Capability — Design & Build
One contract.
Total accountability.
In complex construction, split responsibilities create the conditions for failure. Design & Build consolidates design and delivery under a single point of accountability — removing the gap where problems hide.
RIAI/RIBA
Design stage framework
ECI
Early contractor involvement
GMP
Regulated environment design
1pt
Single accountability
Our Position
Design & Build is not just a contract form. It's a way of thinking.
When Conroy operates as Design & Build contractor, we're not just managing consultants — we're leading the design process from first principles, shaped by buildability, programme logic, and the operational requirements of the end user.
In sectors where the building is also a process environment — a GMP cleanroom suite, a temperature-controlled fulfilment centre, a GIS substation building, a data hall — the design cannot be separated from the delivery. They have to be developed together, by a team that understands both.
01
We appoint and manage the design team
Architect, civil & structural engineer, M&E engineer, specialist consultants — Conroy holds all appointments, co-ordinates the design programme, and is responsible for every interface. The client has one number to call.
02
Buildability is designed in, not left as an after-thought
Our site delivery team shapes the design from RIAI Stage 1 / RIBA Stage 2. Structural systems, cladding details, MEP routes, and sequencing constraints are resolved before information is issued for construction — not discovered during it.
03
Technical complexity requires specialist input early
For cleanroom envelopes, controlled atmosphere logistics buildings, GIS substation structures, or high-bay automated warehouses — the specialist M&E and process design must be integrated into the architectural and structural concept from the outset. We ensure it is.
04
Cost certainty comes from resolved design
Contractor's Proposals are only as reliable as the design they're based on. We use our pre-construction period to resolve design to a level of completeness that produces a meaningful contract sum — not one loaded with provisional sums and risk allowances.
Design Programme
Where we engage
across the design stages
We work to RIAI (Republic of Ireland) and RIBA (UK) stage frameworks. On D&B appointments our involvement begins at Stage 1/2 — well ahead of the point where most contractors first appear.
0–1
RIAI / RIBA
Strategic Definition & Brief
ECI Engagement
ECI appointments start here. We work alongside the client and their advisors to challenge the project brief, validate site constraints, identify M&E and process requirements, and set a programme baseline before concept design begins. Problems resolved at this stage cost nothing.
2
RIAI / RIBA
Concept Design
ECI Engagement
Structural system selection, building envelope strategy, primary MEP concept, access and logistics planning. Buildability drives every architectural decision at this stage. For regulated environments (GMP, cleanroom, data), process design and construction methodology are developed in parallel.
3
RIAI / RIBA
Developed Design
Design Lead
Structural and envelope design developed to planning standard. MEP systems co-ordinated against structure and fabric. BIM co-ordination begins. Employer's Requirements are reviewed against the developing design. Contractor's Proposals are prepared to a level that enables a defined contract sum.
4
RIAI / RIBA
Technical Design
Design Lead
Full construction information. Specialist subcontract design packages (steel, cladding, M&E, controlled environments) are let and co-ordinated. 4D BIM programme validates construction sequence. All specialist design appointments are novated to Conroy at contract execution.
5–6
RIAI / RIBA
Construction & Handover
Lead Contractor
On-site delivery with live project controls reporting, design query management, and commissioning co-ordination. Design responsibility remains with Conroy throughout. Handover includes full O&M documentation, as-built BIM model, and validation records where required by the sector.
Note on regulatory submissions: Planning applications, fire safety certificates, disability access certificates, and building control submissions under BCAR (Ireland) or Building Regulations (UK/NI) are managed by Conroy's appointed design team as part of the D&B scope. PSCS duties under BCAR and PSCS/Principal Designer duties under CDM Regulations (NI/UK) are assumed by Conroy as appropriate.
Collaboration from office to site
Project Types
Technical environments we design and build
Each of these building types demands a design process shaped by its operational requirements — not the other way around. The envelope, structure, and services are developed as an integrated system from the outset.
GMP & Cleanroom Envelopes
Pharmaceutical manufacturing, API production, and biopharma facilities where the building envelope is an extension of the process. Design must integrate HVAC validation requirements, pressure differentials, contamination control zoning, and GMP material flow from Stage 1.
Industrial & Logistics Buildings
High-bay distribution, cold store, automated fulfilment, and manufacturing facilities. Structural grid, floor slab specification, dock leveller positions, and MHE interface all drive the design. Operational logistics planning is integral to the brief, not an afterthought.
Critical Environments & Data Facilities
New build data halls and retrofit upgrades. Structural loading for raised floor and overhead cable management, precision cooling integration, generator yard, and UPS room design are resolved in the concept stage. Live environment retrofit requires construction phasing built into the design.
GIS Substation & Energy Buildings
Gas-insulated switchgear buildings, battery energy storage system enclosures, and substation infrastructure. Strict spatial and access requirements from DNOs and grid operators are embedded in the design brief. Structural and fire strategies are determined by equipment specifications.
Manufacturing & Industrial Facilities
EV component production, aerospace assembly, clean energy manufacturing and heavy industrial. Cranage, vibration isolation, specialist floor systems, heavy-duty services distribution, and future proofing for process evolution are integral design considerations from the outset.
Phased Retrofit & Live Environment Upgrades
Upgrading or extending existing facilities while they remain live or operational. Construction phasing, temporary works, noise and vibration management, and interface with existing systems are designed into the programme from the start — not managed reactively on site.
Design Management
We run the design team. We don't follow it.
D&B only works if the contractor is leading the design process, not reacting to it. Conroy takes the design manager role seriously — it is a distinct, senior function on every D&B project we deliver.
Our design manager chairs design team meetings, owns the design information release schedule, manages RFI and design query responses, and maintains the co-ordination register. At no point does the design process drift ahead of or behind the construction programme without Conroy knowing about it.
Design Information Release Schedule (DIRS)
Every drawing and specification document is programmed against a release date that feeds the construction programme. Late information does not arrive unexpectedly — it is tracked and escalated in advance.
BIM Co-ordination & Clash Detection
Federated model maintained across all disciplines. Clash detection reports are resolved at design team level before information reaches site. In regulated environments, the BIM model supports validation documentation.
Employer's Requirements Compliance Register
Every requirement in the Employer's Requirements is tracked against the developing Contractor's Proposals. Nothing falls through the gap between the two documents.
Design Team Co-ordination
The full design team, appointed and managed by Conroy
On a D&B appointment, Conroy holds all design appointments. Consultants work to Conroy's programme, attend Conroy-chaired co-ordination meetings, and operate within a design management framework that keeps information aligned with site requirements. Specialist subcontractors with design responsibilities (steelwork, cladding, controlled environments, M&E) are novated or appointed directly and managed through the same framework.
Architect
RIAI / ARB registered
Civil & Structural Engineer
Engineers Ireland / ICE
M&E Engineer
Process-integrated design
Geotechnical / Civil
Site investigation & drainage
Fire & Specialist Consultants
Sector-specific appointments
PSDP / Principal Designer
BCAR (IE) / CDM (NI/UK)
Risk & Value
How D&B manages risk — and where value is created
Design & Build transfers design risk to the contractor in exchange for certainty of cost and programme. That transfer only works if the contractor actually understands the design risk — and has the capability to manage it.
Risk Allocation
What the client transfers — and what we take on
Under D&B, Conroy assumes design liability once Contractor's Proposals are accepted. The client receives cost certainty and programme certainty in return. For the transfer to be equitable, both documents must be clear. We use the pre-contract period to ensure they are.
- Design development risk sits with Conroy post-contract
- Employer's Requirements must be complete and unambiguous
- Provisional sums are minimised through resolved design
- Ground risk allocation is agreed clearly at tender — not assumed
- Change is managed under a defined change control protocol
Value Engineering
Where genuine value is created — and where it isn't
Value engineering in D&B is most effective in early design stages when structural systems, envelope strategies, and MEP approaches are still open. Conroy engages here deliberately. Post-tender VE proposals that compromise performance or increase operational cost are not savings — they are deferred problems.
- Structural system selection — portal vs beam & column vs structural steel
- Envelope strategy — wall and roof system specification
- Services zoning and distribution strategy
- Construction programme sequencing and phasing
- Specification rationalisation without performance reduction
Contractor's Proposals
What ours include — and why it matters
Contractor's Proposals are only as good as the design they're based on. Ours are produced against a design developed to sufficient RIAI / RIBA stage to eliminate ambiguity. They are accompanied by a detailed programme, a clear list of exclusions, and a schedule of derogations from the Employer's Requirements where applicable.
- Design to minimum RIAI Stage 3 / RIBA Stage 3 before CP submission
- Fully priced bill of quantities or elemental breakdown
- Programme to Level 2 minimum
- Schedule of assumptions and exclusions — clearly stated
- Derogation register — agreed before contract execution
Regulated Environments
Design & Build in GMP and critical environments
GMP pharmaceutical facilities and other regulated environments require the design to satisfy not just planning and building regulations, but also HPRA (Ireland) / MHRA (UK) expectations, validation master plans, and qualification documentation requirements. The D&B process must be structured to support these — which requires the contractor to understand them.
- Design for GEP (Good Engineering Practice) from Stage 1
- URS / FDS / DDS aligned with design development stages
- IQ / OQ / PQ commissioning protocols built into programme
- Validation documentation (C&Q) managed within Conroy's QMS
- HPRA / MHRA readiness built into handover deliverables
Work With Us
Ready to discuss a Design & Build project?
Whether you have Employer's Requirements drafted, a site identified, or just a brief — we're experienced in engaging at the right stage and structuring the D&B appointment to suit the project.