By Brian Gallagher

In the development of a new office, manufacturing, laboratory or distribution facility, the seamless integration of design, engineering and construction can quite often cut weeks from a project schedule while reducing costs significantly.

Corporate users face challenges today that demand fast-track facilities development. From increased globalization pressures, shorter product life-cycles, schedule driven contract awards, and tight financing parameters; the time to market a new product launch can often mean the difference between success and failure. These issues, along with the fact that facilities' costs are a major portion of a company's capital expenditures, are warranting new and innovative methods of construction delivery.

Because of this, design-build has emerged as a vital component in the planning and construction of corporate facilities.

Known as "turnkey" or "single-source responsibility," design-build is a system of contracting under which one entity performs architectural/engineering design and construction services. The adage "time is money" is never more applicable than in the construction of a new building. The design-build approach allows companies of all sizes to save valuable scheduling time and obtain guaranteed maximum project pricing at a very early stage to create substantial cost savings during the construction process while incurring no surprises during the project.

The owner deals with a unified design and construction team working together on his or her behalf, with competitive pricing obtained for all sub-trades. Materials and long-term lead items can be purchased early, sometimes before final construction documents are completed which will lead to expedient building occupancy and reduced risk to the corporation due to downtime or a late ability to manufacture or distribute goods.

The design-build construction delivery method has also become increasingly preferred by corporations because it reduces the risk of performance error and increases quality through the assumption of full responsibility by a single source. Rather than the more traditional approach of bidding out the facility design, awarding design, waiting for plans to be completed, and then bidding out of the plans to various general contractors (a process in which the true cost of the project is often unknown for months); the design-build delivery method streamlines the process and the risk is transferred from the corporate user or developer to the design-build firm. In this approach pricing is guaranteed up-front, schedules are firm, "value engineering" continues throughout the process, and no finger pointing occurs among the architect, engineer, owner, and contractor.

Dacon has constructed many design-build projects in New Hampshire including a 247,000-square-foot (plus 86,000-square-foot addition) headquarters and distribution facility for Delta Education in Nashua; a 30,000-square-foot office and manufacturing building for Igenics Corporation and a 60,000-square-foot office/assembly/manufacturing facility in Keene for Precitech Precision Corporation, and a 100,000-square-foot corporate headquarters for Brookstone, Inc. in Merrimack.

Recent design-build renovation projects include: 80,000 square feet in Nashua for Axsys IR Systems and 60,000 square feet for Vibro-Meter/Meggit Avionics in Londonderry.

Most recently, Lindt & Sprüngli (USA) undertook a comprehensive analysis of construction approaches and companies in determining a method to design and construct the most cost-effective and highest quality buildings for their new 100,000 –square-foot chocolate packaging addition and a product conveyer bridge to a connected 200,000-square-foot temperature-controlled distribution center. After a highly competitive process, Lindt chose Dacon Corporation to design, engineer and construct the buildings. In less than twelve months Lindt had moved in to two (2) fully permitted, designed, and constructed buildings delivered with a "turnkey" approach. These smartly designed buildings, along with Lindt & Sprüngli's U.S. corporate headquarters, are situated in a campus setting in Stratham. The benefits of the design-build construction delivery method, including a fast-track schedule and maximum cost savings, were showcased in this project.

Whether a small clean room fit-up, 50,000 square foot building renovation, or a brand new office, manufacturing, laboratory, or distribution facility, the design-build approach will often save substantial time and money for a construction project – and most importantly, potential risk is eliminated.

Brian Gallagher is the Business Development Manager for Dacon Corporation with offices in Natick, MA and Stratham, NH.

About Dacon Corporation
For more than 20 years, Dacon Corporation — a fully integrated design and construction management firm that provides single-source solutions to clients’ most challenging facility requirements – has provided exceptional design, engineering and construction services for hundreds of office, medical/life science, manufacturing and warehouse/distribution facilities.

Dacon takes great pride in delivering end-results — on time and on budget -- that meet each client’s specifications down to the smallest detail. Dacon’s clients include nationally based Fortune 500 companies, international European-based companies, local developers and private corporations.