 From Conception to Completion
One Step at a Time
At JMA we design our services for best fit with each assignment. For larger projects, we become the organizing and co-ordinating centre, responsible for creating and sustaining positive momentum for decisions, and identifying necessary input at each stage. Often this means we directly employ the technical consulting disciplines that create engineering design for the many systems involved, as Prime Consultant to the Project. We select from a large network of expertise to complement our own and as necessary for the project, and use collaborative and project management techniques to organize the team's work. The work begins long before construction starts, and stretches well beyond its occupancy and initial enjoyment.
Projects move through traditional stages, roughly as follows:
- Pre-Design, in which we gather and analyze information about the project context: your objectives and requirements, budget and schedule, existing site and building contexts, standards and requirements from a variety of jurisdictions, and goals for sustainability, to name a few.
- Schematic Design, which funnels decision-making and exploration of different approaches from the "all things are possible" stage to a well-grounded concept that properly balances the issues and opportunities, crafting an appropriate solution for further exploration.
- Design Development, which further tests and solidifies the design by exploring its systems and details, with emphasis on conformance with project budget and schedule. Depending upon the project, this can involve pre-submissions to authorities for planning permissions and creation of detailed estimates and risk management plans for identified challenges.
- Construction Documentation, where the completed design is documented in a clear and co-ordinated form of communication for contractors and trades: to support bidding, contract negotiations, and the construction process itself.
- Projects are built under a wide variety of contractual arrangements between Owner and those that will construct the work. We work alongside you to select the appropriate form of Bidding and Procurement, often in response to industry and client policies.
- Throughout the Construction Phase, our services can range from full administration of the contract between Project Owner and Builder, to more narrow scopes involving sampling and review of construction to suit client or authority needs. Leadership for meetings, review of product submissions, issuance of clarifying instructions, changes, certification of contractor payment, and onsite review of the progress and quality of work, are among many of the tasks that we do in the full service administration of construction contracts.
-Post-Construction is a period of handover of the completed project for your use, with verification of facility and systems performance, completion of project manuals and records, training in the use and operation of its systems, followed by a warranty period (normally of one year), to address any issues that may arise. In the Full Services model we co-ordinate and assist in this handover, and are directly involved in ensuring smooth transition and verification that the completed project meets performance requirements.
|
