The term design-build suggests that there may be only two steps involved. In fact design-build includes all steps from pre-design of the project to the building of the project; it differs from design only which is approximately half of the more comprehensive service discussed here.

Pre-Design

Prior to commencement of the design there are a number of preparatory steps that should take place. A pre-design report is often issued to establish current conditions and confirm expectations. Pre-design may include:

• Meetings with the client to fully understand the project requirements, budgets, timelines, equipment preferences if any, determine if connectivity to other buildings is required
• Site inspections to determine what outside plant work (OSP) needs to be done to connect the new facility to main carrier lines. The site inspection on an existing facility is useful in determining what existing systems may need to be tied in to, updated or replaced entirely
• Meetings with other project team members to coordinate activities between electrical and mechanical disciplines and to review schedule with the project lead

Schematic Design

There may be a number of different communications systems in any given project. Each system is represented by a schematic drawing that captures the main elements of the system without showing detail that would later be included in drawings at the detailed design stage.

Detailed Design