Get the most for your money on your Calgary home project

Oting for design-build can be a game changer for your next renovation or new home project.

In the past, home renovations and new builds required a contract for design and another for construction and sub-trades. In “traditional” construction project delivery, disputes between the designer and builder often arose over scope or execution.

However, in design-build construction homeowners enter into a single contract to cover both the architectural design services and the physical construction of a renovation or new home build. Design-build teams have a shared goal and are incentivized to collaborate, leading to a more positive and less adversarial working relationship.

As you can see, the design-build method shown on the right is more streamlined and collaborative, with less need for homeowners to concern themselves with the minutiae of details. Decades of research <> have proven the effectiveness of the integrated design-build method versus traditional processes.
The design-build model has been around for centuries but there has been a renewed interest due to the many benefits which streamline the renovation and construction journey from conception to completion:

Elimination of Second Bid Phase:

A renovation company or new home builder offering design-build means there is a single entity responsible for both the design and construction phases. This eliminates the hassle of sourcing different service providers and coordinating multiple bids, saving you time and minimizing potential delays to your home renovation or new construction project. You only have one contract, simplifying contract management and legal liabilities, as opposed to managing separate contracts with architects and contractors in traditional construction.

Single Point of Contact:

Forget about bouncing between different companies for your design and construction needs. Design-build provides a single point of contact ensuring clear communication, efficient decision-making, and a cohesive approach to achieving your dream home. The design-build approach will ensure that both design intent and construction feasibility are considered simultaneously throughout your home renovation or new build project. You can make more informed decisions early in the project about costs, materials, and design elements. With a single entity in charge of both design and construction, expectations are more aligned, reducing confusion and ensuring that client goals are met more efficiently. This will make your renovation journey more streamlined and less stressful.

Efficiency and Cost Savings:

By consolidating design and construction with a shared vision and unified project team, unnecessary expenses and redundancies are minimized, resulting in a more cost-effective project delivery. The early collaboration between designers and builders helps identify cost-saving opportunities, such as value engineering, where materials, systems, or designs are optimized for budget efficiency without sacrificing quality. There are also typically fewer change orders with design-build renovation and construction project. Traditional projects often face costly change orders due to design errors or unforeseen construction challenges. Integrated Design-build minimizes these issues as teams collaborate from the start, reducing surprises and costly modifications mid-project. The integrated team typically provides you with better budget control through constant and consistent oversight, allowing for better financial planning and budget adherence.

Continuity in Design and Project Completion: With design-build, there’s no risk of design elements or project aspects falling through the cracks as they pass between different companies. The seamless integration of architecture, design, and construction means that all aspects of project management are considered and coordinated from start to finish. Designers and contractors can collaborate to introduce cutting-edge technologies, materials, and methods that balance the design vision with construction practicality. Potential issues related to construction methods or material choices can be identified early in the design phase, leading to more innovative solutions and real-time problem-solving. This reduces your exposure to liabilities stemming from design errors, construction mishaps, or coordination issues between separate parties. The close collaboration between the design and construction project management teams allows for more flexibility in making adjustments as the project evolves, ensuring higher-quality outcomes and more practical design solutions.

Faster Project Delivery:

Bid phases and back-and-forth negotiations are a thing of the past with an integrated design and construction company. Since the same entity manages both design and build, there are fewer disputes or hold-ups between the design and construction phases, reducing potential delays. Design and construction activities can overlap in an Integrated Design-Build approach, allowing for a faster project schedule. For example, construction can start before the design is fully completed, reducing the overall timeline. By consolidating design and building processes, projects can be delivered more quickly and efficiently, saving you valuable time and getting you closer to enjoying the benefits of your new home sooner.

Increased Accountability:

Whether it’s a home renovation or a new build, a single project manager overseeing both design and construction will increase accountability dramatically. Since one entity manages the entire process from end-to-end, there is a greater sense of responsibility for the final product. This means higher-quality work as the design-build firm is responsible for both meeting design specifications and executing the build properly. There’s no more passing the buck; the design-build team takes full ownership of the project, ensuring that commitments are met and expectations are exceeded.

Establishing Budgets and Timelines:

Design-build makes establishing realistic budgets and timelines easier. With a unified team working collaboratively on your design and construction, decisions can be made swiftly, and potential challenges can be addressed proactively, resulting in more accurate cost estimates and project schedules.

Streamlined Process:

With a dedicated team guiding you every step of the way, you can rest assured that your renovation and construction project is in capable hands, allowing you to focus on what matters most—bringing your vision to life.

Trust Woolrich’s Design-Build Team with your Renovation or New Home Construction

Collaboration with Woolrich’s design-build team offers you the advantage of using our associated architect, designers and project managers early on to help shape the project. Once the entire team is on board, plans are finalized based on your budget, goals and most importantly your vision. Let’s take a moment to understand the steps to the design-build process with us:

1. Preliminary Design and Cost Estimation:

During this phase the Woolrich design-build team will collaborate with you in order to set mutual goals and performance requirements including schedule and budget. We will create preliminary visual representations of your renovation or new home construction project based on these discovery conversations. That way you can have an early look at how your vision will come to life. This early collaboration offers better insights into project design, scope, budget, and timeline so that the construction process proceeds smoothly with less risk of budget surprises for you.

2. Finalizing the design and contract:

Once the project has a firm scope, schedule, and design, we can come together on a final contract cost. Once project design details are in place, we seek bids from subcontractors and trades for your consideration. Design tweaks are made as needed to get your renovation or new house build project to the perfect place.

3. Construction phase:

Construction can begin once the contract is agreed upon and the design is finalized. During construction on your renovation or new build, we handle subcontracting, daily management and scheduling. We remain in close contact with you, providing status reports to you all along the way. Our architect, designers and project managers work together to maximize efficacy and minimize miscommunications. This streamlined communication is one the biggest benefits of design-build– you have a single point of contact in the Woolrich team.

4. Project closeout and post-construction review:

During closeout, we will review the project with you and provide any documentation you require. Because all paperwork and documentation live with our team, closeout can be quicker and more straightforward than with traditional methods.

If you want to simplify the renovation and building process, if you are on a tight schedule or budget or maybe you have a tricky project, design-build is the way to go. Experience for yourself the increased efficiency, which translates to cost savings and faster project delivery with minimized risk for you. Allow yourself to sit back and enjoy letting us make your vision come to life with passion and accountability. By choosing design-build for your next home renovation project, you’re not just investing in a building—you’re investing in a smoother, more collaborative, and ultimately more successful renovation journey.

Our clients have seen the difference; here is a sample of what they have to say:

“The Woolrich Group has some of the most capable design, procurement, and construction professionals in the business. Our renovation had a very tight timeline with broad project scope and the strength of the Woolrich team was apparent throughout the entire process. Kelsey and Cecily worked with us to explore our vision for the reno and seamlessly managed the integration with construction to convert that vision into a beautiful reality. Words can’t describe how impressed we were with the Woolrich team, their process, and above all, their transparency and accountability. Our project was flawlessly executed and delivered within schedule and budget while exceeding our expectations on quality and functionality. Thanks, Bruce, Cecily, and Kelsey for doing a fantastic job!”

“Cecily’s ideas and creativity are outstanding! Her ability to pull it all together in an organized, professional, and timely manner with all of the trades and suppliers was nothing short of a miracle. She has an innate ability to accurately hear what my preferences are while using her expertise to present the best ideas for the space that suites my taste. She manages stressful situations with her trademark smile and respectful interactions. It’s easy to see why she can complete projects on time and within budget when so many people love working with her. I would use her services again and again. Thanks Cec!”

“From demo to completion the Woolrich team was professional, knowledgeable, and committed to providing high-quality service. We trusted them to make our house into the home that we knew it could become. Throughout the entire process, their goal was to ensure we were completely satisfied. The timelines that were set for the project were maintained and the Woolrich team came under budget! We couldn’t be happier!”

“Cecily and her team worked their magic for me. They asked the right questions, figured out my needs, and exceeded my expectations. Cecily read my mind like a Jedi and created a space for my business that I am so proud of. They were very communicative, informative, and came in on budget, on time. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. Every person who comes to New Radiance Medi Spa comments on the space, how beautiful and comfortable it is. I’m very grateful for the expertise and quality they brought to this project. Woolrich came through at every step and I highly recommend them.”

“This is our second major design and construction project with Woolrich Group. In both cases, our expectations were exceeded. Cecily is both creative and organized. She listened to our ideas and created spaces that perfectly matched what we wanted. Even more impressive, based on other experiences that we have had, is that she completed our projects on time and on budget. We would strongly recommend that you give Woolrich Group a try. You won’t regret it.”

We invite you to watch some incredible video testimonials from some of our customers where you can see their completed projects. <> We are incredibly proud of our 4.9 rating on google and Houzz.

And don’t forget to check out our projects page where you can see for yourself the incredible transformations. Here you will see what sets us apart– each of our renovations and builds are unique, reflecting the homeowners’ individual style and taste. We are not cookie-cutter. We really listen to our customers and help them achieve their design and functional goals. Ready to make your renovation dreams come true?