Concept Strategy Audit

This audit provides feedback on early design options and associated building issues. Insights and advice at this stage help establish project feasibility and efficiency from the outset. This saves on significant costs and time in construction and documentation, and also reduces the risk of progressing unfeasible and/or inefficient solutions that need to be revised later on.

Site Audit & Strategy

This assessment includes site orientation, topography, services, ground conditions, existing and neighbouring buildings, adjacent services and infrastructure. Findings and recommendations are summarised in a brief site and construction-risk report, which includes access and build-related strategies.

Project Program Strategy

Early design decisions are costly and difficult to undo once the preliminary design phase is complete. Our construction and programming input during the preliminary design phase can greatly benefit the overall efficiency of a project, helping define critical milestones and ensuring the sequence of activities is fully considered.

Development Feasibility

We believe it is crucial to factor in not just construction costs but the whole development cost, so that investors/stakeholders have clear feasibility targets from the outset. This process defines development costs, holding costs and return on investment. Our consultant for this service also undertakes feasibility for the leading commercial banks prior to finance approval.

Pre-planning: Buildability Assessment

To fully understand the cost and construction-related implications of the design being submitted, we assess and report on building issues. Once town planning documents have been submitted, the building footprint and design are fundamentally ‘locked-in’. This valuable assessment helps avoid costly amendments, delays and construction impacts.

Town Planning Submission

A town planning submission, particularly when associated with a complex inner-suburban site, is strengthened by building, programming, staging and accessibility solutions that reduce community concerns and disruption. Buildability Consultants provides expert reports that address these issues, and their management, for inclusion in submissions. Site-specific construction-management and environmental-management plans can be also prepared to respond to town planning permit requirements.

Pre-sales Advice

We can provide high-level analysis and feedback about town planning and contract of sale documents prior to their finalisation to ensure schedules and notes are worded in a manner that enable future changes as required.

Staging/Access Planning

This is invaluable for projects in which operational and occupied spaces and/or programming or operational constraints require staged construction and handover. We can assess the building design and current user requirements and devise staging and access strategies to inform planning, documentation and tender specification.

Detailed Construction Programming

With this service, a range of planning, design and critical pre-construction activities are considered and a detailed construction methodology and program developed; it complements the design and documentation program. This process is fundamental to an efficient but realistic construction timeframe and to the project completion date being met.

Cost & Value Review

We review the key building systems and solutions as they evolve in the design-development documents, comparing them against the original high-level budget targets to confirm they align. Where they diverge, Buildability Consulting develops strategies to bring the project back on budget.

Documentation Planning & Review

We provide ongoing and iterative input during design development and documentation. We assess and develop building, program and construction efficiency strategies to ensure the budget remains aligned with the project and design objectives.

Building Methodology Strategy

We deliver advice, comparisons and recommendations about the most suitable and cost-effective building systems based on design and site constraints. This advice includes structural, cladding, services, ESD systems and finishes. This work is undertaken in two phases: before town planning documentation is lodged and after planning approval is obtained.

Value-management Review

This structured process identifies value-management solutions that do not impact on a building’s key design or architectural elements (e.g., structure or services) but ensures it aligns with the project budget. It is a comprehensive, strategic review of tender/design documentation – structure through to finishes – with recommendations made on value-management opportunities.

Post-tender Audit

We assess tender submissions and give high-level feedback on the build and delivery strategies offered by the different building contractors. This ensures robust assessment of the construction proposal’s integrity and rigour, as well as post-tender clarifications and negotiations.

Pre-tender Audit

We review tender documents and design for clarity, consistency and coordination; pricing risk; suitability for the builder(s); and value-management options, where there are concerns the project may come in over budget (flagging potential savings for the tenderer from the outset). The audit also explores potential tender addenda and how these should be managed. Additional advice can be given on the format of the construction contract and on a balanced contractual risk for all parties. For some projects, we generate options for non-conforming tenders to help drive lateral thinking in the tender process – so long as this does not conflict with the design and contractual intent.

Detailed Construction Programming

With this service, we prepare detailed construction programmes using MS Project software. This includes incorporating pre-construction/mobilisation activities, critical lead-time tasks, logical critical-path and staged-construction methodologies, milestone activities and key completion and handover dates for both client and builder/subcontractor.

Contract Review

Having extensive experience of commercial and residential construction contracts, prior to tender Buildability Consultants can provide practical advice on contract content and risks, and strategies for mitigating risks during project delivery. This can provide a foundation for the input of expert legal advice from commercial lawyers.

Specialist Subcontractor Selection & Audit

With more than 20 years’ experience working with a range of quality subcontractors and suppliers, Buildability Consultants can provide impartial and expert advice on specialist, nominated and general subcontractors. Our advice includes SWOT (Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, Threat analysis) due diligence, analysis of subcontractor suitability and quotes, defining subcontractor scope of works and agreements, programming discussions and liaising before and after tender.

Key Construction Challenge & Risk Advice

This service is best undertaken prior to tender, and involves a detailed review of construction documentation and reporting on the key challenges and risks, with strategies for construction management and methodology that will drive the program and cost efficiency. This can be done either in partnership with the project team or, where fresh, lateral thinking is sought, independently to bring alternative ideas to the table.

Construction Troubleshooting

Each construction project brings its own challenges. Sometimes, highly complex and unexpected issues arise, which can be solved more effectively by bringing a fresh and independent perspective to the problem, to complement the construction and architectural team.

‘Stressed’ Project Programming

Construction projects are dynamic and complex, and can quickly become ‘stressed’ from a time or cost perspective (often due to events beyond the control of the builder). In these circumstances, it is beneficial to have an independent expert review construction programming and methodology, and report and provide recommendations on alternative strategies to mitigate delays and minimise cost overruns.

Value Management & Redesign

With diminishing margins and increasing competitiveness in the construction industry, building efficiencies are more critical than ever; they should remain central during construction to maximise profitability while maintaining design intent. Buildability Consultants will comprehensively review project documentation during the tender or delivery stage to provide, for consideration, value-management and redesign options that will not compromise quality or key architect/consultant and design intent.