Why Hire an Architect-Led Design-Build Firm as Your Costa Rica Home Builders?

The best design-build architecture firms will have a design and a construction team under the same roof. Those teams will work together throughout the project to design and build your home. 

The traditional bidding process, typically a confusing and challenging one, is transformed onto a much clearer, transparent, and understandable part of the project.

Unlike traditional design-bid-build, where the project is handed off to the winning contractor after the design is finalized, design-build services are based on collaboration from the beginning. Your vision is shared and built upon with a single ‘master team’ following the same brief and guidelines throughout the entirety of your project. 

The main thing to remember with design-build services is that everyone involved in your project will be a trusted partner. Although you only have one point of contact for the project, there will still be an expert team of people involved in bringing your dream home to life. 

From BIM modeling to construction stages, design-build services cover every aspect of your project. For turnkey projects, at no point should a design-build require you to take care of additional contracts or outsourcing. 

From planning stages to interior design services, design-build services mean one contract for all of your project needs.

Design-build is the second most common method of project delivery. Design-build is still a relatively new concept for the architecture and design industry, so only the most forward-thinking firms currently offer it. 

What Are the Benefits of Design-Build in Costa Rica?

Despite being a relatively new concept, many architecture and professional construction services are now taking notice of design-build project delivery.

According to DBIA (The Design-Build Institute of America), design-build “continues to out-perform other delivery systems" in areas such as: 

• Building costs
• Keeping to schedule
• Growth measures
• Construction
• Delivery speed

The design and building process can be unnecessarily difficult to navigate. Without local knowledge and the right team in place, your home build can fall victim to mediocre results.

As the global cost of building materials continues to rise, smart investment is more important than ever. No matter what you intend for the overall spend on your property to be, it’s vital that you get exactly what you’ve paid for.

With single source contracting in Costa Rica, there are several benefits for custom home builds. At SARCO Architects, we believe that this is because one cohesive team makes for a more cohesive end result.

As an architecture firm offering design-build services, we’ve noted several benefits for our clients choosing our services for their Costa Rica real estate. 

The main benefits of going with a design-build firm as your Costa Rica home builders: 

1. We are able to design and build to a higher level

As a design-build team, we know every detail about your project. This makes problems easier to identify and solutions easier to apply. 

We’re also able to correctly translate your design during construction phases, so whatever additional extras you want — our team will ensure that they’re implemented.

With a design-build, those wanting custom homes or luxury homes with that something ‘extra special’ can do so, without having to worry about hidden costs or project failures.

2. We stop projects from going over budget and have more design clarity

Our construction team is involved during design so we can identify problems in advance. This helps us to keep within your budget, with no nasty surprises later. 

With other methods of project delivery, going over budget is often viewed as a natural consequence of having different contractors on the same team. With design-build, everything being under the same umbrella makes it easier to manage.

Our CEO and Design Director, Roderick Anderson notes that Costa Rica home builders are often tasked with bringing ideas from drawings to life, without any real knowledge of how the design process was carried out. Without builders being involved in the development of your design, their only real perspective on your project is getting what’s already in front of them completed. 

With design-build services, regard for proper execution, attention to detail, cost and deadlines is a consistent theme between both designer and builders.

3. We facilitate better and more direct communication throughout your project

With one single ‘master team’ taking care of your house build, more direct communication is possible. For example:

• Our team is already comfortable with regular video calls and consistent updating during construction (this applies to both internal communication and communication with the client)
• Input from the construction team improves design clarity from the beginning
• The back and forth ‘Request for Information’ process is eliminated
• Answers to questions are delivered much more quickly

4. We’re able to make necessary changes to your design during early stages

With design-build project delivery, we’re able to get a project on the right track from the start. 

For example, if you have a schematic design for kitchen cabinets — everything will look great in the drawings with no obvious issues. However, once you begin design development and start selecting appliances, fixtures, and plumbing — adjustments are almost always necessary. 

With good design practices, design and functionality should be given equal attention from the start.

With a design-build, design and functionality co-exist more naturally. When both design and construction experts are all in the same place at the same time, every element of your design is more likely to fit both practically and aesthetically.

With this in mind, it’s also easier to see how much better costs intertwine during early design-build phases. Without a lengthy bidding process (unlike with a design-bid-build), we are able to directly adjust your building costs to the right level of design and budget you want. 

At every stage, no matter how early, a cohesive team will be able to consider their actions in relation to your budget.

5. Our team is proactive, not reactive

Without design-build, you usually have a designer that develops a design and then a builder that executes the work. 

The designer then carries out an inspection to check that the work has been completed to the standards of their design. This is usually when problems are identified, either from poor execution or bad communication between separate teams.

While issues identified at this point can usually be fixed, it is much easier and more cost effective to resolve issues throughout a project, rather than afterwards. Our team is able to advise the construction team as they go, alerting them of particular issues to look out for, or to make sure a particular detail is executed correctly – a much more proactive way of working.

6. We naturally help reduce your building costs, regardless of how much you’re willing to spend

Even for luxury projects, cost still matters. Especially when it comes to maximizing your profit margin for a planned or potential future sale, design-build is a great option all round. Some reasons why design-builds are more cost effective include:

• There’s only one entity (no different layers of participation)
• There’s no need to pay someone else to do inspections
• There’s more efficiency in projects with fewer mistakes
• There’s a reduction in delays with a more streamlined approach

Did you know: Statistically, design-build projects tend to have: 

• A 102% faster delivery speed than Design-Bid-Build (DBB) projects
• A 36% faster construction rate than Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) projects
• Less cost growth throughout the lifecycle of a project
• Less schedule growth
• Lower unit costs overall
  

What Are the Alternatives to Design-Build?

The most common alternative to design-build is design-bid-build. This usually involves an architect carrying out their work and then passing construction documents onto the bidder. 

Construction companies then look through designs and make bids (after a lenghty and frustrating process of clarification requests, as the bidder is trying to absorb information in plans that took months to prepare, only in a few weeks), without direct knowledge of the project. The bidding process can be a precarious one, especially if dealing with bidders in an unfamiliar country.

Design-bid-build is considered to be the traditional way to organize a project. Most architects will use design-bid-build, however that is starting to change.  Although the main reason that design-bid-build is commonplace is that most architects are not capable of taking charge of a construction team.

Other methods of delivery such as multi-prime, construction management at risk (CMAR) and integrated project delivery (IPD) also exist. While each of these project delivery methods serve their own purpose, coordination of these methods can be more complicated than design-build. 

In the case of a custom home design, large investment, or limited time schedule, very few project owners would choose to have the full pressure of a home build on their shoulders. 

What Are the Main Differences Between Design-Build and Traditional Design-Bid-Build?

Though often confused as being the same method, there are several differences between the traditional design-bid-build method and design-build project delivery. 

If you are building a home in Costa Rica, some of these differences might include:

What Are the Keys to A Successful Design-Build Project?

The best thing about design-build project delivery is that it enables all team members to remain on the same page throughout your project. If you have changes you want to make to your design, your team will be unified in their understanding of these changes. 

This is where good communication comes in. Your design-build lead will naturally be a great communicator — not only with you, but also with their team.

Good communication is a key characteristic of an integrated team, so be prepared for this to be your team’s main tool in overcoming obstacles.

For example, if a need arises for construction materials to be changed, a design-build team will be able to readjust your design together and update you promptly. Additionally, when it comes to complex areas such as permits and local construction policies, a professional design-build team will be able to overcome complex issues as one unit. 

Besides good communication, the most essential components for successful design-build services are:

• Trust 
• Collaboration based on easy access of information and good communication
• Transparency between project-lead and owner
• Use of modern and collaborative design tools to clearly share concepts

If I Live Abroad Is a Design-Build Company in Costa Rica The Best Option?

We believe that a design-build company is a great option for a range of home build projects. However, they are particularly beneficial for those living abroad.

Only having to deal with one contact that you trust is a great way to alleviate stress when building a home in Costa Rica. Not to mention how much easier it makes it if you don’t speak Spanish!

Building trust and a good relationship with your main contact is a more natural occurrence when dealing with single-source contracts. 

Finding a design-build firm who speaks your language on all levels is the best way to ensure that your project is delivered in the way you want. 

 If you live abroad, the main benefits of utilizing design-build services for your house build are:

• More direct communication
• Eliminates language issues if you find the right firm
• Your project moves on time and within budget (in line with any scheduled site visits you might have!)
• Allows for better collaboration (without you needing to be on site at all if that’s what you choose!)
• Helps identify risks more easily and solutions to be applied more efficiently

Does Our Design-Build Firm Cover All Aspects of The Design Process?

The simple answer to this question is yes. From cutting-edge technology to consistent problem-solving, our top-tier design-build services will have everything covered. 

Construction in Costa Rica can involve balancing a lot of different processes, from planning applications to bidding phases. 

For clients opting for design-build services, they won’t even need to be on-site to get the results they want. Without having to worry about things such as due diligence across several contractors, the design-build process offers clients the assurances they need from day one.

Once the design process is set to start, our team will be able to supply you with complete digital models of your design. As well as this, you'll receive regular updates on the site’s progress — all remotely (if this is what you prefer!).

Who Should Choose a Design-Build Contract?

We recommend choosing a design-build contract if you:

1. Want your architect involved in your entire project
2. Want your life made easier throughout the building process
3. Are too busy to deal with a multifaceted project
4. Would like a team that can also coordinate on everything from interior design to lighting options

As our CEO puts it, our design-build projects work in a way that allows us to be “the conductor of the orchestra”. To make this orchestra work, “we need to make sure that everybody's in tune”. 

However, a design-build project won’t be for everyone. You might want to go with another project delivery method if:

1. You like to have contact with and get opinions from a group of people
2. You have a harder time trusting someone to take over all aspects of the project
3. You want to be heavily involved 

SARCO’s Design-Build Services Take the Stress Out of Your Project

SARCO Architects are highly regarded amongst Costa Rican home builders. This is mostly because we’re known for offering top-quality services. We offer a full package of services to take the stress out of your project from planning to delivery stages.

Most of our projects are based around the concept of “puro lujo” or “pure luxury”. This is why we make it a priority to understand exactly what you want from your project…and then offer even more value! 

Once we have understood your vision and the final product you want, you just need to look forward to getting the keys.

As your Costa Rica home builders, we collaborate so you don’t have to! Whether it’s a luxury Costa Rican vacation home you’re looking for, or a personal or investment project — our award-winning design-build services cater to you. 

Our CEO and Design Director Roderick Anderson describes our services perfectly: 

"We are an architecture firm first and foremost. We are architecture centric, but we perform the construction at the same time. So we handle every little detail related to the project for our clients."

If you’d like to know more about our one-stop solution for building your dream property in Costa Rica, take your first steps with us. You can also call us on 1-646-712-9299. 

Your dream home can be only a few short steps away!