Uncategorized

Sometimes in life, we experience certain circumstances, events or an all-out journey that take us beyond our minds definition of ordinary or happenchance and into the realm of extraordinary; or, perhaps for those who are Christ-followers there is no other explanation than, the Sovereign Hand of God. Southfield Church is such an example of this Extraordinary Journey. With humble, patient and faithful leaders they have been able to weather the “trials and tribulations” that often come our way in life and ministry as they have journeyed and navigated to this new destination they now call home. After being in their new home for just a few years they have been blessed by what they would refer to as non-other than the Hand of God wrapped around their ministry. Growth has not been an ambitious or singular pursuit, but an encountered result of their faithful stewardship. After a number of years in a temporary facility following the sale of an original campus location and many ups and downs, they were able to design and build a beautiful new multi-purpose ministry facility. Planning the design and construction under one umbrella allowed them to be good stewards in how they approached their vision. As a result of this faithful stewardship the Lord has blessed them with the ability to expand after just a few short years. In lieu of doing everything they would have desired out of the proverbial gate, they planned efficiently and effectively in order to not put themselves under the column affecting many

Working With a Single Source of Delivery If you are a practice owner or manager and are growing and need to expand or perhaps desire your own stand-alone building, the task of determining the best space to meet your needs can at first seem daunting. This does not have to be the case. Working with a qualified and integrated team that can be your single source for complete design and construction will help paint the picture, count the costs and coordinate all construction activities for a seamless transition from planning through permitting and into construction. A professional team will ask appropriate questions, listen to your vision/needs and guide you through the process. Your time is valuable and cannot be spent trying to direct a design and construction process.   Variables to Consider There are many variables to consider which will affect your end goal. A few of these might be whether you want to purchase land and build a new facility, have found space in an existing building that you would like to build out and lease or perhaps you have found an existing building that you would like to purchase and repurpose to meet your needs. If an existing space, most can be repurposed to meet your needs; the question becomes, at what level of repurposing? Your investment in the space can go from A to Z depending on your specific needs including such factors as size, conditions and type of space. If a new building, have you purchased the property? Is the

[Article source: http://www.nacdb.com/church-building-process.html - We are a proud member of the National Association of Church Design Builders] How Much Will It Cost? This is the question every church wants answered and every architect and contractor doesn't want to answer. Why? Because there are many issues that can affect the answer - land cost, utility cost, interior and exterior finishes, audio/visual etc. However, we at the NACDB feel that it is appropriate to provide churches with a ballpark estimate up front. Give us a small amount of information using this PBS form to receive more information and a cost estimate for your project needs. How Long Will It Take? Building a church is a commercial scale development that requires considerable attention to literally hundreds of details. Historical averages indicate that it takes 18 to 21 months for the entire process. It can take as little as 12 months for a very motivated church. However, there are many variables that are outside the control of the owner and the design-builder. The most significant of these are civil engineering issues. Every municipality has different requirements and document review times can vary wildly from city to city. There are three main phases to the life of a project: -Preliminary Design/Build Services: 3 to 4 months-Construction Documents: 3 to 8 months-Construction: 7 to 10 months What's the First Step? After you hire a Design/Builder, you will begin making crucial decisions about your facility. Money is saved in the Preliminary Design/Build Services (planning) phase, not in the construction phase. Items addressed in this phase are: -Needs Assessment-Master Planning-Preliminary Design-Budget Estimate What is

PBS is a Design/Build firm dedicated to providing solutions that focus on integrity and consistency and building authentic relationships in order to exceed our customers' expectations. Design/Build is a method of project delivery in which one entity – the Design/Build team – works under a single contract with the project owner to provide comprehensive design and construction services. One entity, one contract, one unified flow of work from initial concept through completion – thereby re-integrating the roles of designer and builder. Design/Build is also known as single-source delivery. Design/Build is the desired alternative to Design/Bid/Build. Under the latter approach, design, engineering and construction services are all split by separate entities, separate contracts and separate work, with you the owner assuming responsibility for all design and engineering. Design/Build is a method of project delivery in which one entity – the Design/Build team – works under a single contract with the project owner to provide all their design and construction services. Here are five reasons why the Design/Build process is superior. 1) Time Savings - By eliminating all design bid phases for engineering and construction, PBS can provde occupancy 3-5 months sooner. 2) Single Source Responsibility - By making us your single source responsibility for both design and construction, you retain tight control, thereby improving quality - saving you significant time and money. 3) Professional Construction - We assign a Project Manager to control all phases of your project. This manager reports directly to you - elminating multiple contacts, lost time and finger pointing under the older Design/Bid/Build model. 4) Cost

Working with the staff and leadership of The Village Christian Church was an absolute pleasure. The wonderful relationship that we were all able to develop allowed for excellent collaboration and the ability to solve project hurdles quickly. Using the design/build delivery method we were able to maximize the overall amount of space as well as its function based on the overall budget established by this ministry. As a trusted partner, we will do whatever we can to work within a customer’s ministry budget parameters. With ministry projects, challenges can arise at times with the need for careful communication and collaboration. On this recent project the ministry was able to procure donations of several items providing them with the ability to save a significant amount of money. These items were to be installed by volunteers who were associated with the church. Having a clear definition of where our scope of work stops and the volunteer’s scope starts can be challenging. Here are 3 tips when working with volunteers: THANK them for their commitment to the ministry and willingness to serve. Provide them with a thorough understanding of what needs to be completed in their area of service. Confirm for the benefit of the ministry that each are qualified and have the time to accommodate the master construction schedule. Determine in advance which areas need skilled labor and which areas need the work of many hands. Proper sequencing of volunteers can also be difficult since most of the volunteers are performing their work after hours. Thankfully we were able to work through these challenges

Partnering with Al-Amin Brothers Transportation through the design and construction of their new refrigerated warehouse, freezer and corporate headquarters was an honor for PBS. Al-Amin Brothers Transportation approached PBS as they were making plans to accommodate their continued growth. Their plans were strategic around how to best accommodate their team, continue to provide quality service to their customers and keep up with changing regulations within the industry. Their desire was to work with a single source of delivery/responsibility for the design and construction of their new facility. By utilizing this delivery method, Al-Amin worked closely with PBS to develop the most efficient facility for their needs. After a period of extensive and thorough planning including coordination with local government and permitting authorities the final design provides them with a professional, efficient and aesthetically pleasing facility. Their new headquarters also provides them with significant room for expansion and positions Al-Amin Brothers Transportation at the forefront of the refrigerated cooler/freezer warehousing and transportation industry. As great as the experience was, the more valuable result of this partnership for PBS was the relationship that developed with the Al-Amin Brothers team. If you would like more information, click here. Our team would be happy to help.

PBS is a design builder specializing in the planning, design and construction of commercial and religious buildings throughout Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin. As a design builder, it has been proven that the more planning and coordination that can occur under one umbrella, the more opportunity there will be for project success byway of cost effectiveness and overall construction efficiencies. Through our 5-step process, we work closely together to build a relationship with those we are partnering with. The PBS team is comprised of Certified Church Consultants and is in leadership as a member of the National Association of Church Design Builders (NACDB). As a part of this National Association we bring to our customers opportunities to partner through PBS with a comprehensive team of professionals who provide churches with the systems and resources they need for a fully integrated project. While the PBS planning process is important to help insure that each of our ministry partners are developing the best tool for their ministry needs, we do not allow this process to get in the way of ministry vision. Our team are equipped to meet ministry needs by way of providing Green Church Solutions, Demographics, Communicating Your Vision, Multi-Site Churches, Masterplanning and Programming, Stewardship and Financing for the 21st Century, design, construction and construction management. We look forward to the opportunity of serving your ministry. 

Design/Build is a method of project delivery in which one entity – the design/build team – works under a single contract with the project owner to provide design and construction services. One entity, one contract, one unified flow of work from initial concept through completion – thereby re-integrating the roles of designer and constructor. Design/build is also known as design/construct and single-source delivery. Across the country and around the world, design/build successfully delivers both horizontal and vertical construction projects with superior results – no matter what the project type! Design/build is an alternative to design-bid-build. Under the latter approach, design and construction services are split by separate entities, separate contracts, separate work. Design/build, design-bid-build and construction management are the three project delivery systems most commonly employed in North America today. Over the past 15 years, use of design/build has greatly accelerated in the United States, making this delivery method one of the most significant trends in design and construction today. One Contract, One Integrated Team: Design/build streamlines project delivery through a single contract between the owner and the design-build team. This simple but fundamental difference saves money and time by transforming the relationship between designers and builders in to an alliance which fosters collaboration and teamwork. United from the outset of every project, an integrated team readily incorporates BIM and LEED certification goals. (source article - http://www.dbiamar.org/about/what-is-design-build/)

Where should we go? How much land do we need? What type of land should we be looking for? How much will it cost? These are all questions asked by owners when considering the search for a new facility location. While the new Facility is naturally the primary piece of the planning that an owner is focused on; it is also imperative that the site is given equal attention. A hasty pursuit in acquiring a piece of property that appears and seems to be the best fit for your long term business planning can subsequently lead to long term complications. For example, you may find a piece of property that appears to be as flat as a piece of paper and conceivably the "best fit" for your business model. What lies beneath that "paper" could end up being what looks like a mogul hill on the side of a ski mountain. Silt and sandy soil, significant rock, former lakes, high water table, field tile, garbage and so on. These are all real items that have been found when preparing a site for new construction that have contributed to construction issues including present and long term associated costs. What lies beneath can lead to quality construction or long term complications with the potential to never go away. Conditions above the surface can also affect the viability of construction. Are there electrical lines, pipe lines or other utilities that are running through the site? How close are municipal utilities (water, sanitary and storm) to your