We Come Together to Manage & Support Your Project.
Design-Build
Our approach to design-build creates early, continued collaboration between the architect and contractor, streamlining each step of the design and construction process. Design-build delivery allows the architect and contractor to act as a single entity, working together to understand and meet owner expectations. This system empowers construction teams to deliver quality development for the best possible price—supporting stronger project outcomes overall.
A Unified Approach
The greatest advantage of design-build is that it drives collaboration between designers, contractors, and clients. DB delivery makes the owner an active participant in the construction journey, allowing them to share their priorities and set clear expectations with the entire team from day one.
At Knutson, we use design-build to nurture open communication and teamwork, which minimizes change orders and other costly surprises across your project. Our goal is to eliminate any discrepancies in the design before construction starts—and build a unified delivery system to keep your project on course.
A Different Way of Thinking
While many owners are nervous about removing the bid factor, competitive bidding is not necessarily the best way to generate the best value or even the lowest cost. In a Design/Build situation the contractor and designer are often in a position to save the owner money, not cost them, by identifying changes and cost saving opportunities before the project begins.
Since starting out in 1911 as a master builder, providing a full scope of building services – from design to preconstruction to general contracting, Knutson remains true to its roots as a Master Builder offering a wide range of services and project delivery systems, including Design/Build.
Shorter, More Concise Schedules
How is this possible? The overlapping phases of Design/Build allow portions of the work to begin immediately after the design is approved. This shortens the schedule by several weeks, and often times, by months. These time efficiencies translate into substantial cost savings, so owners begin generating revenue sooner than they would have with the competitive bid process. As an added bonus, delays due to disputes are minimized and allow the project to move forward with streamline consistency.
High Quality Project
In the Design/Build process, quality is top-of-mind for the entire team. Because the partnership is solidified from the very beginning, the owner’s best interest and priorities are shared with the entire team from the start. Additionally, Design/Build motivates subcontractors to maximize quality and gives the general contractor more flexibility when selecting specialists.
We Can Design to the Price
Instead of the architect designing a building first, and then the contractor coming in later, the two entities are working as one from the inception of the project. Specifications can be discussed and strategized as a team in an effort to complement the budget and stay within the monetary guidelines.
This also helps with change orders. With good communication being the catalyst in a Design/Build project, change orders are kept to a minimum. Additionally, it helps when the owner provides a detailed, prioritized list of criteria up front. Because the architect and contractor are working together from the inception of the project, they are able to avoid surprises mid-project.
“Knutson Construction is a highly-regarded partner, and I am happy to recommend them to any owner for any project now, and in the future. The Knutson team has demonstrated their core values while working with us, which have consistently lead to one successful project after another. Knutson always takes a proactive approach to solving problems and overcoming challenges, while keeping the lines of communication open and everyone working as a team. While working with Knutson, they have demonstrated that our best interests is their top priority.”
Darrell Breuer, Support Services Director
Treasure Island Resort & Casino
Featured Projects & Achievements
As a leader in general contracting, Knutson has brought a range of project types to life including corporate offices, facilities for arts and culture, laboratories, and more.