Design & Build in London
One team One point of responsibility
There are different ways to procure a project. We can provide design services for clients who want to appoint their own contractor, or an integrated design and build service in which W1 carries the project through construction. With design and build, the people drawing your project are the people who will build it.
That changes the conversation. Cost and buildability are discussed while the design is still flexible, decisions are made once, and there is one team to call when you need an answer.
Design only, or design and build. You choose how involved we are.
Three ways to appoint us
01Design only
- Brief, survey and feasibility
- Concept and developed design
- Planning and landlord consents
- Technical drawings and specification
- Tender package for your contractor
- Optional inspections during construction
Best for
Clients with a contractor they trust, or who want to compare several prices.
02Design & Build
- Everything in design only
- A fixed price for the agreed scope before work starts
- Construction managed by the same team
- Building Control and certificates
- Snagging and handover
Best for
Clients who want one contract, one team and price certainty.
03Full delivery
- Everything in design and build
- Site appraisal before you buy or sign a lease
- Project management and reporting throughout
- Coordination of all consultants
- Aftercare through the defects period
Best for
Developers, brands opening new sites and busy owners who want the whole project handled.
Why design and construction work better together
01Coordination
Architecture, interiors, structure and services are coordinated by people who will have to build them, so clashes are resolved on paper rather than on site.
02Early buildability advice
Construction experience shapes the design from the start: details that are slow, costly or risky to build are changed before they are drawn in full.
03Clearer cost control
Cost is checked at every design stage against real construction prices, not estimates made in isolation.
04Fewer conflicts
There is no gap between designer and builder for problems to fall into, and no argument about whose drawing or whose workmanship caused an issue.
05One point of responsibility
One team is accountable for the design, the price, the programme and the quality of the finished work.
06Better communication
You deal with the same people from the first meeting to handover, with one programme and one set of decisions.
07Efficient procurement
Specialist trades and long-lead items are planned while the design is developed, which protects the programme.
08Quality and programme
The people who drew the details are on site to see them built, and the programme is set by the team responsible for delivering it.
When design only is the better choice
Design and build is not right for every project, and we will say so. Design only often makes more sense when:
- you already have a contractor you know and trust
- your organisation requires an open competitive tender
- you want to test the market with several contractors before committing
- the project is at an early stage and you are not yet ready to choose a build route
Many clients start with design only and move to design and build once they have a design and a cost they are comfortable with.
How cost is controlled at each stage
01Feasibility
An order-of-cost view, tested against your budget before design begins.
02Concept
The design is checked against the budget, and options are priced where it matters.
03Developed design
A cost plan based on coordinated drawings and real construction rates.
04Before site
A fixed price for the agreed scope on design and build appointments.
05On site
Any change is priced and agreed in writing before the work is done.
Design & build projects
Design and build questions
Not necessarily. You are not paying for redesign when a contractor finds the drawings difficult to build, and cost is tested at every stage rather than discovered at tender. We show you how the price is built up so you can see where the money goes.
Yes. Choose a design-only appointment and we will prepare the tender package, help you compare prices and can inspect the work on site.
On a design and build appointment W1 is responsible for both the design and the construction under one contract, so there is no question of who should put it right.
Yes. We deliver restaurants, shops, workplaces and homes, and the same approach applies to each.
Yes, and many clients do. We can take the design through feasibility and planning, then agree a design and build price once you are ready.
Further reading
Guides from our journal on the questions that come up most at this stage.
Related services: Architecture · Interior design · Project management · Commercial fit-out
Start your project
Tell us about the property, what you want to achieve and when. We will suggest the route that suits the project, whether that is design only or design and build.