HOW DESIGNERS AND CONTRACTORS ARE COSTING CLIENTS MILLIONS

Fahad Siddiqui, CEO of Amaq - Design & Build, explores what project teams lose when designers and fit-out contractors fail to communicate

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Individuals are daily battling against timelines without impacting creativity, functionality and budgets, all to create inspiring spaces. However, despite working towards a shared goal, interior designers and fit-out contractors do not speak the same language and that needs to change.

In my experience, this stems from a lack of transparency between these two high-voltage groups. It's not intentional; it's just how the ecosystem currently operates.

I often compare a project to a human body: the client is the heart, the designer is the brain and the fit-out contractor is the muscle. Without meticulous alignment between these three organs, the body is destined to malfunction.

The Great Wall of China

Designers are often unaware of the contractor's contractual obligations and clauses and vice versa. This includes key deliverables, strict timelines, heavy delay penalties and even nonoperational costs borne by the contractor. Similarly, the contractor is unaware of the deliverable agreements between the client and the design office.