The Tactile Architect

Proposed Two-Storey Residential
Location: San Roque, Macabebe, Pampanga

GUARANTEED MAXIMUM PROJECT CONSTRUCTION COST OUTLAY CONTRACT

A guaranteed maximum price contract sets a limit, or maximum price, that the client will have to pay their architect-in-charge-of-construction/ contractor or subcontractor, regardless of the actual costs incurred. In its simplest form, a guaranteed maximum construction cost outlay contract simply puts a cap on the contract price that can’t be exceeded. Costs beyond that guaranteed maximum price may need to be covered by the architect-in-charge-of-construction/ contractor or sub.

Typically, this is a mechanism used on design-build contracts where the architect has responsibility for completing the client’s design and for carrying out the construction works, so they are in a good position to control costs.

HERE'S HOW IT WORKS

Effectively, this sort of contract transfers risks for delivering the project from the client to the architect/ contractor. For example, if events such as exceptionally adverse weather or strikes occur, or if items that might otherwise have been the subject of provisional sums (tulad ng malakihang hukayan, the nature of which cannot be determined until the ground is opened up), which on other forms of contract might have resulted in a claim by the architect/ contractor for loss and expense, on a guaranteed maximum construction cost outlay contract, the architect/ contractor has to bear any additional costs.

However, a guaranteed maximum price is not a cure-all, and the price is not necessarily fixed. If the client requests ‘extras’, for example, if the scope of the works increases, then the contract must provide for the price to be increased. Similarly, if work is omitted, then the price should be reduced.

MY RECOMMENDATION

Gather your information. There is a lot of it out there. If you're trying to decide on investing to design-build your house to improve your life, you may get the expert for their advice which happen to be the architects and their services, or seeks other people's testimonies. Information gathering helps you weigh different options, moving you closer to a decision that meets your goal.

HERE IS HOW LUMP SUM CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT WORKS

A lump sum contract in construction is one type of construction contract, sometimes referred to as stipulated-sum, na kung saan ang isang presyo ay sinipi o kinote para sa buong project na base sa plano at specification and the owner knows exactly how much the work will cost in advance.

This type of contract requires a full and complete set of plans and specifications and includes all the indirect costs plus the profit and the contractor will receive progress payments each month.

It is called a Lump Sum because the architect-in-charge-of-construction/ contractor is required to submit a total and global price instead of bidding on individual items.

With this kind of contract the architect, engineer and/or contractor agrees to do a described and specified project for a fixed price.

A Fixed Fee or Lump Sum Contract is suitable if the scope and schedule of the project are sufficiently defined to allow the architect-of-record to estimate project costs.

CHANGE OR VARIATION ORDERS

Variations are typically broken down into two categories:

A. Beneficial - is for improvement of work quality, cost and schedule reduction.

B. Detrimental - is a negative change in performance or quality of work due to client's financial difficulties.

There are many reasons for variations to occur but main causes are normally due to:

-omission in design
-inadequate design
-changes in specifications
-changes in scope, and
-lack of coordination and communication among the collaborators

MY RECOMMENDATION

Gather your information. There is a lot of it out there. If you're trying to decide on investing to design-build your house to improve your life, you may get the expert for their advice and service, or seeks other people's testimonies. Information gathering helps you weigh different options, moving you closer to a decision that meets your goal.

IS DESIGN-BUILD IS THE BEST THING TO DO?

Maliban sa design-bid-build na paraan sa konstruction na tradisyunal na ginagawa, mayroon ding kaso para sa design-build na scheme sa Pilipinas. Sa paraang ito, ang may-ari ay kukuha lang ng isang firm o entity para sa parehong design at construction para sa isang project.

ADVANTAGE OF DESIGN-BUILD SERVICE

Mas Makakamura
-Cost-efficiency can be incorporated early.
Especially for a smaller project scale, the design-build method is often a more budget-friendly route to take. Planning with cost-efficiency in mind right from the start can begin by Designers, and unforeseen complications are less likely. Also, Cost management for concerns like construction materials can already be anticipated and costs ideally lowered as the project progresses with design being in close collaboration with construction.

Mas Mapapabilis
-Compared to the design-bid-build process, projects are typically completed on time and more likely early because the design-build method yields more expedited timelines for project completion. Inaalis nito ang proseso ng bidding para sa mga general contractors, na nakakaliit sa timeline ng project. Phases of the project can overlap and save time since design and construction are under one firm.
For example, even before the design has been finalized, construction materials can be ordered early on. Another advantage is that the decision-making process is a lot smoother since less firm or people are involved when it comes to collaboration.

Mas Malinaw na Komunikasyon
-Collaboration and accountability is streamlined. With a design-build model, the owner would only need to cooperate with one entity across the entire project. Accountability also falls on a single entity should there be any mishaps within the project, which reduces the risk for the owner. This lessens the likelihood of miscommunication between design and construction. It also lessens the frequency of change orders.

MY TAKE

Yes i requires more trust for higher accountability, special projects would require specialist and Backtracking is difficult for larger projects.

It all comes down to the scale of your project and the amount of collaboration you desire with your contractors. There are many design-build firms who are doing their best to make a name for themselves in the Philippines. It’s all a matter of choosing the right team worth your vote of confidence and funding. If you do this even a half as well, like the rest of the owner who have done this, you will not be sorry. Sound fair enough?

THE MINIMALISM STORY

Some Architects and Designers see beauty in the simplest of form. They wanted you to notice and feel what wasn't there as much as was there. It is called MINIMALISM.

A style or technique (as in music, literature or design) that is characterized by extreme spareness and simplicity.

It is a popular term nowadays. But it is more than just a design track.

Minimalism with a capital "M" was an Art and Design Movement concerned with the abstraction and reduction of forms. Seeking an art that had its own reality without the burden of representation.

Stacked monochromatic shape could be beautiful and light could shape a space as well as any structure.

With minimalism, a piece wasn't meant to reflect the personal expressions of an individual. It was meant to express only that which was integral to the piece itself.

Today the influences of minimalism are everywhere maybe right in front of you. Pwedi nyong i check ang hashtag minimalism sa instagram. Hashtag hindi ganon kaminimal, which is where the irony comes in.

So, if you are looking to be a true minimalist, remember that:

-Less is better
-Omit extraneous things
-Use color only when necessary and
-Make evey detail count

That is because the ABSENCE of something can be even more BEAUTIFUL than the thing ITSELF.