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Developing a veterinary hospital from concept through construction involves the expertise of many disciplines over an extended period of time. As the owner and developer, the veterinarian is key to the success of this project. There is not an opportunity for a "practice project", so you need to get it right the first time! Our goal is to describe the process, the veterinarian's role and the decisions that need to be made in order to produce a successful project.
We will look at the people and professionals involved as well as your role in each of the following steps:
1. Define the project
2. Select the project team
3. Purchase/lease the site
4. Design the project
5. Construct the project
6. Move-in, bring the concepts of step one to life!
Some guidelines before you get started
Do it right. Create a process and team that is right for you. It may take between 18 months and three years to complete this task.
Structure the process to fit you
Just as you work to create a veterinary practice that reflects your own goals and values, your selection of the team members and clarification of your project goals should create a process that fits you.
Can you and should you do it all?
You are the chief visionary for this project. There are tasks that only you can do and there are many that could be assigned to others.
Create a team that will grow and evolve as the project develops
Trust but verify. You will be retaining the help from many experts to assist in this process. Allow them to provide you with their expertise and experience, but do not give up your critical eye.
Your vision will guide this process
This is not really about a building, It is about a practice and a set of relationships that this building will be designed to support. The more clarity you have about your vision, the more successful all the participants will be in their individual efforts.
1. Define the Project:
The first actual step in the process is to recognise the need and identify the goals for the project.
What is your long-term vision for the practice? This is both in terms of the facility itself and your long-term business plan.
Define the basic goals for the facility. This may be in terms of exam rooms, specialties, staffing etc. It will allow you to develop basic size and cost information.
Assess the basic feasibility of the project. Based on the preliminary project information generated, does the project work financially?
Owner's role: Define the project and select the initial team members.
Professionals in this phase:
Practice management consultant or practice manager
Accountant and banking services
Veterinary architect
2. Select the Project Team:
The services of many people will be required throughout this project. At one point there may be more than 50 people actively working on your project. The key team members you will work with are:
(Veterinary) Architect: Other than the owner, the architect is generally the only person that is aware of all aspects of the project from the practical to the visionary: from the building to the landscaping. Select an architect whose work you will like and someone that you feel you can work with. Chemistry is important - it will be part of the permit process.
Civil Engineer or Site Engineer: Their work (along with the architect) generally addresses most of the zoning issues, and they will be part of the permit process.
Building Engineers: Mechanical, electrical and structural engineers are generally part of the architectural team, and your relationship with them will be through the architect.
Veterinary Equipment Suppliers: Their relationship with the design and construction process will have different requirements than your current interactions because some of the equipment will have spatial and environmental considerations.
General Contractor (or Construction Manager): Their task is to construct the project, hire all the labour and purchase all the materials required. There is a close relationship defined by contract between the contractor and the rest of the project team. Selecting the right contractor is key to a successful and stress-free project.
Owner's role: Define the problem - the solution will come out of this. Defining your goals early in the process will pay off in the final results. Ask questions. It is up to the people you hire to present the information in a form that works for you.
Use the expertise of your team. Be willing to listen. The right answer may not always be the one you want. The appropriate answer to your question may not look like what you expect.
Professionals in this phase:
Practice management consultant
Financial consultant
Bank or lending institution
3. Purchase/Lease the Site:
Select, evaluate and purchase the site: Use the program and schematic design as a guide in the site selection. The offer to purchase may have contingencies based on zoning, permit and/or development issues. The actual selection of the site often happens within the design phase.
Exercise due diligence: The site selection will set the stage for all that will follow and greatly affect what can be constructed.
Owner's role: Be patient and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of potential sites relative to your long-term vision.
Professionals in this phase:
Accountants and banking services
Veterinary architect
Site engineer
Real Estate consultant
4. Design the Project:
Develop and refine the program/practice Plan: This is an expression of your goals for both the practices and the project. They are related, but they are not the same. It needs to be specific regarding function and abstract regarding solutions. This will become the guide for the design process to follow.
Start the schematic design: This is the first step in the design process. It gives a visual expression to the program and practice plan and helps to validate or adjust the initial square footage, site and cost assumption.
Develop and refine the design: All aspects of the project must be considered in this process - from large items to small. The documents created during the design phase (drawings and related specifications) become the basis for developing the project costs and will guide the contractor in the actual construction of the project.
A team effort is required for successful design process. Your input and vision is critical as well as your trust in the others you have selected as part of your team.
Verify the financial basis for the project based on budget projections developed during the design process. Refine the design direction as needed to be on track with financial realities.
Select the contractor: There are several ways to select the contractor and to define the project costs. This may be done through bidding or negotiations. Also, the contractor may act as the construction manager.
Secure project financing: Most banks will not do this until you are on the brink of construction and have proposals from the contractor.
Owner's role: Select the rest of the project team. Provide feedback on the design - critique the functional performance of the proposed facility - and assess your own vision for the project.
Professionals in this phase:
Architect
Civil Engineer
Mechanical, electrical and structural engineers
Veterinary equipment vendors
Computer consultant
Financial institution/lender
Attorney
General contractor/construction manager
5. Construct the Project:
Owner-Contractor and Owner-Architect contracts set up a formalised chain of communication: Given the number of people and the variety of tasks and materials involved, it is critical to have a clear structure for the communications and information flow for all involved.
Construction - Building and Site: The ideas, relationships and goals developed earlier are put into action.
The Architect act as Agent/Owner's Representative: Most of the information will flow from the contractor through the architect for approval.
Engineers (mechanical, electrical and structural), the interior designer and veterinary equipment vendors are all part of the flow of information and the chain of approvals.
On-site job meetings involving the contractor, architect and owner help the flow of information and approvals.
Lender/Banker Inspections: The lender generally makes payments based on the approved applications for payment submitted by the contractor, which are approved by the architect and owner. Some lenders will also have their own inspections of the progress.
Owner's role: There are many decisions to be made during construction regarding finishes, costs, equipment, etc that are key to a successful project and schedule. The contractor should provide a schedule at the start of the project that identifies when particular decisions need to be made.
Professionals in this phase:
Architect
Civil Engineer
Mechanical, electrical and structural engineers
Veterinary equipment vendors
Financial institution/lender
Attorney
General contractor/construction manager
6. Building Occupancy and Move-in:
Building Commissioning tests the systems installed to verify they are performing as designed.
Warranty Work will be important as you occupy the building. The general contractor will be responsible for all warranties in the first year.
Maintenance will probably be a bigger consideration and take different staffing than your current facility. This needs to be arranged as the project is completed.
The Owner's role moves from developer back to practice management. The completion of the construction process is the verification that the building performs as designed.
Professionals in this phase:
Architect
General contractor
Commissioning agent
Veterinary staff
The role of the owner/developer should allow the whole of the completed project to be greater than the sum of its individual components. If the project is successful, you will realise not only vision, but your vision enhanced through the eyes of those professionals that you have selected to work with in this process.
Source: Brad Rabinowitz - Annual Conference 2009 Hospital Design Veterinary Economics
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