Design-Build Partnerships Give Better Construction Results
We want to give a huge shoutout to Jeffrey DeMure + Associates Architects Planners, Inc. for their collaboration on the recently completed Villas at the The Vineyards California Armenian Home!
These villas were completed on time, under budget, with excellent quality and no significant change orders. Why?
When an architect and general contractor are designing in concert from the start, the need for the traditional value engineering process goes away. We have been creating a project with efficiencies and budget appropriate equipment and materials from the beginning.
The traditional approach to construction projects, Design-Bid-Build, creates an inherently adversarial relationship between the general contractor and design team. Our approach, Design-Build, puts architects and general contractors on the same team and cuts out wasted time due to surprising change orders or disagreements.
We are 100% about relationship. I believe we are working with Nexgeneral because we share that vision for what is best for the project and end user. They’re an extension of our team and we’re an extension of theirs!
In a traditional Design-Bid-Build project, the architect completes the design, then contractors bid on it — often leading to budget surprises, change orders, and finger-pointing when something doesn’t work in the field. The architect and contractor are essentially working against each other.
Design-Build flips that model. The architect and general contractor collaborate from day one, aligning on budget, materials, and scope before a single permit is pulled. Problems get solved on a whiteboard instead of a job site. And clients get a single, unified team accountable for the entire outcome.
The Benefits for Clients in Fresno and the Central Valley
For business owners, property managers, and developers in the Central Valley, the Design-Build approach means:
• Fewer surprises — budget-appropriate materials and equipment are selected from the start, not after the fact
• Faster timelines — no delays waiting for design revisions or re-bidding when something changes
• One point of accountability — you work with one team, not two separate firms that can blame each other
• Better outcomes — when architects and contractors share a goal, the finished product reflects it
At Nexgeneral, we’ve seen firsthand how this approach changes the experience for our clients. The Villas at California Armenian Home were completed on time, under budget, and with no significant change orders — because we were designing and building as one team with Jeffrey DeMure + Associates from the very beginning.
Ready to explore what a Design-Build approach could look like for your project in Fresno or the Central Valley?
