thoughts, email barron@theschim.com. 

Also, don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter, Methods and Madness, for more insights, information, and visual stimulation for all things architecture and interior design related. 

      – Barron Schimberg, AIA, LEED AP

Photo by Billy Freeman on Unsplash