Measure twice, cut once.
My father telling me this as a kid didn’t mean much, but as time went on and the number of mistakes-that-almost-happened-but-didn’t grew in magnitude, the value became more obvious.
The Secure Women’s Facility in Hazelton, WV, was a design-build project — and our design-build team was the key to that projects’ success.
Our goal was simple — design and build a federal prison. I found that my father’s anecdote helped to keep it as simple as it really sounds.
And that’s where all projects begin: as words on paper. It’s up to the people involved to translate those words into many languages — the owners’, the clients’, the contractors’, and the subcontractors’. This is why communication is so important. Problems will be solved faster and tasks will be completed sooner if everyone is communicating well.
I have found that the following items really boost our chances of a smooth, streamlined, and successful project:
1. Meet Before the Start
We met in person with the contractor, P.J. Dick, and subcontractors, including RWE, on the Hazelton project right away to review the volumes of requirements that were part of the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ (FBOP) solicitation. This really helped set the tone for the project and gave us a chance to identify and solve potential problem areas.
2. Thorough Review
In our initial meetings, we went over as much as we could, but it’s very important that each team member be aware of the requirements of the project and the limits of the materials. It’s critical that the design-build team carefully review all of the project elements because it’s a chance to find potential problems. We all know that the most unexpected snags in a project often live behind the parts of a project considered “easy.”
3. Coordination
After the project started, we held “coordination” meetings periodically. We discussed things like layout, dimensions, furnishings, utilities, and finishes. It’s important to stay on the same page throughout the entire process.
4. Your Way vs. The Project’s Way
I always keep in mind that the project itself will let you know what needs to be done. Don’t think in terms of “my way” or “their way,” think about what’s best for the project or team.
5. Fix the Problems
On the few occasions when a problem did arise in the field, the design-build team would get together on site, examine the problem, and jointly agree on a solution.
Thanks to the previous five items, the Secure Women’s Facility in Hazelton, WV, was opened on schedule and on budget. And, if we hadn’t “measured twice and cut once” on so many occasions, the outcome of this project might have been very different.
INFO: KZF Design, Inc. (www.kzf.com)