Design and Build

Design and build is a single contract in which one team is responsible for both the design and the construction of a project. It suits private clients, family offices and developers who want one accountable party from first sketch to handover, rather than an architect and a contractor working to separate appointments.

How the process runs

The commission runs in six stages: brief and measured survey, concept design costed in outline, planning and technical design, procurement and programme, construction, then finishes and handover. Each stage ends with a decision you sign off, so nothing moves forward on assumption.

• Brief and survey — typically two to four weeks
• Concept design, costed in outline — four to six weeks
• Planning, where required — eight to ten weeks for a householder application in England, longer with listed building consent
• Technical design and procurement — six to ten weeks, run in parallel where possible
• Construction — a few months for a focused refurbishment, considerably longer for whole-house work or a new build
• Snagging, commissioning and handover — two to four weeks

Who it suits

Design and build works best where the finish standard is high and the programme matters: whole-house refurbishment, significant extensions, prime apartments and hospitality interiors with a fixed opening date. It is less suited to projects where an architect has already been appointed and the client wants that appointment kept separate — in those cases AY Group takes on construction and turnkey delivery of the existing scheme instead.

What one accountable team changes

Because the people drawing the detail are the people building it, buildability and cost are tested while the design is still fluid. Two or three arrangements are priced in outline at concept stage, so the budget is examined before the design is fixed rather than after. On site there is one lead reporting to you weekly, and variations are agreed in writing before they are carried out.

Where we work

London, the West Midlands, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, the Cotswolds and Shropshire. In prime central London the constraints are access, freeholder consent and party wall procedure; across the Cotswolds and Worcestershire they are heritage fabric, stone matching and conservation consent. The process is the same in each; the risks are weighted differently.

Frequently asked questions

What is design and build?

Design and build is one contract covering both the design and the construction of a project, delivered by a single accountable team rather than a separate architect and contractor.

How long does a design and build project take?

Design and planning commonly occupy the first three to six months, and construction runs from a few months for a focused refurbishment to considerably longer for whole-house work or a new build.

Is design and build cheaper than appointing an architect separately?

It is usually more predictable rather than automatically cheaper, because cost is tested against two or three design options at concept stage instead of after the design is fixed.