Design and Construct
Turnkey office renovations in Perth, from concept to sign off, delivered by one accountable team.
Renovating an office is more than a construction project. It’s a business decision with real deadlines, real budgets, and real people who still need somewhere to work while it happens. OFP’s Design and Construct (D&C) service brings the design phase and the construction phase together under one team, so your project moves through the preliminary design stage, detailed design and the construction phase without the handovers, miscommunication or budget blowouts that come from managing separate contracts and consultants.
Take charge of your office fitout with a turnkey solution. Request a quote to get started.
The delivery model
What is Design and Construct?
At a high level, Design and Construct is a project delivery method, sometimes called a delivery model, where one contractor takes responsibility for both the design and construction phases of a project. In a traditional approach, the principal engages design consultants to prepare a functional brief and a complete design, then separately tenders construction to a contractor. In a design and construct arrangement, the principal engages one team (that’s you, the client) from the preliminary design stage right through to handover.
Because the same team carries the project from concept to sign off, decisions made during the design phase are tested against real construction costs as they’re made. This shifts a larger share of the contractor’s risk onto the delivery team, while reducing the principal’s risk of cost blow-outs, coordination gaps and delays, and keeping overall project cost more predictable from the outset. In practical terms, the principal reduces the number of contracts and consultants they need to manage, and removes much of the significant uncertainty that comes from handing a finished design to a contractor who wasn’t part of shaping it.
The design and construct method, sometimes extended into a Design, Construct and Maintain (DCM) method where the contractor also carries responsibility for the asset post construction, is widely used for commercial construction projects, from single-tenancy refurbishments to complex projects spanning multiple floors. OFP’s own model covers design and construction end to end, rather than an ongoing maintenance contract.
The upside
The advantages of Design and Construct
Every project moves from concept, through construct design and documentation, to delivery, under one roof, rather than being passed between separate firms at each stage. Used well, a design and construct delivery method generally reduces project risk and cost uncertainty compared with a traditional design-then-tender approach. Early collaboration between design and construction means:
The honest view
Where Design and Construct needs the right partner
The design and construct model isn’t automatically better than a traditional build, it depends on who’s delivering it. Because the contractor takes on additional responsibilities under a design and construct contract for both design and construction, an arrangement can prioritise cost over quality if it isn’t managed well, and poor communication between design and site teams can lead to adverse built outcomes. Some clients also worry that handing over both design and construction to one team means less control over the outcome.
OFP addresses these risks by design, not by promise. Cost breakdowns are transparent from the outset, covering the building works and every individual trade, so quality isn’t quietly traded for savings you can’t see. Our stakeholder consultation stage keeps you involved at every decision point before the complete design is locked in and costed. And real-time project tracking, with your own dedicated project manager, gives you visibility of progress and key dates throughout the construction process, not just a report at handover. Managed this way, D&C can deliver better cost efficiencies without the quality trade-off.
How OFP manages the risk
Scope
What’s included in a D&C commercial renovation
Every renovation is different, but a typical OFP Design and Construct project covers:
If you’re not sure what your project needs, we’ll talk you through the options based on your goals, budget and building.
Step by step
Our Design and Construct process
We use a documented, step-by-step process so you always know what’s happening, what’s next, and what decisions are needed from you.
Site meeting and requirements
We meet onsite to understand your space, constraints and operational needs, including timeline, budget range, stakeholders, compliance considerations and staging requirements.
Preliminary design stage
Your requirements become a clear functional brief, developed into initial concepts by our in-house design team, focused on function, workflow and brand alignment.
Stakeholder consultation and refinement
We refine the concept based on feedback, so the design reflects how the space will actually be used before it moves into detailed design.
Detailed design, documentation and budget confirmation.
Once the design is agreed, we produce full design documentation and a detailed project cost plan, including a reasonable contingency for unforeseen costs, so you can make informed decisions with full visibility of overall project cost.
Construction phase and fitout delivery.
Design and construction work side by side. We coordinate trades, joinery, finishes and compliance checks, tracked in real time, while aiming to minimise disruption to your business.
Handover and sign off.
Before sign off, we walk you through the finished space against the agreed scope. Anything that needs attention is resolved first.
Take charge of your office fitout with a turnkey solution.
One in-house team from concept to sign off, with full cost breakdowns and real-time project tracking.
Regulatory
Compliance and approvals in WA
Commercial renovations in Western Australia sit inside a defined regulatory framework. Because D&C puts one team in control of the whole project, OFP manages this on your behalf rather than leaving you to coordinate it separately. Depending on your project, this can include:
We coordinate this process as part of your D&C project, so approvals and compliance run alongside design and construction instead of holding it up.
The team
In-house expertise built for commercial environments
OFP’s Design and Construct team is built for the standards commercial and compliance-driven environments demand:
Because so much of the work stays in-house, you’re working with one team that owns the outcome, not coordinating a chain of subcontractors and consultants.
Fit check
Is Design and Construct right for your renovation?
D&C suits Perth businesses that want clarity and control without managing the complexity themselves. It’s a strong fit for:
Not sure if D&C is the right approach for your project? Get in touch and we’ll assist you in weighing up the pros, cons and cost implications based on your priorities.
Good to know
Frequently Asked Questions
A standard renovation usually involves separate parties for design and build, handed over through a tender process. Design and Construct combines both under one accountable team, which reduces delays, closes the gap between design and buildable cost, and gives you a single point of contact throughout.
No. Some clients worry that combining design and construction under one contractor reduces their input, but OFP’s stakeholder consultation stage keeps you involved throughout the design process, and nothing moves into the construction phase until the design and its cost are agreed.
D&C covers the design and construction phases of your project. DCM extends further, adding contractor responsibility for maintaining the asset after handover. OFP’s model is design and construct, backed by post-fitout support, rather than an ongoing maintenance contract.
Yes. Where feasible, we stage the works to keep key areas of your business functioning and minimise disruption to staff and clients during the renovation.
Yes. We coordinate the development approval and building permit process, including submissions assessed against your local council’s planning scheme and compliance with the National Construction Code, as part of your D&C project.
It depends on scope, approvals and staging. Once we understand your requirements at the site meeting, we provide a clear program with key milestones so you know what to expect.
Yes. We confirm the baseline scope and cost first, then walk you through upgrade or value-engineering options, so you stay in control of where the budget goes.
Most of the work, design, project management, joinery and partitioning, stays in-house rather than being subcontracted out. That gives you full cost breakdowns instead of estimates, real-time visibility of progress, and one of the largest dedicated partitioning teams in the Perth fitout sector working on your project.
Ready to renovate with one team, start to finish?
Start with a conversation. We’ll review your space, clarify the scope and show you the most practical path forward, based on your goals, budget and timeline.