As you peruse the Fluid Sound website, you’ll likely notice the variety of custom audio visual projects we work on—everything from large corporate buildings, to entertainment venues, to educational and healthcare facilities. When you are in the business of designing and installing custom audio visual systems in San Diego and throughout Southern California like we are at Fluid Sound, every project is unique.
Many of our projects also differ in the type of people who hire us or who act as our main points of contact throughout the design/build process, but typically, we work with:
- Developers
- Chief Technology Officers in Corporations
- Business Owners
- General Contractors
- Architects
No matter what title best applies to you, or what type of building or venue your custom AV system will go in, you can benefit from working with a San Diego audio video company that uses the design/build approach to custom AV projects.
Design/build is a term you may have heard if you’ve ever been involved in a residential or commercial construction project, such as a large remodel, retrofit, or custom home build. It refers to an approach that involves using a single company for the entire project from start to finish. In the case of an audio visual company, the same company that designs the AV system also installs it.
This is in contrast to the design-bid-build method of completing a project, which involves working with one company for project design, then sending the design out to different companies to receive bids, and then choosing a company to complete the build.
The design-bid-build method is one that is often used for large projects, even though it has many downsides. Projects that take the design-bid-build approach typically experience longer timelines, since you have to wait for bids to come in and deal with more scheduling issues because you are working with more than one company. There are also more “cooks in the kitchen” who need to be on the same page, and as a result, they may need you to serve as a mediator between them or require you to take on more of a project manager role than you’re comfortable with.
With the design/build approach that Fluid Sound uses, you are working with a single company for the entirety of the project. Everyone working on your project is on the same team, making communication between designers and installers much more seamless, and ensuring that your best interests are kept at the forefront.
Another huge benefit to working with a San Diego AV company like Fluid Sound that uses the design/build approach is that the project’s budget can be better addressed during the design phase. You will know how certain design decisions will affect the overall project budget without having to wait until the design is completed and sent out for official bids from outside contractors.
If the design/build method sounds like the way to go for your San Diego custom AV project, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us at Fluid Sound to set up your initial consultation.