We have been fortunate to have worked on several award winning buildings, this got me thinking about what it takes to differentiate a good building from an award winning building and in truth there are many elements that are critical and need to work in unison to elevate a design.
Most obviously the original architectural designs need to standout and be both inspiring and structurally sound. However, this is not enough on its own, as once the construction starts there is no guarantee a project will deliver exactly what the architect had originally proposed. There are several reasons for this, sometimes costs can escalate and due to value engineering the design details get phased out to accommodate budget changes.
The procurement flow can have a significant impact on the resulting building. Rice Projects prefers to follow the Construction Management route as we believe it gives the client the best management of the design and budget throughout. If the procurement is done through Traditional or Design and Build methods it reduces the flexibility once the construction has started and reduces the design teams involvement onsite which we find downgrades the value of the architect and design.
Collaboration is critical to a design’s success. I like to get involved at an early stage with the architect and structural engineer, this allows me to fully understand the design concept. Problems always arise onsite, that is just part of the construction process, by having a deep understanding of the design I am able to solve issues quickly, effectively, working with the design team to proactively suggest solutions that fit within the ethos of the building.
In high-end architecture the detail of a design is critical, in many projects the schemes look effortlessly simple but to achieve these pure lines it takes a lot of effort and often bespoke solutions need to be designed to achieve these. I work with a trusted team who understand my high expectations.
Understanding materials has helped me enormously, my background of carpentry has set me up to really understand the materials in more than just an academic way, I can advise aspects of design and offer solutions.
It may seem obvious, but experience also helps with the smooth running of a project onsite. I have been fortunate to work on many high caliber schemes so I understand and can preempt certain aspects of the process. I know what demanding architects need and what clients are expecting and I know that I can deliver.
