Why Design/Build?

Suppose the following process were necessary before you could eat out at a restaurant: You first meet with a “dinner consultant” to discuss your dinner desires (décor, recipes, budget, etc.). While they begin the design of your dinner décor, they hire a “dinner designer” to begin creating your dinner recipes. Various other consultants are hired to design your dinnerware, your glassware, your dinner linen, etc. In time, your “dinner consultant” informs you the design of your restaurant experience is complete. Now you must get bids from various restaurants to find out which restaurant you will be eating at and how much your experience will cost. Your “dinner consultant” creates a set of “dinner criteria” based on their final design and solicits restaurants for costs to create what they have designed. A number of bids are received and you select a restaurant based on final cost (assuming it fits your budget). Several weeks later, your “dinner consultant” escorts you to the restaurant where the owner’s personnel have put together the décor and recipes according to your consultant’s specifications. You enjoy your meal. The bill arrives, but you find it is a lot more than you were led to believe. Salad dressing, croutons, condiments, steak sauce, drinks; all cost extra. The restaurateur explains they were not specifically mentioned and that in order to be the lowest bidder (and thereby get your business), they bid on the documentation they were given, no more, no less. They assumed you knew they were extra.

To borrow from this illustration, the design/build process assumes a person should be able to go to a restaurant of their choosing, select from a menu of dinner choices based on what they value, for a price they can afford and all in a time-frame of their own choosing. The construction process should be no different. Design/build strives to provide the following to every customer:

• Choice, because every customer is unique, and so are their needs.
• Value, because lowest cost isn’t always the best value.
• Speed, in design and construction, because money costs.
• Competitive pricing with no hidden costs.

The design/build process is a process from concept, to budget, to design, to construction, to completion of warranty — and beyond. If we do our job right, you’ll ask us back on your next project, as many already have.

Concept Design and Estimating

Concept Design is the process of designing a complete building electrical system, including the electrical distribution system, interior and exterior lighting, general purpose power, building attached and owner process equipment, fire alarm, telecommunications and data and other special systems, with a view to generating a thorough project budget, scope of work and design criteria. Often, the information we receive can be from as little as a “napkin sketch” or hastily drawn floor plan. Regardless of the detail of initial information, at Merit Electric, Inc., we have developed our personnel and systems to perform the complicated task of conceptual design rapidly and accurately. Our budgets are not only thorough, they are competitive, easy to understand and useful for all project decision-making needs. We utilize a sophisticated budgeting system, created in-house for pricing conceptual plans and all manner of options and alternates. Even the inevitable and frequent scope changes of the design/build process are easily handled so the budget will not get “out of control.”

Value Engineering and Cost Benefit Analysis

At the heart of the design/build process is the concept of providing the best value for the customer. It takes experience, communication, and a commitment to listen to the customer with a view to providing what they value most. Value engineering is an ongoing priority throughout the budgeting and design process. Whether the owner makes decisions based on technical needs, aesthetic needs, cost needs or any combination of the three, we stand ready with tools and systems to make those decisions easier and quicker.

Contrary to popular belief, value engineering is NOT mere cost cutting. As stated above, value generally comes in three basic forms for our customers:

• Technical Value is value based on function or process and is generally linked to the specifics of the owner’s process that is the basis of their business. In order to provide technical value, we must have the technical expertise necessary to understand the owner’s process and how best to achieve their technical goals.
• Aesthetic Value is value based on perception and appearance and generally deals with the functional aesthetics of the owner’s building. An example of aesthetic value is in a building’s lighting system. Value conscious lighting design takes into consideration the engineering aspects of the lighting systems (glare, visibility, illumination, color rendering, etc.) as well as their aesthetic aspects (use of lighting to accentuate the building, artwork, etc.).
• Dollar Value is value based on budget. Rarely do needs and wants match what an owner can realistically afford to spend. Or, monies are available, but only for a specific period of time. It is up to the design/build contractor to understand the owner’s needs, wants and overall budget and how important the decision-making process is to designing a successful project within these value constraints.

Whether value is determined by electrical systems design for energy efficiency, personal productivity, appearance or cost, at Merit Electric, Inc. we stand ready with tools and systems to make those decisions easier, quicker and with greater reliability.