Design vs. construction of a garden – why should you separate these services?
In the market for garden services, you can often find “design and build” offers. Contractors tempt clients with the promise that if they are commissioned to build a garden, the cost of the design will be deducted from the final price or will be nominal. This sounds like a bargain, but in reality it often turns out to be a trap that generates hidden costs and problems at the construction stage.
As landscape architects with many years of experience, we would like to explain why separating the design and construction stages is the healthiest and safest solution for the developer.
A realistic project price is a guarantee of quality
A basic principle of economics says that nothing is free. If a company offers a project for a fraction of its market value (or free of charge), it must make up the loss elsewhere. Most often, the margin is hidden in the executive cost estimate – in the prices of plants, building materials or labor.
In a model where garden design and contracting are separated, the situation is transparent. You pay a real price for the architect’s expertise, time spent on conception and preparation of precise technical documentation. The architect does not have to “reflect” the cost of the project on the construction site, because his fee is adequate to the amount of work. Thus, you get a service that is not just a marketing tool to sell construction services, but a full-fledged product.
The trap of “designing with a finger in the field”
One of the most serious problems in combining design and contracting in one company is the quality of documentation. Contractors often assume that since they will realize the garden themselves, they do not need to prepare detailed detail drawings. They know how to execute something, so they omit it from the documentation, using what is known as “designing with a finger in the field.”
The problem arises when the Investor – for various reasons – decides not to go with the same company for the execution. He is then left with a design that is only a general outline of the concept, devoid of key construction details or precise material lists. Such a design becomes useless to another construction team, since it is impossible to reliably price or perform the work on its basis. This is particularly important in the case of complex gardens, rich in landscaping elements, where every centimeter and choice of technology matters.
Architect who doesn’t take risks, designs better
An independent designer, whose remuneration does not depend on whether the client contracts him to build, is comfortable working on every detail. He doesn’t have to create a truncated version that is only meant to encourage the signing of a contract for workmanship.
Our goal is to provide the investor with a complete “instruction manual” for the future investment. The project is worked out to the last detail, because it is the result of our work, and not the introduction to the sale of garden surfaces or plantings. As a result, the Investor receives documentation with which he can go to several independent contractors and ask for comparable offers.
Conflict of interest and the role of the Substitute Investor
The separation of design and contracting removes a fundamental conflict of interest. The contractor usually cares about getting the job done as quickly, easily and with materials on which he has the highest margin. The architect cares that the end result is artful, durable and aesthetically pleasing.
When you hire an independent designer, you get an advocate for your interests. Performing author’s supervision over the project, we stand on the side of the Investor. We verify whether the contractor carries out the work in accordance with the design, whether he does not replace materials with cheaper substitutes and whether he maintains appropriate technical standards. In the “design and build” system (within one company), no one looks at the contractor’s hands, because the designer and construction manager play in one team – against the wallet of the Investor.
Summary
The decision to work with an independent landscape architect is an investment in safety and quality. You get a reliable detailed design, which is your property and allows you to freely choose the contractor. You avoid hidden costs and are assured that someone is overseeing the correct execution of your dream garden. Get in touch with us, and we will take care of the rest.