Design/Build
Why Choose Feyen Zylstra for Design/Build?
Feyen Zylstra has experience completing design/build projects for a variety of industries, including industrial (agricultural, manufacturing, food processing), commercial (office, retail), institutional (education, medical), and multi-unit housing. In design/build construction, the power of knowledge can play a major role in ensuring the owner's long-term satisfaction.
We use computer aided drafting (CAD) to generate working drawings for every phase. Building information modeling (BIM) helps us identify potential design and constructability problems and possible pre-fab opportunities during the planning phase. After completion of the project, a complete set of as-built drawings is given to the owner. During every step of the process, we work closely with architects, engineers, and other specialty contractors to incorporate value engineering into all designs. We ensure that the end product is the most economical and efficient structure possible.
At Feyen Zylstra, we’ve learned that the design/build process has a lot of advantages. But those advantages are only realized if the owner can trust the contractor. We’ve made it a top priority to develop lasting relationships with our customers that are based on trust and performance. You are invited to contact any of our references to get a feel for what it’s like to work with us.
Feyen Zylstra’s Design/Build Process
The design/build process is very flexible. Outlined below are the general steps involved in a design/build project from start to finish.
1. Pre-qualification
The contractors considered for any design/build project need to be pre-qualified. Often, the pre-qualification process involves a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) developed by the owner to decide which contractors are able to complete the project.
2. Proposal selection
When Feyen Zylstra is invited to offer a proposal for a project, we are usually one of three or four contractors selected to do so. Our design/build team develops a preliminary design of the project, showing the innovation and proficiency the owner can expect from us. Along with the design are cost estimates, company information, project schedule, and so on. Feyen Zylstra is chosen based on our people, experience, and reputation.
3. Design process
Our skilled team of designers uses Navisworks and other advanced software to develop lighting layouts, electrical designs, BIM coordinated drawings, and more. The owner can see a graphic representation of the process at any time during the project. By keeping up with all of the latest lighting and design codes, Feyen Zylstra ensures that each project meets or exceeds current standards.
4. Construction
Once the design team reaches the point that construction can commence, the assigned project manager and work crew begin work on-site. It is at this point in the process where the advantages of design/build are most evident. Construction is able to begin before the design is completely finished. Additionally, as a result of feedback from the construction team and interaction with other trades, the design can be tweaked and improved throughout the course of construction. This allows us to respond to the many unexpected changes that occur during the construction process. Since there are multiple trades working on a construction site at any one time, a change in the mechanical or architectural design often requires quick changes to the electrical design, something that is easily accomplished with a design/build contract. As with all of Feyen Zylstra’s projects, the team follows our very specific construction project control system.
5. Closeout documentation
After every design/build project, Feyen Zylstra provides the owner with as-built documentation of the project. We are able to provide this in a variety of formats, including clean and legible hard copies, files on CD, or retention on our network, with remote access anywhere, anytime, via the Internet. If requested, we can even streamline the management of the electrical systems by imbedding data and images directly into the as-built drawings, via software like Aperture or Visio.
6. Warranty and maintenance
Upon project completion, Feyen Zylstra often provides a warranty and/or maintenance contract. Since the design/build team is so familiar with the electrical portion of the project, it adds long-term value to the project to retain Feyen Zylstra for maintenance.
Design/Build Flow Chart
