The current economic climate has made it harder to predict construction costs but exponentially more important for architects to find ways to cut costs in order to make projects more commercially viable for clients.
As architects, we should always strive to devise the most cost-effective builds that meet the commercial needs of the developer, while still offering an attractive design. The impact of the fluctuating economic landscape on costs of materials and worsening shortage in the labour market means that to do this we are constantly searching for ways to bring expenses down and streamline the construction process. This includes thinking about how a design is going to be delivered and by who; what materials are being used; and whether there are alternative construction methods.
Architects must establish the project budget from the outset so there is an understanding of the overall cost before any stages of design have begun. Construction costs often come into the conversation at stage four of the design process but need to be considered at stage one.
When thinking about a design for a client, we will often start with some key questions. Can we minimise the number of different contractors that will need to be involved? Can we adjust designs to maximise the use of the most cost-effective materials and construction methods?
There are a number of modern methods of construction that can help. By and large they replace expensive materials and time intensive delivery with quicker, lower cost and more sustainable alternatives. For example, we recently replaced the steel and concrete frame designed into an SFS framing system that was cheaper and faster to install and had less embodied carbon.
Gaining planning consent and agreeing regulatory matters can be a lengthy process, so the possibility of cost rises during that time must be at the forefront of discussion. If the cost of delivery isn’t considered by the architect during the design phase, then we end up in the all-too-common situation where projects stall post-planning because they are commercially unviable.
The challenge of labour shortages in the construction industry is no secret, which means that there should be no reason why architects can’t factor this into their designs either by thinking about how they can limit the number of subcontractors that may be needed onsite.
It is all too easy for architects to hide behind our drawing boards and not take responsibility for the financial viability of the buildings we design. However those of us who can demonstrate to clients that we understand the impact that rising material costs and the shortage of labour is having on the delivery of our designs will find that more of our buildings are being built.