What is Project Delivery, and why does it matter for your project?
Many people assume that hiring an architect and hiring a builder/contractor are two separate events. Your architect first finishes the design, then hands it off to your contractor, and you hope that your builder can complete your project within budget and on time.
This is a common model, often called Design-Bid-Build, and it can lead projects into trouble, especially with the ever fluctuating cost of construction and an evolving market of materials and labor.
There are other options, modeled off of the idea that the earlier the right people are aligned on a project team, the more successful a project will be. Solstice uses an approach modeled off of Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) and the Negotiated Bid.
The core ideas
IPD is a project delivery approach developed and defined by the American Institute of Architects, aka the AIA, that brings the owner, architect, and contractor together at the start of the project, not after the design is done. Instead of working in sequence, the team works in parallel. The contractor weighs in on constructability and budget while design is still taking shape, and before the drawings are fully developed. Decisions get made earlier, when they're less expensive and less likely to cause interruptions. Surprises on site become far less common because most are resolved on paper first, meaning less stress during the build, and a finished project that reflects the vision.
We blend the principles of IPD with a Negotiated Bid process: You'll select your contractor early in the design process and engage them for pre-construction services through design, usually with a separate construction contract that is initiated once design is complete. This is in contrast to a competitive bidding process, which invites bids from multiple contractors who are otherwise unfamiliar with the project, which can increase the likelihood of missed scope and change orders during construction. It can also force redesign or a budget increase if no qualified bidders are able to build the project within your budget - something we'd much rather find out early in design. The result of this hybrid approach is a process that is more efficient, more honest, and almost always leads to a better built project. Note: some projects require a formal bidding process.
How Solstice Design Studio approaches project delivery
These principles translate to any scale of project. As a full service architecture firm working across Salt Lake City, Utah and Southeast Ohio, and the surrounding areas, Solstice operates on these principles throughout every phase of the design process. This means assembling the right team early, bringing trusted interior designers, engineers, and a contractor into design conversations before the architectural drawings are complete, typically no later than the beginning of the Design Development phase, if not sooner, and treating budget not as an afterthought but as a design tool.
This approach can make a world of difference to a project because your contractor understands the design intent because they helped shape it and have been involved in decision making from the beginning, your structural engineer and your interior designer aren't working in separate silos, and the architectural design services you're receiving are coordinated, not fragmented - in short: everyone is on the same page from early in the process leading to a smoother process and better build.
Why this matters for your project
Every project has surprises. The question is whether those surprises show up on paper or on site. On paper, they're solvable. On site, they cost time, money, and sometimes the design itself. Some surprises are inevitable, and accounting for them is part of good project planning. Taking an integrated approach helps minimize how often they happen and how disruptive they are when they do.
Beyond avoiding problems, a truly integrated team is how a project goes from good to exceptional. When the architect, contractor, interior designer and engineers are all engaged with the vision from the start, the finished project reflects that. Details get resolved with intention and systems get designed to work together. The result isn't just a project that came in on budget - it's a project that actually became what it was determined to be!
Solstice has a broad network of industry connections including trusted contractors, consultants and colleagues. When needed, we connect our clients with builders and fabricators, interior and landscape designers, and other partners whose work aligns with your vision and budget. Bringing the right team together early, and keeping them engaged, is one of the highest value decisions you can make on any project, whether it's a new custom home, a remodel or addition, or a community space.
Solstice Design Studio is a boutique architecture firm with studios in Salt Lake City, UT and Southeast Ohio, offering residential and commercial architecture, interior design, fabrication, and architectural consulting services. Have a project in mind? We'd love to hear about it - reach out.
