It’s left many local authorities trying to claw back the millions they have spent on consultants’ fees for work that may never come to fruition; and schools and colleges wondering how to progress their building projects when funding is being squeezed.
The latest idea is to make schools smaller, which is possible but not necessary. The budget constraints schools face is something that Directline Structures fully appreciates. We’ve been designing and constructing quality buildings including sixth form blocks, sports halls, multi-purpose halls and teaching spaces for more than 20 years – and one thing we’ve learned is that schools and colleges need certainty.
Certainty that the building will be the best value available; certainty that their building will be delivered on time and to required standards; and the certainty that they won’t be getting any nasty surprises with their final bill.
That’s why we provide a complete ‘design and build’ service. We have our own in-house design team who can take a project from concept to design, through the planning process, construction and fit-out to handover.
When the design and specifications are agreed, clients are given a fixed price, including all architecture and engineering costs.
By avoiding layers of consultants, the costs involved and loss of control that split responsibilities can cause, we make huge savings for the client. We understand the complete process and optimise the design from the start. Providing clients with one point of contact also saves time, ensures continuity and consistency, and makes the process less stressful.
This complete turnkey approach regularly saves our clients 25% on the ‘normal’ county target. But it’s not just providing a complete ‘one stop’ service that benefits them – lean design has a major part to play.
By understanding the disciplines of structural design and building detailing, the construction process and the costs of all stages and elements, we save at least 20% in raw materials. That’s simply good, sustainable design but it also has an immediate cost benefit to our clients and a dramatic CO² reduction.
What the school ends up with is a well-designed, flexible, cost-effective building built for the purpose it was intended, all within budget.
While Directline Structures usually provides the full design and build service, we’ve also stepped in to save a number of building projects where schools and colleges have found themselves way over budget and on the brink of cancelling the work.
Seaford Head Community College in East Sussex is a good example. Spiralling costs threatened to scupper their sports hall project because the traditional construction route had failed. The school had a fixed budget but the tenders received, along with the consultants’ costs, came to almost 50% more.
We reassessed the structure and realised we could make it more efficient by redesigning it. We worked closely with the college to make sure they got the facilities they required while adhering to their budget, and in the process we improved the building’s appearance and durability, and saved them more than £200,000 of unnecessary costs – simply by understanding the engineering and construction processes and producing an efficient design.
The fact is that schools and colleges CAN often have the building they want if they take the right approach. Directline Structures can offer free advice to any school or college to show them just what can be achieved.
Directline Structures
01233 504770
www.directlinestructures.co.uk
