Third-party Construction Supervision services

Among the Construction Supervision tasks that involve checking and verifying whether a building has been constructed according to the design documents, Construction Supervision of buildings designed by other companies is specifically called "third-party Construction Supervision."

To explain the job of "Construction Supervision" in simple terms, it is "like the job of an orchestra conductor," although this may not be an accurate description. A conductor conveys the optimal performance to the audience by accurately indicating the interpretation of the music, the dynamics of the music, and the tempo to the performers, but if the conductor is different, the performance method and expression will be different, and the same piece of music will be played completely differently. In the same way, the quality, workmanship, and usability of a building will change depending on how Construction Supervision reflects the design intention in the construction and how he or she checks it.

建築基準法で一定の規模以上の建物には工事監理者を置くことが定められており、通常は設計した会社がそのまま監理を担当します。しかし、デザインビルド（設計・施工を一括でゼネコンに発注する方式）のプロジェクトでは、そのゼネコンではない、第三者に監理を依頼するケースが増えています。発注方式が多様化する昨今ならではの仕事です。

From the client's perspective, if the same company is in charge of design, construction, and Construction Supervision, there may be a concern that the company may be "too generous" or "too lax" when it comes to quality control and costs. In recent years, third-party Construction Supervision has accounted for about 10% of our Construction Supervision cases, and the number has been increasing year by year.

We are able to participate in projects because we are not a construction company, but an "organized design office with a track record in Construction Supervision work." This could be seen as a business opportunity as design-build projects become more common.

For example, in the new school building construction project for Seikei University, where we have been involved in the design of school buildings and other projects for a long time, a design-build competition was held in response to recent trends. As a result, a general contractor was selected to carry out design development and construction, and in addition to schematic design and construction management, we were commissioned to provide third-party Construction Supervision. I am currently in charge of this site, and as this project is on a campus that I have been involved in for many years, I believe that I have been extremely helpful as a third-party Construction Supervision, including coordinating with existing facilities and providing advice on construction.

Third-party Construction Supervision is now considered an important job that is also part of developing new clients, but in fact, in the past, it didn't have a very good image at our company. The idea was that "design and Construction Supervision go hand in hand," so when we couldn't get a design order, we thought we could at least do Construction Supervision. However, with the diversification of work and the expansion of client needs these days, third-party Construction Supervision can sometimes serve as a stepping stone to new design work.

In these cases, clients see our Construction Supervision work and think, "If we ask this company to do the design, they will do a great job," and approach us for another new construction project. We are actively working to meet such demands.

I am in charge of a certain large-scale redevelopment project, where our company and another design firm are jointly responsible for concept design, schematic design, and Construction Supervision, while the general contractor is responsible for design development and construction. The building is about 40 stories above ground and has a total floor area of about 200,000 m2, and two to three people are in charge of each of the structural, electrical, and mechanical Construction Supervision, apart from the design (which is managed by the other design firm). We are also receiving orders for design supervision in addition to Construction Supervision, and this type of scheme may become more common in the future.

We are committed to quality, but I also believe that neutrality and fairness, which are essential elements of third-party Construction Supervision, are also our strengths. This is our motto at the site of our own design projects, but it is something we are even more conscious of when working on third-party Construction Supervision.

For example, if you want to "ensure third-party status in construction projects," there is also the CM/PM profession, which is involved from the upstream position of supporting the client. However, the choice to have a third-party Construction Supervision in a project is likely based on requests for "more transparency" and "quality confirmation with more specialized technology closer to the site." In general, I hear that the adoption of third-party Construction Supervision is increasing in production facilities and apartment complexes, where design-build projects are on the rise.

When the designer, builder, and Construction Supervision are all from the same company, it seems like they have different positions within the company and it can be hard to say things to each other. If we think that a discussion is necessary, we will clearly point that out. But because of that, there can be a sense of being out of place at regular on-site meetings on design-build projects (laughs).

I feel that way (laughs). Although we are the same as CM/PM in terms of supporting the client, we are in a slightly different position because we work closer to the site. However, by giving objective opinions in meetings, we can sometimes convince both the client and the contractor and smoothly resolve issues. I think it is an important role.

The other party may be a much older site manager, so I may be inferior in terms of knowledge about construction, but I believe that as long as I approach the project sincerely as a third-party Construction Supervision, the other party will understand and respond to me with care.

No matter how good the design is, it doesn't necessarily mean that a good building will result. A wide variety of perspectives are essential at key points along the way. From the construction ordering stage to the Construction Supervision stage during construction, it is important for people from various positions to be involved in reviewing design documents and construction drawings and conducting on-site inspections, and to exchange opinions. It is no exaggeration to say that this process determines the quality of the finished building.

One of the benefits of design-build, in which the builder is involved from the design stage, is that it allows for the creation of buildings that are rational in terms of construction time and cost. On the other hand, reports from the designer and builder alone can sometimes lack transparency when it comes to things like on-site quality and increases or decreases in construction costs due to design changes. By checking these from a neutral standpoint through third-party Construction Supervision and reporting them to the relevant parties, we can contribute to the project.

In such cases, if the property is designed and Construction Supervision by our company, we can give our opinions on the design because the quality standards are the same, but this is a little difficult with third-party Construction Supervision. Construction Supervision respect the opinions of designers regarding the design content and design. However, since our company has the know-how we have cultivated over the years, we may give advice to clients and designers if there are concerns about usability, safety, or quality assurance.

In the end, if the design is great and the building is easy to use, the designer will be praised, and if the building is of high quality, the builder will be praised. Of course, Construction Supervision is often evaluated, but I sometimes think it's better not to be in the spotlight too much and to be the silent supporter. I'm like the organizer of a drinking party; I care if everyone is having fun, and above all, everyone is satisfied. After all, our ultimate goal as Construction Supervision is to increase the satisfaction of all the people involved in the construction, including the client, with the completed building.

The first project I was in charge of supervising a series of Construction Supervision work from start to completion was a third-party Construction Supervision project. Later, when I was in charge of designing and Construction Supervision a property for my own company, I was surprised at how difficult it was to coordinate within the company. With third-party Construction Supervision, you can concentrate on ensuring quality in a pure and dry way. However, in our own design projects, if there are any inconsistencies in the design, you have to work with the designer to adjust them, which takes time. Construction Supervision is basically a job that starts with a broad and shallow knowledge, and knowledge increases as you delve into the details, so I think that being actively involved in third-party Construction Supervision is a shortcut to improving your technical skills.

Third-party Construction Supervision was originally introduced by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism in the early 2000s. By outsourcing Construction Supervision to a third party other than the designer, not only was quality ensured, but the aim was for the designer, third-party Construction Supervision and contractor to improve their skills by competing with each other, so I feel there is definitely a synergistic effect.

Other companies' designs have their own colors and work styles that are different from ours, so it can be confusing at first. However, they are often very helpful, and they can help us realize our company's characteristics and areas of expertise. As I mentioned earlier, I think our attention to post-completion defects and the usability of the building is one of our company's colors.

Especially the depth of knowledge about future updates after completion. Thinking about the traffic flow for bringing in large equipment with an eye toward facility updates, planning where to place cranes during renovation work, etc. This is also an accumulation of know-how from Mitsubishi Estate days, and Shirasaka-san and I, who have experience in Renovation design department, know firsthand the difficulties involved in updates and renovations.

As I mentioned earlier, I think there is a lot to learn from the rational planning of the design-build approach. I am often impressed by the designs that truly consider the efficiency of construction, such as the technology to build a new building while utilizing the underground structure of an existing building, and the floor plan that takes into account the plans for temporary scaffolding and construction elevators.

The knowledge gained through such third-party Construction Supervision work is shared horizontally through internal working groups, etc. Recently, especially in the early stages of construction projects, and in some cases even from the planning and concept stages, Construction Supervision have been involved in front-loading work to manage and advise on construction, and this knowledge is useful at such times. Today, the demand for third-party Construction Supervision work is on the rise. It can be said that it is already one of the important tasks in the construction industry.