Process for selecting an Architect:
Step 1. On April 2, 2019 and April 9, 2019, the district publicly advertised for the New Jr. High School project and issued a Request for Qualifications or RFQ to all interested Architect candidates. Statements of Qualifications or SOQs were due on April 19, 2019.
Step 2. Members of the selection committee, including school board members; superintendent and other school administrators; community members representing various expertise in the construction industry; and community members who have served on the bond committee reviewed and rated the SOQs. On April 24, 2019, a special board meeting was convened where the committee reviewed the architect applicants and after deliberating amongst the committee, a decision was made to move forward with one of the responsive firms.
Step 3. At the Regular School Board Meeting, on May 1, 2019, a motion was made and accepted unanimously to accept JRW & Associates as the Architect for the upcoming New Jr. High School Project. For more information about JRW, please read below.
Introduction to JRW & Associates
JRW & Associates is an architectural design and planning firm with an experienced team of local professionals offering architectural services in Madison County and the surrounding region since 1994. JRW has a long-standing familiarity and presence within the Eastern Idaho community and is a well-respected and trusted partner within the region. With this presence comes an understanding of community issues, local agency processes, specific knowledge of design and construction issues, as well as unmatchable knowledge of construction methods and costs. JRW will provide valuable working knowledge of regional facilities, local agency understanding, and key insight to the core community values critical for the success of this study. JRW has strong professional working relationships within the region. These relationships are key to accurate project understanding and realistic facility assessments.
Process for selecting a Construction Manager / General Contractor (CM/GC):
Step 1. On March 26, 2019 and April 2, 2019, the district publicly advertised for the New Jr. High School project and issued a Request for Qualifications or RFQ to all interested CM/GC candidates. Statements of Qualifications or SOQs were due on April 16, 2019.
Step 2. Members of the selection committee, including school board members; superintendent and other school administrators; community members representing various expertise in the construction industry; and community members who have served on the bond committee reviewed and rated the SOQs. On April 24, 2019, a special board meeting was convened where interviews were held with the two highest rated CM/GC firms. These interviews were used to gather additional information and ask questions to the company leaders and project teams. After combining the scores, and deliberating amongst the committee, a decision was made to move forward with one of the responsive firms.
Step 3. At the Regular School Board Meeting, on May 1, 2019, a motion was made and accepted unanimously to accept Headwaters Construction Company as the CM/GC for the upcoming New Jr. High School Project. For more information about Headwaters and to learn about the benefits of the CM/GC process, please read below.
Introduction to Headwaters Construction Company
Headwaters Construction Company is an industry leading General Contractor, Construction Manager, and Design Builder with an experienced team of local professionals who have been serving Southeast Idaho communities since 2003. Now headquartered in Rexburg, Idaho, Headwaters began in Teton Valley, Idaho and built at many of the resort areas in that region. By 2007, Headwaters was listed as one of the fasted growing companies in the United States. Currently, Headwaters is a leader in public CM/GC construction in Southeast Idaho, having worked on more CM/GC schools than any other contractor. This success has come about due to their dedication to building long-term relationships with their clients, subcontractors, design partners, and employees. These relationships are built on the foundation of integrity, transparency, communication and teamwork.
Why did the District decide to use CM/GC method?
While there are many advantages to the CM/GC method, here are a few of the most important for our District:
- construction professionals are part of the design process,
- the CM/GC is selected based on qualifications to ensure they have experience building schools,
- subcontractors competitively bid on the Project,
- risk is shifted from owner to the contractor,
- there is potential for time and cost savings, and
- the CM/GC provides a Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) for the work. Any project savings are returned to the District.
Why has a contractor been selected when the design of the project is not completed?
This is actually one of the great benefits of selecting a CM/GC. Before you start any construction project you need a comprehensive plan including: a cost estimate, a schedule and a design. Because the CM/GC is hired early in the process, they can help ensure that this plan provides best value for the project.
How does the CM/GC method work?
Under the CM/GC delivery method, the Owner contracts with both the Architect and CM/GC from the beginning of the design process all the way through the end of construction. Because both Architect and CM/GC are brought on early, the process is more of a team effort as decisions are made together and proper checks-and-balances are in place. During design, the CM/GC provides Pre-construction services including cost estimating, scheduling, options, constructability reviews, life cycle cost analyses and other important services. After the design is complete, the project is competitively bid to public works subcontractors and the CM/GC ultimately provides a guaranteed maximum price (GMP). This method transfers the risk to the CM/GC however, cost savings found during construction are returned to the owner via additional scope or returned funds. In summary, with CM/GC the owner gets a qualified contractor, pre-construction services, minimal risk, competitive pricing and teaming environment through the entire project.
What ways can school projects be built, other than CM/GC?
There are three other state approved methods for delivering a public construction project. These include Design-Bid-Build, Design-Build, and Construction Manager Representative.
Design-Bid-Build (D-B-B): This is the most traditional method for construction projects. The owner and design team work together to complete a design and then the project is bid out to licensed contractors. The lowest bid wins regardless of the contractor’s qualifications or work history. Under this method, the owner assumes all the risk.
Design-Build: The owner issues a single contract for both the design and construction of a project to a Design-Builder. The Design-Builder includes both the design team and contractor. This is seen as a “one-stop-shop” project delivery. With this method, the owner loses a lot of control over the design and associated costs of the project. Trade specific projects such as HVAC upgrades or re-roofs work great with design-build contracts.
Construction Manager Representative (CMR): The owner hires a consultant Construction Manager Representative, sometimes referred to as an “Owner’s Rep” to manage the design, bidding, and construction of a project. The owner holds all the contracts with the subcontractors and therefore bares all the risk. As a consultant, the CMR’s only contract is with the owner and therefore bares little to no risk. CMR is often used when the owner wants a D-B-B project but doesn’t have someone on staff to manage the process. It is also used when the owner has a large program or multiple projects to manage.