The Design-Build Process: A Turnkey Solution

When a real estate developer gets going on a project, they need to engage with several partners for it to come to life. They work with government officials, architects, engineers, designers, a construction team, and the list goes on. 

In today’s economy, with the rising costs of materials and long lead times, any efficiencies you can build into a project are welcome because, at the end of the day, time is money. This is the reason choosing a design-build contractor helps to make a project more efficient and profitable in the long run. 

The Metro Vancouver Industrial Market

The state of the industrial market in Metro Vancouver is rapidly growing, but developable land is scarce. In the GVA, developers are looking at complex parcels of land. It is increasingly rare for a developer to approach a contractor with a straight-forward, square parcel of land; sites that are constrained by waterways, wetlands, and other characteristics have become more commonplace.

Design-build contractors are an ideal and efficient team to partner with to navigate these complexities. Design-Build contractors provide a single point of contact which streamlines communication between all parties involved and minimizes risks for the project owner. 

At Orion Construction, we are experts at finding solutions around environmental complexities. Orion can smooth out the permitting process with clear communication, fresh ideas and the ability to navigate the nuances of regional municipality relations. 

Building Industrial Space

We are seeing more and more projects being built vertically as it helps ease the pressures of the scarcity of industrial lands in the Lower Mainland, but working alongside the municipal governments, careful consideration of the surrounding environment and communities must also be taken into account.

At Orion, expectations on all aspects of the project are set at the beginning. This is done by overlapping the planning, construction and design phases of a project. It is an extremely efficient way of working and cost-effective in the long run. We also have defined checkpoints throughout the project where we collectively check in on the budget, any roadblocks and progress. This ensures that communication and expectations are clear and in the long run, is less time-consuming for the project owner. 

In comparison, a traditional project delivery method may be able to secure lower costs through competitive bidding, but it may sacrifice project quality. With this method, the contractor has no input on the design. Without that collaboration, contractors may need to react to changes in the moment. These changes in plans can be time-consuming, frustrating and costly for the project owner.

Building the Right Team

A significant part of a successful design-build process is having the right people doing what they do best. When a design-build team comes to the table, there is a strong sense of teamwork and collaboration involved to truly be efficient and effective.

Collaboration is important because all team members are working together to reach the collective project goal. This means that everyone on the team has access to the plans without having to rely on multiple gatekeepers for information. Collaboration is successful when everyone can pool their expertise and resources to prioritize meeting the project goals, and trust and communication within the team are crucial to the success of a high-quality product. 

At Orion, we have a strong collaborative team in place at the start of a project. Because of this, there are fewer changes throughout the process, less reworking of plans and a higher possibility of on-time and on-budget completion. The end product is a high-quality commercial building, made by a team of experts, who enjoy the process of doing what they do best. 

Written by: Cameron Archer

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Cameron Archer serves as the Director of Sales & Marketing at Orion Construction. Since joining Orion Construction in 2022, Cameron has played a pivotal role in the growth of the business and service offerings. Cameron has spearheaded the development of the new Tenant Improvement division at Orion Construction, all while leading Orion’s marketing efforts, educating and building client relationships, driving sales and projects, and supporting HR with processes for onboarding new team members.