Reducing Construction Costs: Design Factors and Specification Changes

This article discusses design factors and specification changes that can help reduce construction costs. It covers topics such as changing materials, reducing scope, and simplifying the project. The article also provides tips on optimizing resources and labor to stay within budget.

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BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION
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Introduction
Quantity surveyors plays a very crucial role in the construction industry, whereby they offer
advice to the design team regarding to the design and client. The design team are usually advised
regarding the design so that they can be able to design within the given budget. This financial
management process is always known as the project cost control (Madsen, 2017, p. 782).
For any construction project to be considered successful it has to be delivered within the given
time frame and within the allocated budget to the required standards and quality. Effective cost
control is hence very essential in completing any construction project successfully. Most of
clients in the construction industry expects the final cost of their projects to be more than the
original estimate (Stephen Andrle, 2017, p. 54).
Quantity surveyors are known to play a very vital role in effective management of design
costs by relevant cost advice and they are plan how the budget will be allocated to various
elements of a given project, the quantity surveyors monitors the evolution of the design
process by giving relevant advice to their architects and their clients of the cost challenges that
are likely to occur from the design being developed and the design factors and ideas which the
architect need to change so that the design can lower the project cost to the set budget. This
paper presents the design factors and specifications which the architect can change to lower the
overall cost of the project.
The architect can decide to change the external walls that are used and replace them with walls
made of a materials that forms both the exterior and the interior of the wall surface this will be
more economical since all the costs that were to be spent on the composite walls ( many layers)

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will have reduced. The walls made of a single material will be easy to construct and will require
less materials. The concrete blocks will be the best example for that
Specification changes to reduce cost
The estimated cost of the project can be reduced to the set budget by revising of the
specifications listed by the architect. The changing of the specifications will be guided by two
factors;
1. Resources and labour required
2. The available options
The changing of materials listed in the specification will depend on the available cost effective
option and the labour required to construct or install. With that the following changes on the
specifications will be carried out (Demkin, 2018, p. 773).
Stairs
The architect has specified that interior stairs will be used for this project which will be
incorporating molds, varnish and other carpentry finishes. In order to reduce the estimated cost
the following changes will be done to the specifications.
The main material for the construction of the stairs will change from pre-cast concrete to wood
since c wood is cheaper as compared to concrete.at the same time the use of wood will reduce
the amount of reinforcement required .The architect can opt to use any type of wood but red oak
The stair nosing which the architect has specified to be made from aluminum will change to
wood .the use of wood for the construction of stairs will minimize the use of high grade carpet
specified by the architect, since wood will not require any form of special finishing.

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Interior walls
The material specified by the architect has to change to a use of materials to the construction by
use of cost effective materials such as the use of the following materials.
Plywood
Even though it is technically unglamorous it is a bunch of the glued together sheets of wood
veneer. Each layer will be alternated at 90 degrees to increase durability and the use of an odd
number will be of great importance in reducing warping. Generally plywood looks nice and is
much cheaper (Molenaar, 2010, p. 658).
Cinder blocks
The use of cider blocks in the constriction of interior walls will greatly reduce their costs since;
They display a rectangular hollow structure in the middle which is unlike the concrete
blocks which presents a flattened structure. And they are usually lighter as compared got other
materials that are used for the construction of the interior walls. Due to their light weight nature
they will greatly help in reducing the labour required for the installation process (Martin, 2017,
p. 218).
External works
In the external works that will include; Perimeter paving, landscaping, drainage and car parking,
there are many ideas alternatives that will be implemented to assist in reducing the overall cost of
the project and they include:
Landscaping

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Reusing and recycling of items in the yards will be of great importance in reducing the overall
cost of the project. By purchasing used furniture and planters and other gardening tools will
greatly help in landscaping the outdoor space easily. This will reduce the overall cost since it will
reduce the creativity and time required to landscape (Whyte, 2014, p. 341).
The parking provision should adopt a simple angular parking which will maximize the number of
vehicles that will accommodated within the provided space. Construction of a water treatment
facility will reduce the amount of water that is released to the sewage system and it will also
reduce the amount of drainage that will be required.
Substructure
The perimeter can be replaced with the use of a combination of both metal and wood fence
which will be much economical and will save a lot of time hence reducing the overall cost of the
project.
Preliminaries
Proper selection of the site will be of great importance in avoiding any future problems which
can be very expensive to correct for instances the poor soil drainage will lead to a wet base
which in turn increase the cost of maintaining it. In the selection of the site where the house will
be constructed the following will be taken into consideration.
Poorly drained or unstable land should be avoided.
God air circulation. The site located within low places where the air can be trapped should be
avoided.

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There should be accessibility and other utilities such as electricity, water and sewerage. Lack of
this utilities will lead to the increase of the project cost since resources have to be set aside to
cater for the same (martin, 2018, p. 768).
Walls
external walls used will be replaced with walls made of a materials that forms both the exterior
and the interior of the wall surface this will be more economical since all the costs that were to
be spent on the composite walls ( many layers) will have reduced. The walls made of a single
material will be easy to construct and will require less materials.
Services
The hot water can be heated by the solar heaters to reduce the amount of resources set aside for
the installation of electrical heaters which will be more expensive.
Development of boreholes to provide service cold water
Development of efficient staircase to be used regularly
Reduced size of the lift
Design factors to be changed to reduce the cost of the project
A common problem which is experienced by majority of the architects during the design process
is that the estimate of the project comes in and is over the budget. The following are some of the
design factors which the architect can consider to change in order to reduce the cost of the six
residential blocks to be constructed on the green filed site (Martin, 2017, p. 823).
1. Change of the exterior walls

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The architect can decide to change the external walls that are used and replace them with walls
made of a materials that forms both the exterior and the interior of the wall surface this will be
more economical since all the costs that were to be spent on the composite walls ( many layers)
will have reduced. The walls made of a single material will be easy to construct and will require
less materials. The concrete blocks will be the best example for that.
The architect can will need to change the dimensions of the wall units since the large-
dimensional units will save more time labour. For example a 10 by 20-inch concrete block will
go up much faster as compared to a 3 by 6-inch bricks. The architect may also opt to use the
prefinished wood, gypsum and hardwood wall paneling which are relatively expensive, but
they will not require finishing and also they are easy to install hence they save a lot of t labour
and time which assists in offsetting the high costs (Stephen Andrle, 2017, p. 74).
2. External windows and doors
The architect can reduce the total cost of the project by changing the type of the external doors
and windows and opt to use the standard size windows and doors frames from the mill stock. The
architect can change and recommend the use of the factory assembled windows and doors
which will be directly dropped into the rough openings on the external walls. The use of
factory assembled windows and doors will reduce the time and labour required to put them in
place this will reduce the overall cost of the project.
3. Reducing the scope (reducing the size of the project)
One of the most effective way of reducing the cost of the project is by reducing the scope of the
project. Changing the scope will have the biggest impact on the estimated cost of the project.
Reducing scope will involve reducing the size of the project in terms of the square footage or

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programmatic elements such as eliminating specific spaces or features from the project. The
floor plan of the proposed residential blocks should be an efficient floor plan whereby all the
spaces within the floor plan will be utilized, this will be more cost effective as compared to the
current floor plan where some of the spaces will be underutilized. Reducing the scope of the
project will lead reduced excavation, foundation, site works, floor framing , wall finishes, ceiling
framing and finishing, roofing, waterproofing, insulation and the energy used in the given
spaces. The architect will need to understand what the client needs and try to advice accordingly
on how that can be achieved. Some of the spaces in the buildings can be reduced while others
cannot be reduced, For instance the architect may opt to reduce the amount of landscaping
carried out. In the scenarios where large windows, pre-fabricated window walls can be
used .This type of a wall is made of a wall; frame, window sash, window frame and an integrated
exterior trim (Ward, 2016, p. 930). Reducing the size of the building can be achieved by
combing spaces and making some of them to be multipurpose, for instance the family room can
be combined with the dining room or the kitchen.
4. Reducing complexity of the project
By reducing the complexity of the residential blocks to be constructed the overall cost of the
project would reduce. The complexity of the project will take many forms for instance the
architect will change the nature of the floor plans since the complicated floor plans will be more
expensive as compared to the simple and direct floor plans. The architect will need to avoid
angles and curves on the building, reduce the ceiling heights.
The reason behind why reduced complexity reduces the cost of the project is because complexity
generally takes more time and other resources. In the situations where the design of the project is
very complex labor costs can be much more expensive as compared to the simple and straight

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forward projects. The removal of complex elements from the building design will be of great
help reducing the time and resources required for setting out foundations and slabs, in laying
out the wall framing and the cutting sheets of sheathing wall finish and the trim. For this
given project the architect may opt to change the type of stairs to be used and use the more easy
and cheap to construct. The landscaping elements can also be changed in order to reduce the
cost of external works, The provision of car parking can also be designed just to be a simple
car parking which can be of great help in reducing the resources set aside for the external
works. Also the architect may change the use of oil filled radiators and replace them with the
solar heaters in order to reduce the amount that is set aside for that.
5. Change of materials and systems
The architect may design to switch to cost effective materials. This will be a very easy approach
as the architect will introduce the material which are cheaper and efficient at the same time. The
architect may change the wall finishes ton to waterproof paints in all walls in the building. The
architect will also consider changing the floor finishes in the bedrooms and in the stairs (Whyte,
2014, p. 442).
In the process of switching the materials the architect has to consider the labor that will be
required during the construction process. The switching of materials will take place by
considering the labour required i.e. those materials which are labor intensive during the
installation process can be replaced with materials which are easy to be installed at the same time
the cost of the materials will be considered where the cost effective materials will replace
expensive materials. In the process of switching the materials the architect will take
considerations in that the overall performance of the building is not compromised.

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6. Bathrooms and laundry
The architect can change the bathroom and laundry facility in the building to reduce the overall
cost of the project. The bathrooms may be full bath or half bath (lavatory and toilet) or the
lavatory or shower only.
For the most economical, efficient and compact fixtures and the plumbing arrangements all the
fixtures will be fixed along the wall, this will minimize the space wastage within the bathroom.
The architect will install two bathrooms one above another or back to back to facilitate
economical arrangement of plumbing fixtures. A well compartmented bathrooms will cost much
less space than the two separate bathrooms. Having a toilet and a tub in on cubicle and the
lavatories on the other cubicles two or three people can use the bathrooms at the same time. The
architect will make use of the space above the toilet for the storage cabinets for the bathroom
linens and other supplies (Madsen, 2017, p. 672). The figure below is an illustration of a
bathroom which can be used with three people at once.

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Fig: All the plumbing fixtures are along one wall. This is considered the most economical
arrangement.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is much more cost effective to make changes during the design stage before
construction starts. For a project to be viewed as successful it has to be delivered within the
given budget and timeframe to the required quality and standards. Effective cost control is
therefore very important as far as project success is concerned. Majority of the clients expects
the final cost of their projects to be more than the original estimate and this is their main priority.

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There are design factors which the architect can consider to change in order to reduce the cost of
the six residential blocks to be constructed on the green filed site and they include; change of
materials and systems, which will be a very easy approach as the architect will introduce the
material which are cheaper and efficient at the same time. The architect may change the wall
finishes ton to waterproof paints in all walls in the building. The architect will also consider
changing the floor finishes in the bedrooms and in the stairs. In the process of switching the
materials the architect has to consider the labor that will be required during the construction
process. Reducing the complexity of the project, by reducing the complexity of the residential
blocks to be constructed the overall cost of the project would reduce. The complexity of the
project will take many forms for instance the architect will change the nature of the floor plans
since the complicated floor plans will be more expensive as compared to the simple and direct
floor plans. For any construction project to be considered successful it has to be delivered within
the given time frame and within the allocated budget to the required standards and quality.
Effective cost control is hence very essential in completing any construction project successfully.
Most of clients in the construction industry expects the final cost of their projects to be more than
the original estimate.Proper selection of the site will be of great importance in avoiding any
future problems which can be very expensive to correct for instances the poor soil drainage will
lead to a wet base which in turn increase the cost of maintaining it.

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References
Demkin, J. A., 2018. The Architect's Handbook of Professional Practice. 4th ed. Chicago: John
Wiley & Sons,.
Madsen, D. A., 2017. Engineering Drawing and Design. 2nd ed. London: Cengage Learning,.
martin, K., 2018. Improved design to reduce costs, extend life expectancy and insure structural
safety. 2nd ed. Sydney: Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Offices
of Research and Development.
Martin, L., 2017. Final environmental impact statement for the West Desert Pumping Project.
1st ed. Texas: Bureau of Land Management, Salt Lake District Office, .
Molenaar, K. R., 2010. Guidance for Cost Estimation and Management for Housing Projects
During Planning, Programming, and Preconstruction. 5th ed. Kiev: Housing Research Board, .
Stephen Andrle, 2017. Expedited Planning and Environmental Review of Housing Projects. 4th
ed. Chicago: Transportation Research Board.
Ward, C., 2016. NAPL Removal Surfactants, Foams, and Microemulsions. 2nd ed. London: CRC
Press.
Whyte, A., 2014. Integrated Design and Cost Management for Civil Engineers. 1st ed. Chicago:
CRC Press,.