Under the hood

The anatomy of a design/build project

By Jeremy Harrell
Daily Reporter Staff

Proponents of design/build talk frequently about the more tangible things the delivery method can bring to a project, such as time and cost savings.

There are intangible qualities, too, they say, such as a team approach that elicits the best ideas from both the owner and the design/builders.

But what actually happens on a design/build project that makes it so much different than a conventional, low-bid job? To find out, The Daily Reporter investigated a project performed by Green Bay general contractor The Selmer Company.

Early stages

The project began when team leaders from the Selmer Company sat down with members of Christ the Rock Community Church in Menasha to develop a game plan for building a new, vastly expanded church, said Tim Rinn, Selmer's director of business development.

"They're a nondenominational, community church, and they wanted something less regimented than what you'd find in a Catholic or Lutheran church," he said.

As with all of its design/build projects, Selmer officials conferred with the owners to come up with a basic blueprint for the project. Within a few weeks, Selmer, working with architect William Aubrey of Oshkosh-based Architects / Engineers / Construction Managers, presented the owner with a cost estimate, which Rinn said was within 10 percent of the final project tally.

"We did some hard numbers for them so they didn't go all the way down the road only to be disappointed," he said. "We came back with a detailed cost sheet-including subcontractor prices and labor costs. The owner can then go to the bank and know if it's going to be feasible."

Church leaders agreed to the project scope, and Selmer engineers and surveyors set about conducting topographical and wetland studies to find the best piece of land. Selmer also did some pre-engineering work on an existing building so the church leaders would have an array of options, Rinn said.

After choosing a site near Highway 10 in Harrison, Selmer, Aubrey and church leaders worked for more than six months going over potential designs for the new church, selecting materials and ditching ideas that were either too costly or not right for the new building. During that time, Selmer sent out potential bids to subs and suppliers so the owners would have the most accurate, up-to-the-minute cost estimates.

"In terms of budgeting, we laid out options for materials and different designs," Rinn said. "We gave them a shopping list and let them decide what they wanted."

Mike Morris, project coordinator for glass and acoustic tile subcontractor H.J. Martin & Son Inc. in Green Bay, said the collaborative approach reduced potential friction because everyone was involved from the beginning.

"Things run smoothly when the owner gives the contractor the ability to choose a team and work with the right people," he said. "It gets the owner, the architect, the contractor and subcontractor on the same page. And when you have 'thought-storms' together, you're able to iron out a lot of the dilemmas."

Meanwhile, the owners were still raising money for the new church, which meant Selmer did a half-year's work for no pay, Rinn said.

"We did the design work for free because that's part of the planning process," he said. "We get paid when we build-it's a reward for a job well done. If we had ended up not building the project, then we shouldn't be in business."

Digging in

As the design/build team steadily narrowed the job's focus, Selmer got a clearer picture of what materials and supplies would be needed. Ordering the materials for the design/build job followed the same process as with a conventional project, Rinn said.

The only difference was that, in terms of some of the long-lead items like pre-cast concrete panels and structural steel, Selmer could make some orders before knowing precisely how much it needed.

"We approached the owner to let them know about how much time it would take to get certain materials," Rinn said, adding that this wasn't a fast-track job. "After settling on an item, we knew we had to get on everyone's schedule early in the year. If we didn't know the exact dimensions and quantities, we just got on their production schedule."

The weather warmed up as the design process drew to a close, which pushed Selmer to begin construction before the final plans were in place. Making the orders for longer-lead items over the winter paid off as the company started work immediately, Rinn said.

"We started the site work before the final design was finished," he said. "There was good weather-and good interest rates. By the time the site work was finished, the aesthetic design was complete."

Selmer self-performed the concrete, masonry, carpentry and steel erection trades. For the rest of the subcontracting work, Selmer bid out some trades and also relied on companies that were most responsive during the project's planning stage, Rinn said.

Finishing up

After nearly two years of planning and building, the 118,000-square-foot, $7.1 million Christ the Rock Community Church is nearing completion. The church's sanctuary can seat more than 2,000 people, and it's decked out with a complete stage with two large monitors built into both sides of the large room. It's also got a state-of-the-art sound system for musical performances-both for services and for other events.

Attached to the sanctuary is a day care facility, a recording studio for the church's teens and administrative offices.

As the project neared its end, the owners approached Selmer's project manager, Mark Miller, and told him they wanted to shave some of the final building costs in order to buy new furniture. So Selmer went back to the members of the project team to figure out a way to save some money.

"As a team, we worked with our suppliers to reduce costs," Rinn said. "We decided on things like different elevator paneling and outdoor lighting. Because it's a team thing, you can get a lot more out of your team members. A lot of times the owner wants to make changes in the middle of a project, which would be cumbersome and difficult with design/bid/build."

The cost reductions saved the owners almost $400,000, he said.

Again, H.J. Martin's Morris said that because his company had been involved in the project early and gained familiarity with it, it was easy to find ways to cut costs without compromising quality. And because it involved no change orders, the switch to new materials went smoothly, he said.

"It comes to a point when you say, 'Do we need this big, expensive item?'" Morris said. "By working things like that out, you get a better project down the line. We're able to come in and tailor certain items for the job."

In all, Rinn said Selmer built the project for $67 per square foot and still turned a tidy profit.

"We make the same money either way," he said. "The difference is that with design/build we established a relationship with them.

This industry is built on repeat business and referrals."

Curt Drexler, Christ the Rock's executive pastor, told the folks at Selmer that he would gladly direct business the company's way after enjoying such a collaborative experience.

"Building projects of this size, by their very nature and complexity, test the true commitment of any organization and its staff," Drexler said in a letter he sent to the company. "The planning process was the smoothest I have ever been a part of."

Rinn said the design/build process really hinges on little faith.

"The owner has to trust the people working on a design/build project, or else it won't work," he said. "The owners who do trust us are pleasantly surprised by what they get."

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