Silveroc advises and guides clients on residential and hospitality real estate projects in Switzerland.

Our mandates are as diverse as our clients. From initial development studies to project management, FF&E (furniture, fixtures and equipment) procurement and construction management, we help clients navigate the many different areas and phases of a project’s development.

With a holistic approach, we consider projects in their entirety. This means prioritising and balancing all aspects relevant to their success, from the client’s vision to financing, public relations, marketing and sales, operations, property maintenance, legal framework and constraints, all the way to design and technical implementation.

We customise our services specifically to the needs of our clients. Where these needs are not initially clear, we develop a brief in close collaboration with the client and adjust it as we go.

Our services are broadly divided into Development Studies, Project Management and Construction Management. Each of these categories is tailored specifically to the relevant project and client requirements.

Geographically, we focus on projects in Switzerland. This is particularly the case with larger projects, where our knowledge of German, French and English is an integral part of our service. For smaller projects, for example apartments or family homes, we focus on the German-speaking part of Switzerland, with a special emphasis on our home region of Graubünden.

Diverse client list
All phases of a project’s development
Comprehensive, integrated approach
Customised client service

Explore how we work

Development Studies

Our development studies are targeted at clients who own or intend to acquire a property to renovate or develop. Often clients will have a general idea as to what they want, but require further studies, both on the market and technical side.

When it comes to market and feasibility studies, we recommend our clients to professional partners who specialise in the relevant areas, whether hospitality (hotels and food and beverage) or residential. While they work on the market aspects, we work on the technical issues, analysing local construction codes – sometimes in conjunction with local architects – and drafting preliminary space programmes to evaluate constructible boundaries.

Once our partners have completed the market study and made a suitable project recommendation to the client, we start our spreadsheet work. We devise preliminary cost estimations including FF&E (furniture, fixtures and equipment), OS&E (operating supplies and equipment), professional fees, and associated costs and expenses. We also prepare relevant cash flow forecasts so that the client can properly evaluate the feasibility of the project, both from a market and financial standpoint.

With hospitality projects, we calculate everything related to development and construction, while our partners calculate all relevant operating budgets and profit-and-loss statements.

For projects requiring additional financing and investment, we work with our partners to create relevant investment teasers and brochures. These provide our clients with the material they need to go on roadshows or negotiate with investment partners.

Click below for typical development studies deliverables:

Investment teaser

Investment teaser targeted at investors summarising the key elements of the project, along with key figures and project milestones.

Project brochure

Brochure targeted at investors, shareholders and other stakeholders summarising the key elements of the project, along with key figures and project milestones.

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Cost estimation including cash flows

Cost estimation that includes all items relating to construction costs, professional fees, FF&E, OS&E, marketing and sales and related expenses. Includes cash flows showing all estimations from the development, as well as revenue forecasts from sales and operations.

Project schedule

Preliminary project schedule indicating key project phases and milestones, which allows each team member to properly perform their services within a given timeframe. Our schedules generally align the typical Swiss SIA phases with international best practices related to hospitality developments, including mock-up rooms and various procurement stages, as well as all client and operator sign-offs.

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Project Management

Our project management service can be as broad or specific as the client and project demands.
We divide it into the categories below.

Preparation

In this stage we work closely with the client to establish the project brief, as this forms the basis of the project. The project brief will be as detailed as the project demands, from high-level summaries to detailed room descriptions through to methods of collaboration (such as BIM execution plan), to software requirements, team meetings and so on. It will include descriptions of future operations, including hotel and food and beverage outlets. It will also include a design brief with mood images and descriptions of the design intent, as well as key financial targets and budgets.

We develop various organisational documents that will be reviewed and maintained throughout the duration of the project. These include organisation charts, responsibility matrixes, a project schedule, contract management tools and project reports.

During this stage we also establish and develop the project platform. This covers document management, review and approval processes, BIM collaboration (if applicable), naming conventions and other relevant structures related to the proper management of the project. We pride ourselves on running our projects almost entirely on a digital basis, with very little use of paper.

Team procurement

We choose our project teams based on experience and requirements. We begin by preparing specific briefs for every role, including but not limited to architects, interior designers, engineers, marketing agencies, public relations managers, lawyers and other required consultants. Once offers have been received, we analyse the responses. We then conduct a first round of negotiations and make our recommendations to the client. Next, we finalise negotiations and prepare the relevant contracts alongside the project lawyers, creating a solid contractual framework that clearly defines the scope of services and reduces potential loopholes and future risks.

With hospitality projects we take an active role in negotiations with operators, working in conjunction with the client’s lawyers and consultants. This particularly applies in relation to LOIs (letters of intent), HMAs (hotel management agreements), TSAs (technical services agreements), SSAs (system services agreements), MLAs (marketing license agreements), and other relevant agreements. We act not from a legal standpoint but a business one, focusing on arguing terms for, and achieving, the best outcome for the client. This is especially important when agreements are traditionally very one-sided in favour of operators.

Co-ordination of project team

As team co-ordinator, we ensure that everyone involved in a project – architect, interior designer, landscape architect, lighting consultant, acoustic engineer, fire engineer, HVAC, electrical, sanitary, structural, civil and other engineers and consultants – can perform at their best. All participants working on time and on budget means optimising the client’s objectives.

We further co-ordinate all communication, marketing and sales consultants, as well as all other stakeholders including financing partners, lawyers, authorities and special interests.

We ensure information is organised and distributed on time to the right parties. Keeping a close track on how work is proceeding, we review consultant invoices in relation to progress and deliverables, validating or rejecting invoices as necessary.

We also ensure work processes and phasing correspond to a project’s requirements. For smaller and entirely Swiss-based project teams, phasing is generally that defined by the SIA (Swiss Society of Engineers and Architects) norms. However, on larger or hospitality projects, where members of the team (for example lead architect and interior designer) are often international, we design the processes and phasing in a way that synchronises as effectively as possible with international best practice.
As part of this function we generally set up weekly technical co-ordination meetings, in which all relevant items, issues, tasks, challenges and opportunities are protocolled and distributed accordingly.

Maintenance of project organisation documents

We regularly maintain and update organisation documents such as organisation charts, responsibility matrixes, project schedule and other supporting documents. This allows for hands-on and meticulous co-ordination of team and project tasks, interfaces and milestones. Our project schedules are made using MS Project, which allows us to plan tasks and milestones in a detailed manner, and integrate information such as predecessors, for effective management of potential delays or time gains.

Reporting

We provide the client with a periodic report, the frequency of which is determined by the client and the project requirement. These reports, for both shareholders and stakeholders, provide a broad high-level understanding of the project at any given time, without going into the underlying depth and complexities that are often associated with such projects.

Cost estimation and management

Once the concept design is established by the project team, we develop a preliminary cost estimation using the Swiss CRB standards, according to BCC (building cost classification) or eCC-BC (element-based cost classification for building construction), as well as other standards where Swiss standards don’t meet the requirements. This is particularly the case for fit-out of large hospitality projects where the level of detail can be beyond the Swiss standards. Our understanding of both – Swiss standards as well as international standards – allows us to properly prioritise and use best practice methods for all aspects of cost estimation and management.

As the project progresses through design development, mock-up room and detail design, we continuously fine tune the cost estimations using more detailed metrics, including preliminary offers from and discussions with contractors and suppliers when and where additional detailing is required. During these phases we actively participate in value engineering meetings. Once the design and cost estimations have been fine tuned and signed off, we enter the tender and procurement phases. Here, our estimations convert into a construction accounting tool, whereby actual cost is booked and monitored against each respective estimate. We use the same software to manage and book invoices as we do to manage contracts. Lastly, we deliver a final account of the entire development, so that the client has a complete and detailed summary of the development costs.

Schedule

A project schedule is prepared in the early phases of a project. It serves as a framework for third-parties who will tender for the project – architects, engineers and so on – to understand the timeframe goals. We use MS Project to create schedules, as it allows for detailed planning and for predecessors to be incorporated into the schedule ID. This lets us detect, early on, any potential delays and risks, and assess the impact they may have on the overall schedule. Our schedules are as detailed as a project requires, and let us properly manage every consultant involved and all design phases, including the review and approval phases. The construction phase reflects a level of base detail that is further refined as the project evolves and more information is known, in terms of design, construction method, tender and procurement strategy, as well as potential contractors. The schedule is our primary reference document for the comprehensive management of the project.

Construction Management

Tender and procurement, negotiations and contract award

Together with the architect and engineers, we prepare the tender documents and conduct the tender process, from invitation through to review and award. Tenders are normally divided into different categories, use different methods, and are prepared by different parties. MEP tenders are generally conducted by the MEP engineers using the Swiss standards, in most cases NPK (Norm Position Catalogue) positions. All other building trades are tendered either by the architect or by ourselves, also using Swiss standards. Interior fit-outs are generally tendered by the architect or ourselves using international standards, as most tenders go to suppliers within the whole of Europe. All tender returns, once received, are consolidated into our cost estimation and management tool. We analyse them in detail and conduct question and answer sessions with the tenderers, which lets us prepare a detailed comparison table. We then recommend to the client a shortlist of two or three suppliers and/or contractors. Next, we conduct negotiations and, in a final round for the tenderers, invite them to submit their best terms. After that we make our final recommendation to the client. Then, with the project lawyers, we prepare the contracts with detailed terms and conditions, and submit them to the relevant parties for signature. We also provide our clients with a comprehensive FF&E procurement service – a one-stop shop that lets clients benefit from a seamless procurement process. This can be done by way of management fee or general purchaser, whereby we buy the furniture, fixtures and equipment from the different suppliers and provide the client with a single invoice. Either way, the client gets clear and transparent purchasing and remuneration options.

On- and off-site management

In this role, we manage on-site works, generally with daily site visits. We handle on-site issues, scheduling works and interfaces, inspect the quality of works, and deal with risk management and health and safety measures. We also conduct various factory visits to suppliers in order to inspect samples and production.

Handover and closeout

At this stage, we inspect each work and trade as they come to a finish. Together with the contractor, we ensure all protocols have been followed, and create a snags list. Once the snags have been completed, we carry out a final inspection and conduct the handover of the works, alongside the contractor, client and operator where applicable.

Project phases

Working with the client, we develop the brief, which includes the project framework, challenges, objectives and requirements. The definitions can be as detailed or as broad as required, and cover budget, schedule, design, team structure and working methods.

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 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 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 architect, interior designer, engineers and consultants refine the concept design into a detailed developed design. This can often involve mock-up rooms. We ensure the design, specifications and budget conform to the project brief, help the client evaluate the design development and draft comments, keep the project schedule up to date, provide update reports, and review and approve professional fee invoices prior to payment by the client.

The planning application is made. Depending on the project, this can be a simple application to the respective authorities or a more intricate process that involves various expert opinions and preliminary approvals from other authorities and political parties prior to application. In this phase we closely monitor all processes and communication between the project team, authorities, political parties and neighbours, and pay particular attention to the public relations and communication strategy.

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.

The architect, interior designer, engineers and consultants develop the detail design. Using the latest technology, they create the necessary plans and document packages. We ensure the design, specifications and budget are in line with the project brief, help the client evaluate the detail design and draft comments, keep the project schedule up to date, provide regular reports, and review and approve professional fee invoices prior to payment by the client.

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 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.

Effectiveness Principle

DISCLAIMER: This infographic is for illustration purposes only and reflects a general principle. This infographic shall not be used for any particular reference to a project or other.

What We Do

A holistic approach to project and construction management