Interior Design Construction Project Management: Highlights to Project Management
Interior Design Construction Project Management: Highlights to Project Management
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The question of how and from what does a brilliant design project derives its success, goes as far back as building and design do. Was it the ideas contained within the drawings or the skill with which the bricks were laid that most contributes to aesthetic value? The question is relevant, and for those of us concerned with building success, on any scale, it is worth examining interior design project management processes one can use to create useful beauty, effective project processes and a successful outcome.
Over the last many years, the projects I have designed for my clients through Mary Douglas Drysdale Interior Design have garnered more than 80 magazine and book covers and have also been honored with numerous industry awards. It is often an assumption that creativity is the source of a project’s success. Obtained from years of experience, my belief and understanding are that in fact, the core of a project’s success can be measured by the quality of the conversation and interface, which occurs among the project’s team members, with a particular emphasis on the exchange between designer and the contractor’s project manager, in coordination with the client. In the design phase, conversation may be mostly with the client, however in the implementation phase, the General Contractor or Specialty Subcontractors may be the designer’s first call.
As a young woman, I was a member of the women’s track team. What I learned in track and field about teamwork and individual excellence has served me well later in my design career. As an athletic competitor, I understood that it takes a team working together to win the relay race, and of particular importance is the relay is the hand off the baton – but one might think of that as content. In a design project, a skilled “hand off” is required from the designer to the contractor, to transition from the design process to the careful implementation of an approved design.
It is in the implementation of design work that a project is either made or lost in my view. Thus, it surprises me that the policies of designers and architects surrounding construction administration issues are often insufficient. All too frequently, these failures result in future frustration and a project which has not reached full potential. Design oversight must handle the numerous aspects of building that may not be covered in a typical drawing set. Indeed, I have yet to see drawing and specification documents which are 100% complete, and the definition of “complete”, according to current definitions is up to the author. Nor have I seen a project which does not experience some level of change, as construction advances. This means that questions, if only nuances, remain in consideration, as the project begins. Even the smallest misinterpretation, or change, can alter the outcome of a design. Unforeseen additions may occur, in addition to building conflicts which may not be redefined until demolition occurs. An effective team compromised by the Owner, the Contractor and the Designer/Architect, using effective communication and reporting skills, can approach and solve typical problems that arise in a timely fashion. The designing party must be fully observant and in frequent communication with the contractors, and the parties should agree to a protocol developed for monitoring and solving project issues. Construction administration can be a more rigorous process than the design process which preceded it.
Guidelines to Construction project management
Most can succeed if given the right assignments. Review the project scope and see where the job is weighed and if there are any specialty requirements. Make sure that the contractor can establish what he or she can perform well, and if certain specialty subcontractors are preferred, bring it up from the get-go and potentially make it a requirement for the General Contractor to hire them.
Nothing makes for more tension on the job than going over budget. Develop an implementation budget, based on reliable estimates. Create an approved “order of magnitude budget, along with the drawing set. It is essential to draw and select based on an actual budget, rather than an imagined set of numbers. This will allow for the last portion of design to be completed with fiscal responsibility. The owner should be happy to pay a fee to the contractor for this preliminary bid, if required.
Form a good foundation with solid communication protocols before building starts, which influences the construction process. After a contractor has reviewed the drawings, ask for a list of items the contractor is unclear or unsure of. You can also ask if additional drawings are required. Often a designer will prepare a package that is strong in plan and elevation but is short on needed details. Continue to ask what is needed, as the job advances.
Do not limit communication with the contractor to a review of the drawings and a bid sheet. Walk the job and discuss all the plans, details and systems interfaces. I find this a good way to get smart input from the builder as well. See the construction of approved designs as a logical process.
Visit the job regularly and often. I think it best to set a day, once a week, or as needed, depending on the scope and complexity of a job. Walk through the job with the contractor. Important subcontractors should be asked to attend a walk through, as appropriate. Solicit and listen to advice from the contractors that are tasked building the project. Work to develop and influence a good sequence of trades.
Always require confirmation documentation for all design work. Require shop drawings for all millwork and all samples of all finishes on a job including the tile layouts, paint, casings, millwork panels and trims. Make sure that the client sees the samples and approves them. All trim assembles should be mocked up and approved by the designer and client, as well
Conflicts of construction occur; make sure the Designer/Architect is tasked with the choice of selecting alternates, and not the carpenter or electrician, who may not understand the complete design intent and/or interiors plans. Approve all electrical layouts in the field, as often as there are conflicts in the layout and the choice of a revised layout should be that of the Designer/Architect
A schedule is one of the most important management tools. From the get-go, develop with the general contractor, a critical path in the project. Require that the project schedule be updated weekly, or as often as makes sense, given the scope of the work. Circulate this to the major subcontractors and make sure that they sign off on the given schedule.
Prepare a “clarifications” binder for the client and the contractor. All jobs require clarification sketches and/or documentation of some sort. Make it easy for all the parties to file the sketches and drawings and number these clarification sketches and/or reports so the clarifications binder is as clear as a final set.
Set goals with the project team to be accomplished each week of a job and try to advance the spirit of working forward to completion.
As the job approaches completion, prepare a pre-punch list, and review it daily.
Contribute to a culture of efficiency and performance. Answer all emails within a day, even of the answer is, “I don’t have that information at this time.” Site visit approvals and changes need to be documented, even in a brief email. Review pricing proposals quickly and raise questions directly if there are concerns. Show appreciation, and when a job is photographed, published or awarded, share the news and credit, which rightly goes to those who have built it.
In recent years, construction project management for interior designers has become increasingly crucial as the world of design and construction has changed. Projects are more complex, drawing sets more inclusive, and clients are increasingly more involved, with higher expectations. To succeed in these projects, it is transparency, management, team think, and excellent communication skills which are needed to produce a successful outcome.
Proofs of Success
