Historically, the Architect and the Builder were a united entity; two sides of the same coin. The skills of design and construction were vested in one person who drew the drawings and oversaw and directed the construction of the structure itself.

Overtime, the extensive knowledge base needed to fulfill a project rendered two necessary disciplines of the Architect and the Builder. Their expertise grew exponentially and divergently; depending on very different skill sets. The Architect’s power is visual and creative, and the Builder’s power is in the drive and action he sets in motion each day.

The traditional and most commonly used Design-Bid-Build procedure is an inefficient process as it artificially isolates the steps of design and construction. By isolating the steps the chronological order is conflicting. A line drawn on paper by the Architect has a different representation to the contractor who purchases the finish materials to build it and who supervises its construction than it does to the client who sees the result. To deliver the finest product to today’s clients Plum Builders uses Integrated Services. Using this framework the Owner, Architect and Builder openly collaborate on project scope and budget from the start. One immediate and valued benefit is that the Owner and Architect get instant feedback on prices of materials and costs of construction; the Owner is in control of the outcome because they are fully conversant with accurate and timely information. The Builder is able to deliver a level of predictability and control to the delivery schedule that enables him to be fully prepared to meet the budget and scheduling paths. The Architect, and Builder each have their own area of professional responsibility but accountability to the client for a project that meets budget constraints, design strategy and delivery schedule are prioritized at the start.