This site is all about helping industry stakeholders.

The Design Assist process really begins with a change in mindset and this site is all about helping industry stakeholders get and keep up to speed on how DA is changing the industry and how they can play an important role.

designassist.com is a resource site that brings together thought leadership, opinions and resources gained from experts across the value chain who have decades of experience in the field and at the design table. They can spot trouble before it impacts budget and timetables and have been both early adopters and vocal advocates for the process that is changing the industry and the careers of those that embrace it.

So why is Design Assist so important in modern construction?

Put simply, Design Assist de-risks the project for the owner and delivers a better product by combining the high value of both the practical and the theoretical.

The Design Assist team is like an insurance policy against steep cost overruns and scheduling delays that can be devastating to owners who are often blindsided by setbacks just as the project is gaining steam.

We know that Change Notices are the most expensive form of adding work to a contract. By NOT coordinating the work through Change Notices there is substantial savings on labour, material costs and mark-ups.

After construction begins is the WORST time to stop and fix things.  That’s when you pay the highest costs and face the longest delays. It makes sense to put the design plans under a microscope with the eye of seasoned professionals who’ve worked in the field on buildings of all sizes and scopes.

One of the cornerstones of Design Assist is the constant evolution of the construction budget.

The contractor prepares an initial budget based on a design-brief, and throughout the design process he/she maintains and adjusts the budget.  This allows the contraction manager to understand the financial impact that design decisions have in near real-time process.

Design Assist engages the contractor early in the game; a point when the contractor can reasonably assume risk without significant concern, thereby de-risking the project for the owner.

If you want to get the most out of Design Assist, you must understand this often overlooked truth that impacts owners more than trades.

“What’s important is the final cost, not initial cost.”

The process itself is not complicated for the owner because it’s all about “working smarter, not harder.” One of the simplest examples comes from a condo project in which the design called for a bike repair shop on the second floor.  It’s a modern way of thinking, with a savvy “green” touch that tenants would embrace. The idea was to make use of poorly-utilized space.

However, the real-world implementation would have fallen short of achieving the goals of delivering a quality property for reasons the Design Assist team was able to point out to the owner and designers.

While the examples are many and the outcomes certainly vary, take these most simple observations as illustrations of how practical experience can eliminate potentially exponent costs:

• dirty bikes rolling over carpet in the decorative lobby, up clean elevators and down hallways
• a plan for bike techs to wash greasy hands and gear in the sinks within the amenities rooms
• the design overlooked a natural spot in parking garage perfectly suited to bike repairs

Design Assist also clears a path for less paperwork and fewer disagreements.  It’s a win-win-win for the owner, the architects, and the construction manager.

DA requires the right team, cooperation, respect, and above all, the common goal of delivering the highest level of end product to the client.

But it also requires the foresight and fortitude to tap-out of the race to the bottom by accepting the lowest bid.

There’s a saying those the in Design Assist world tend to embrace: “He who makes the most mistakes wins.” This basically means the lowest bid is often the contractor who made the most mistakes in putting together his/her budget and estimating the tender. And eventually, this contractor looks to make up for those mistakes through changes to the contract.

Design Assist is all about avoiding costly mistakes and risks that the owner ends up paying for in the end.  Again, and in the simplest of terms, Design Assist de-risks the project for the owner and delivers a better product by combining the high value of both the practical and the theoretical.

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