Guide · Interior design and project management
Design and build, or a designer on your side?
An honest comparison for Dubai homes.
There are two common ways to deliver a Dubai interior. Both can work. The difference is who checks the builder, and for whom.
01 · Design and build
What design and build does well.
A design and build contractor designs the home, then constructs it. You sign a single contract with one company.
It can be quick. Design and site sit inside one firm. There is one number to call when something goes wrong. For a simple brief on a tight programme, that matters.
Design and construction come from the same firm.
The contractor prices its own design.
Work can start before every drawing is finished.
02 · The blind spot
The designer works for the builder.
The price.
The party being paid sets the price. Nobody on your side tests it.
The quality.
The work is inspected by the firm that did it.
The variations.
Changes are priced by the contractor, and judged by the contractor.
03 · A designer on your side
What a client-side designer and project manager does.
We design the home. Then we tender, vet, appoint and manage the contractors, on your side.
- 01An independent tender. Vetted contractors price the same drawings. We compare them line by line.
- 02A cost plan before contract. Our own quantity surveyor prices the drawings before you sign anything.
- 03Valuations checked. Each valuation is checked against the work on site, before you pay.
- 04Quality inspections. The work is checked against the drawings, and reported every week with photographs.
- 05Defects closed. Defects go back to the contractor, followed up by us until they are done.
04 · Side by side
The two models, compared.
A plain comparison. Neither model is right for every home.
Design and build: The contractor.
On your side: You.
Design and build: The contractor, for its own design.
On your side: Contractors tender against our drawings.
Design and build: Rarely tested against anyone else.
On your side: Against a cost plan and other tenders.
Design and build: Prepared and judged by the contractor.
On your side: Checked by our quantity surveyor before you pay.
Design and build: Inspected by the firm that did the work.
On your side: Checked by us against the drawings.
Design and build: Priced and judged by the contractor.
On your side: Priced with a drawing, then checked, before you say yes.
Design and build: Listed by the contractor.
On your side: Listed by us, then followed up until closed.
Design and build: Often quicker.
On your side: Time is needed for drawings and a tender.
Design and build: The contractor.
On your side: Us, on your side.
05 · Being fair
When design and build is the right choice.
A simple, fixed scope.
Where the design is settled early, one firm and one price can work well.
Speed matters most.
One firm can start sooner. Design and site sit under one roof.
A builder you already trust.
If you know their work and their prices, the check matters less.
Many good homes are delivered by design and build. Ask one question first: who checks the price for you?
06 · Read on
How we work, on your side.
- ServiceSuper-prime interior designThe whole interior, from concept to the last piece of joinery. Then project managed, on your side.
- ServiceCost planning and tenderingThe interior priced twice, in the open. Then tendered to vetted contractors and compared.
- JournalOne team on your sideWhy we manage the contractors rather than build: the tender, changes and handover.
Where we work
Palm Jumeirah·Emirates Hills·Jumeirah Bay Island·Dubai Hills Estate·Al Barari·District One·Dubai Marina·Downtown Dubai
07 · Questions
Questions about the two models.
What is the difference between design and build and a designer on your side?
In design and build, the designer works for the builder. On your side, the designer works for you.
Is design and build cheaper?
Not always. Without an independent tender, the price is harder to test.
Is design and build faster?
It can be. Design and site sit in one firm, so work can start sooner.
Does NU Projects build the work itself?
No. Vetted contractors do the work. We tender, appoint and manage them for you.
Who checks the contractor’s valuations?
Our quantity surveyor checks each one against the work on site, before you pay.
Who deals with defects at handover?
We check the work against the drawings. Defects go back to the contractor, followed up by us.
08 · Next
Start a conversation about your home.
Send the address or the plan. We will tell you, honestly, which model suits it.
