We are contracted through either a part time consulting agreement or under full time representation for each project. In keeping with our fresh and innovative approach to consulting services, a single-point responsibility structure, we promise if we are engaged under full time representation, we will not contract ourselves to any other project until your project has been completed.
How We Work; Part 1:
Under a part-time consulting agreement, FAnderson, LLC serves more in an advisory or consultant role for a specific duration for a specific task. We are brought in at key intervals to assist with specific issues as they arise, generally working on an "hourly time and material" basis. While we serve in this capacity, our clients know they have a pool of resources available on call throughout the design and construction phase of their projects. We might get called upon to develop and procure the FF&E; to develop, refine, or confirm the architectural program; to review the design for constructability or value engineering; or to walk the construction site for specific non-program compliance issues. Typically, we are brought in to complete the following individual tasks, under a part-time relationship:
· FF&E Coordination
· Develop/Refine Architectural Program
· Value Engineering Analysis
· Management of the Project to Determine Specific Non-Program Compliance Issues
· Design Consultation
· Project Site Analysis
FF&E Coordination (Specification and Procurement)__ Whether it's treadmills for a renovated fitness center, a scoreboard and timing system for a newly constructed natatorium, or whiteboards for a K-12 school opening next fall, FAnderson, LLC helps clients determine the most appropriate furniture, fixtures, and equipment for their facility. In addition to developing a detailed FF&E schedule, FAnderson, LLC ensures that the FF&E procurement fits within each client's budget, while at the same time finding ways to employ long-term cost savings.
Architectural Programming__According to standard AIA agreements, programming is the responsibility of the owner. FAnderson, LLC incorporates an extensive knowledge of specialized building technology and standards with a process named "Problem Seeking," which identifies the priority of space allocations most supportable through a six-step process. This process provides framework for evaluating the unique characteristics of each project's needs and arriving at a clear consensus on a facility program. FAnderson, LLC produces detailed program documents which provide all of the conceptual and technical information necessary to convey an owner's requirements for a project to the design and construction team.
Value Engineering__FAnderson, LLC looks at every stage of the project design and project construction as an opportunity to get the maximum value for the client. Often referred to a “VE”, there are many opportunities during the design and construction process to reduce costs without negatively impacting the quality of the project. Strategies during the design phase include: quality and completeness checks of the documents, judicious selection of systems and finishes, and overall management of the process to maximize clear communications between design team and client, to avoid costly changes during the design and construction process. A similar opportunity exists during the construction process. Critical to reducing construction costs are: inclusion of all project scope in Base Bid, eliminating exclusions from bids, eliminating possible future change orders during the bidding process, managing the construction process to eliminate potential delays and associated additional costs, careful consideration of alternates, and keeping associated project costs under control during construction.
Project Management__FAnderson, LLC serves as a conduit for the client’s control of the construction process by coordinating pre-construction planning and overseeing the on-site activities of the construction entity to ensure adherence to all of the client's standards for project quality, cost, and schedule.
Design Consultation__All architects appreciate clear direction on a project's requirements, whether related to the owner's mission, market responsiveness, or technical needs of a specialized facility type. Our staff is well-versed in the operating, marketing, and maintenance needs of the sports, housing, and college union facilities, and our firm has frequently served both owners and architects as the "second set of eyes" throughout design.
Site Analysis__FAnderson, LLC provides formalized comparison of site alternatives for a project with regard to their market responsiveness, impact on facility program, political acceptability, and cost implications in order to recommend the optimal project location and orientation. We create conceptual designs for proposed facilities or renovations, identifying prototypical layouts, developing "blocking and stacking" studies, and testing floor-by-floor configurations.
How We Work; Part 2:
Recognizing that one methodology does not fit all projects or owners, we have developed a broader project specific management approach. When retained as a full-service consulting project manager, FAndersonLLC acts as the owner's representative (OR) on a project from initial concept through the final punch list and operational start-up. We provide the owner's point of contact for the project architect and builder, with a firm objective to meet all of the owner's goals with regard to budget, schedule, and quality. Beyond project feasibility, architectural programming, and site selection, our services include:
· Procurement and Selection of the Design Team
· Assistance in Negotiating the A/E Contract
· Design Review and Management
· Program Compliance
· Constructability Review
· Assistance in Determining the Construction Method Used (e.g. CM at Risk, etc.)
· Assistance in Negotiating the Construction Contract
· Contract Administration
· Project Tracking
· Schedule Management
· Budget Management
· Value Engineering
· FF&E Coordination
· Schedule Management
· Utility Relocation / Hook-up Coordination
· Coordination with Public Entities
· Zoning Approvals and Permitting
· Tax-Exempt Material Management
· Material Testing
· Job Site Safety
· Quality Assurance Inspection
· Commissioning/Operations
We believe that, above this maelstrom, the ultimate sources of wisdom in any building project are the owner and the end-users of the space to be created. Only the owner is vested with the most intimate knowledge of its own institutional values and strategic objectives and, thus, with the right to determine project priorities. Only the users, themselves, fully understand the performance needs of a facility and the characteristics essential to its success.
In our philosophy, the greatest benefit that a consultant can bring to a facility development project is to make the owner as strong as possible throughout the process and to ensure that the user’s needs are translated into reality. These goals are achieved by providing the client with all of the requisite information and technical advice to make decisions quickly and confidently by incorporating all of the related constituent groups into the decision-making process, and by executing the owner’s agenda with efficiency and minimal demand on the client’s valuable time.
A firm can provide these services only if it is able to bring to bear the highest available expertise in market economics, development finance, facility programming, design, public approvals, and construction. However, beyond that, the firm must also have the ability to work continuously with the users various decision-makers and power centers to forge consensus and maintain a clear vision of the project’s strategic objectives.