Using Design-Build in Church Construction

The church design-build methodology provides a good alternative to the traditional design, bid, build method where the church hires an architect and then sends the design to bid.  While no method is without some drawbacks, design/build offers many advantages in a church construction program. 

Church design/build can reduce the number of contracts and relationships the church needs to develop. It also has the ability to reduce the cost of the church building program and improve communication and reduce time to completion by bringing church design and church construction under "one roof".  The church reduces the risk because any issue with design or estimates on the cost of the project are borne by the design build firm. 

There is a potential downside:  The church loses some "dynamic tension" between the architect and the builder... think of it as keeping each other honest.  The dynamics of the relationship change when the architect and the builder are essentially the same firm.  If you have done you homework on your design build vendor, this should not be a problem.  Any potential shortcoming is easily overcome by proper homework and including an independent church construction consultant in the process.  The opportunity for cost and effort savings that a good design build company can provide should more than offset potential problems if you select your vendor with care.

Much of the above  information on this page is excerpted from the book Preparing to Build.

An alternative to Design/Build is for the church to purchase building plans from prior building program.  For more information on how to save 50% or more on church design, visit our church plans page.

 

Church Building Guide

Written by an experienced church building consultant, Preparing to Build provides your church valuable, real-world insight based on real-world experiences and input from hundreds of church building projects. "Preparing to Build was an incredible value - just a wealth of   information. The truth & his experience jump off the pages."            Dwight VanDaveer, Engineer & Church Building Committee Member With over 160 information packed pages, this book will explain the process of building and how equip the saints for the work of building the church in an effective manner that will reduce the church's cost, risk and effort.  Click for more information or to purchase.