Project Management and Construction Support - Ongoing Involvement Through the Build

From assisting with the concept design to helping the builder with compliance, then sending you the Occupation Certificate, we can oversee the entire development.

Getting approved documentation to a completed building involves more than handing a set of drawings to a builder and waiting for it to be finished. Designs change throughout all stages of the development. Variations arise, questions come up that need to be answered; construction projects can not afford lengthy delays. You call us, we answer.

Buildingwise Developments offers ongoing involvement through all stages of the development for clients who want the people who designed and documented their project to remain available and engaged throughout the build.

The scope of that involvement is agreed at the outset. Construction support and full formal project management are different levels of engagement, and the right one depends on the project.

Construction support is ongoing involvement from Buildingwise Developments through the construction phase of a project, at a scope agreed at engagement.

This typically includes:

• Site visits at agreed intervals or key stages
• Review of builder questions against the approved drawing set
• Review of proposed variations to confirm they are consistent with the approved documentation and compliance intent
• Coordination with your certifier and the engineers where variations or RFIs require input
• A consistent point of contact for project-related questions through the build

Construction support does not replace your builder's responsibilities or your certifier's role. It provides the designer's involvement and documentation knowledge at the point in the project where it is most practically useful.

The drawings tell the builder what to build. But construction rarely proceeds from start to finish without questions, changes, and decisions that need to be made against the approved documentation.

When variations arise during construction, someone needs to assess whether the proposed change is consistent with the approved DA and CC documentation, whether it affects BCA compliance, and whether it needs to be formally reported to the certifier or, in some cases, whether it requires a modification to the consent.

Certifiers can not give design advice or project manage. If the designer is not available during construction, those assessments get made by whoever is on site. The results can range from minor and fixable to significant and expensive.

Having Buildingwise Developments involved through the build means those decisions are made with the documentation knowledge to get them right.

These are different scopes of engagement.

Construction support is the designer's ongoing availability and involvement through the build, covering site visits, variation review, RFI responses, and coordination. It does not involve active management of the builder's program, subcontractors, or budget.

Full project management involves active management of the construction process, including program management, budget oversight, subcontractor coordination, and formal contract administration. This is a broader and more intensive scope of engagement.

Whether full project management is appropriate for a given project depends on the nature of the project, the client's capacity to manage the construction process directly, and the agreed engagement scope. Buildingwise Developments can provide full project management where that is the right scope. It is discussed and confirmed at engagement, not assumed.

If you are not sure which level of involvement you need, the enquiry process is the right starting point.

Buildingwise Developments approaches builder relationships collaboratively, not adversarially. The role during construction is to support the project by providing clear, accurate responses to questions and variations, not to create friction with the builder or the certifier.

For commercial builders working on projects where Buildingwise Developments has prepared the documentation, this means a designer who knows the drawings inside out can respond to RFIs without delay, and can assess variations against the approved documentation and compliance intent accurately. Builder-ready documentation and a responsive designer available through the build are part of what Buildingwise Developments provides.

Construction support can be added to a project at any stage, but is most effective when established at the outset. Projects where Buildingwise Developments has prepared the documentation are natural candidates, because the design team already knows the project and the documentation inside out.

Where a client comes to Buildingwise Developments at the construction stage with documentation prepared by another firm, construction support is still provided; an assessment of the existing documentation is required first.

Buildingwise Developments provides construction support and project management across Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Maitland, Port Stephens, and the broader Hunter region.

If you are moving into construction and want the design team involved throughout the build, start with an enquiry. We will discuss the project, the right scope of involvement, and what that looks like in practice.

Start Your Enquiry →

Phone: 02 4957 8187