Our clients were in the process of purchasing two adjacent lower ground floor apartments, complete with beautiful private gardens and magnificent views towards the Safiental in Graubünden. We were asked to manage the project, handling initial negotiations with the seller, co-ordinating the various parties, supervising the design and providing construction management services. We saw the project right through to interior fit-out and handover.
The client outlined their vision for the apartment, how it would be used, the available budget, the desired timeframe and their initial ideas. We then prepared preliminary sketches and a budget, as well as a design brief with mood images, which served as a starting point for the London-based interior designer.
We conduct feasibility studies, both from a commercial standpoint and from architectural and local codes perspectives. We fine tune the developers brief with further details such as area schedules and room descriptions. We include detailed requirements relating to the required scope of works of future project team members, and prepare tender documents for the team procurement.
We managed team procurement, which consisted of just an interior designer, as the seller already had the remainder of the team on board.
We conduct the tender for the entire project team, including architect, interior designer, landscape architect, lighting consultants, MEP engineers, structural and civil engineer, fire engineer, marketing agency, public relations manager, and all other team members that are needed. Once we’ve sent out the tender documents we hold meetings with the candidates to ensure they fully understand the project and scope of services. When we receive the tender returns we conduct detailed analysis and comparisons. We then shortlist 2–3 candidates for each category, and hold final negotiations. Finally, we put forward our recommendation to the client, prepare the contracts together with the project lawyers, and finalise the appointment of the team.
The interior designer developed design ideas and concepts, refining them further in consultation with the client. We ensured they were in line with the client’s vision, budget and planning, and we liaised with the general contractor and architect to make sure the proposals were feasible from a technical standpoint.
The architect, interior designer and engineers develop the concept design documents. These include sketches, plans, computer-generated images, schematic drawings, specifications and budgets. We ensure that the design, specifications and budget are in line with the project brief, and help the client evaluate the design concepts and draft comments. We keep the project schedule up to date, provide regular reports, and review and approve professional fee invoices prior to payment by the client, to make sure they are in line with both contract terms and services and project progress.
The design concept, now with sufficient detail design, was translated into tender documents in consultation with the architect, engineers and general contractor. Tenders were received from both general and specialist contractors, while we oversaw all aspects of the work in order to achieve a final budget and planning based on the approved design.
For simple projects, tender and procurement can be conducted using the design plans of phase 32. For larger, more complex and in particular hospitality projects, where general contracting might be envisioned, we always recommend conducting the tender and procurement phase after the detail design. For each trade and work we tender, we select a minimum of three contractors. Once we receive the tender returns, we analyse each offer and prepare an offer comparison. We then shortlist 2-3 contractors and hold negotiation rounds. Next, we review our offer comparison according to the negotiations, and prepare our recommendation to the client. Once agreed, we prepare the relevant contracts in consultation with the project lawyers, and finalise the contract award and appointment.
In our role as construction manager we were on-site 2 – 3 days a week, overseeing the general contractor’s work and that of the specialist contractors and suppliers. We ensured all work was co-ordinated, on time, on budget, and met the expected design and quality.
Construction starts. Depending on the strategy (general contractor versus individual contractors), we manage the contractors with daily on- and off-site visits. During this phase and under our leadership, engineers and other consultants also have certain designated construction management roles. We make daily site visits, ensure that progress is in line with the approved schedule, that construction is according to plans, and that costs are according to budget. We review and approve all professional fees and contractor invoices prior to payment by the client, to make sure that construction carried out is in line with contracted terms and services. For larger and more complex projects, such as hotels and resorts, we start the tender and procurement processes for FF&E and OS&E.
We reviewed all of the work and prepared a snags list with the general and other specialist contractors. We reviewed final accounts and invoices to ensure they corresponded with the work carried out and the contracts. We made sure all manuals and warranties were provided, and finally, we installed the furniture, fixtures and equipment.
We manage the handover and closeout process. We carry out detailed site reviews for each work category – MEP (mechanical, electrical, plumbing), joinery, paintwork and so on, and produce a detailed snags list. We then oversee the snags work to ensure that everything is remedied to the required specifications and quality standards. We ensure the client receives all “as built” construction documents and plans, as well as maintenance manuals and guides. We make sure the handover is properly carried out, as befits the type and complexity of the project.
