Value Engineering: Proactive Problem Resolution
Proactive problem resolution
The Corcoran Company often employs a value engineering approach to the specific circumstances and design challenges of projects. Whether the problem involves aesthetic features or structural needs, value engineering ensures that all options are considered in the early stages of a project.
“Sometimes value engineering is about accomplishing a certain design feature in the most economical way; while other times it may involve making decisions that will save time and money long after we’ve completed the job,” says The Corcoran Company President, Kevin Corcoran.
It’s left to the builders to come up with a feasible way of achieving the design objectives.
In the innovative environment of today’s commercial construction, features like radiused walls, domed ceilings and expansive atriums are becoming commonplace. After the architects let their creativity flow, it’s invariably left to the builders to come up with a feasible way of achieving the design objectives. For The Corcoran Company, one such challenge was the recent renovation of a historic Fort Collins building hosting Ciao Vino, an upscale Italian restaurant.
The plans for Ciao Vino called for arches throughout the dining area which ran from the ceiling to floating beams, which in turn rested atop neoclassical pillars. “It was a fairly elaborate design which required some tight collaboration among the specialty contractors,” recalls Corcoran. The desired result was achieved with a carpentered plywood base covered with subsequent layers of sheetrock, finish and paint.
“Value engineering can usually come up with an alternative that doesn’t sacrifice quality or function.”
Kevin Corcoran, President
The Corcoran Company
Similarly, ambitious design features in other buildings have involved preformed plaster glass creations such as domes. The Corcoran Company has often utilized the craftsmanship of other trades and input from knowledgeable material suppliers to meet the designer’s vision on a number of projects.
Value engineering can impact the long term costs of a building…
