Construction Management Associates has introduced its Design-Build Management service for contractors in Saudi Arabia. The company will support contractors in managing the design portion of their projects, freeing up contractors to focus more resources on the construction portion of their projects.
Design-build is a method of project delivery where a design-build contractor works under a single contract with the project owner to provide design and construction services. Often, the project owner first engages an architect for the concept design, and then separately engages the design-builder to complete the design and construct the project.
Design-build projects are 102% faster – more than twice as fast – to deliver, and cost less than traditional design-bid-build projects, according to the Design-Build Institute of America. There is also increased cost and schedule certainty with design-build projects.
According to the Charles Pankow Foundation, the most common setup of a design-build team is where the design-build contractor subcontracts the design services to architects, engineers, and other sub-consultants.
Design-build projects are 102% faster – more than twice as fast – to deliver
Construction Management Associates’ new Design-Build Management service delivers a turnkey solution to support design-build contractors in the management of the design process and the design sub-consultants and ensure the timeliness, completeness, correctness, and constructability of the project design. It also facilitates coordination and communication between parties on a project.
Saudi Arabia has seen a rise in design-build and other early-contractor-involvement procurement strategies in an effort to fast-track the construction process to meet the ambitious Saudi Vision 2030 plan. This has created a market need for design management services for design-build contractors, however these services are not common.
Saudi Arabia has seen a rise in design-build and other early-contractor-involvement procurement strategies
“We pioneered design review and management for project owners in Jordan and neighboring countries, and are excited to finally offer a similar service for contractors on design-build projects in Saudi Arabia,” said Isam Saad Sahawneh, Founder, President & CEO of Construction Management Associates. “We succeeded in creating value with design management on projects in Jordan such as the King Abdullah II House of Culture and Arts opera house designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, the Holiday Inn Dead Sea Resort, and Sky Gate Tower in Lebanon.”
Large projects in Saudi Arabia involve many design consultants and sub-consultants, often located across the world. The complexity in managing these teams increases exponentially on design-build projects because contractors must manage the review and completion of the design process and start construction at the same time.
“Managing the design process is a challenging undertaking, even for experienced contractors”
“Managing the design process is a challenging undertaking, even for experienced contractors. They already face challenging construction schedules, and the addition of a design burden significantly increases the pressure to deliver both design and construction at a speed and quality that is satisfactory to highly ambitious owners,” Sahawneh continued.
“We noticed a rise in design-build projects in Saudi Arabia and realized an opportunity for adding value with a new Design-Build Management service tailored for contractors,” said Sahawneh. “We believe this is just the beginning of the future of contractors partnering with specialized design-build management service providers like Construction Management Associates to deliver more successful projects in Saudi Arabia, the MENA region, and across the world.”
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