Design, documentation and development of the building is the third part of our ‘Project Cycle of Services’ that we have been writing articles on for your enlightenment. This is the actual cycle of services that we provide in the process of creating a home or offices for our clients.
We have already covered the first 2 steps which were the basic principles of cost estimation and the basic principles of consultant appointment, now having estimated costs and appointed our team, we look to the design, submission of documents to council and construction of the premises, covering steps 3 and 4 in our process.
Design
Building design is a complex issue involving using standard building systems and adapting and integrating them into the design of a dwelling that meets the needs of a client. This must be done in accordance with and complying with, local government regulations and standards. This is sometimes carried out by the developer or sometimes by architects appointed by the clients.
Systems for each sector of the building need to be designed. These systems would typically be for foundations, atmosphere, enclosure, structure, space division, electrical distribution, gas or solar implementation, water supply, drainage and whatever other building functions may be required.
Documentation
Documents, that combine written text and drawings clearly indicating the design, systems and intended functionality of the building, are now drawn up and submitted to the authorities that will need to approve them before building can take place.
This in itself is a delicate process of the correct submissions to the right people and skilled liaison with authorities, best undertaken by experienced, and skilled professionals. This is also the point at which a final costing can be calculated and approved by the client.
Development
Once the documentation and final costing have been approved and whatever necessary loans have been negotiated with financiers, the actual construction can begin. This is always carried out by the ‘contractors’, usually separate from the design team. There are often a number of ‘subcontractors’ who deal with specific functions of the systems, like for example the installation of plumbing and electrics.
The overall responsibility will fall to the representative of the client who oversees the project. This may be developers or the architects, and it is their responsibility to ensure the final products adheres to both the design and documentation specifications.
The most important ‘D’
There is one more critical ‘D’ in this equation and that is the experienced, and attested to, the construction company of ‘Davel and Lottering.’ With more than 25 years of combined experience in a building industry full of “bakkie builders”, we offer experienced professional solutions with no short cuts. We build to last and are committed to exactly meeting the mandate on every project.
You need only contact us to find that our approach is personalised with one point of contact managing the entire project. Our service includes providing invaluable insights and working closely with our client, architects and engineers to avoid pitfalls and costly oversights.
Watch this space for step 5 of our ‘Project Cycle of Services’ so you can see that when you build with Davel and Lottering Construction – you’re building with the best!