Frequently, the Developer wishes to remain anonymous and instructs the Architect not to disclose their identity. Generally, the Architect or consultant’s appointed agent can provide all the information you need. Usually projects can be identified at the
Development Application or Environmental Impact Study stage.
At this stage, many Architects are not yet ready to issue tender papers, but it is nonetheless an important stage for builders.
If you have not dealt with the listed Architect before, you should prepare a ‘profile’ of your business for the Architect. Such a profile should set out the following:
- The nature of your organisation: whether or not you are incorporated and, if so, the extent ofpersonal guarantees offered by principals who should all be listed with contact phone numbers.
- A list of projects recently completed.
- A list of current projects with details of commencement dates and project finish dates, site references and Developer contact details.
- A detailed description of 2 or 3 of your best recently completed projects together with photographs.
- An invitation to arrange site inspections of any projects currently in progress.
- A reference from your banker or financier.
- A list of major Subcontractors regularly used.
- Initial contact with the firm may be with the Librarian or Resource Coordinator. Once your information has been referred to the relevant Architects in the firm, you will be in a position to apply for papers when the tendering process commences.
There are two instances where the Architect contact is not so significant. Firstly, many government authorities conduct the development and design work on projects in-house and will not receive builder inquiries until the invitation to tender is formally
announced. Work done by groups such as the Roads and Traffic Authority, Public Works Department and regional Water Boards fall into this category. The second instance is where you, the builder, would like to offer the Developer a design/construct package. Ideally this is done at the earliest possible stage, to find out if the Developer is open to your offer.
Remember, it takes time for an Architect or Developer to assess a new Builder and acquire sufficient confidence in your credentials to consider you as a tenderer. Most Architects agree that persistence, patience and professionalism are the qualities that most impress them in this familiarisation period.