Roark Redwood talks value engineering with AIA Architect
October 8, 2024
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Our Executive Director of Operations for architecture, engineering and interiors Roark Redwood recently spoke with AIA Architect on how to leverage value engineering to strengthen project outcomes.
The piece makes clear that designers and their clients are currently navigating "an industry (ripe) with market forces, inflation surges and supply chain disruptions."
As Roark explains, "compared to past economic cycles, what we have seen is heightened volatility. The stock market for instance has swung by several percentage points in either direction week to week in recent years. The financial industry has tightened lending practices, and the imminent elections have created an environment of "wait-and-see."
The article highlights that value engineering is critical in such an economic cycle and then points to five ways to maximize the value of this process. These strategies, include:
- Change the mindset
- Have challenging conversations early and often
- Ask for help with numbers
- Avoid shortcuts when seeking savings
- Study the market conditions
Roark is quoted extensively throughout the piece, below is another key excerpt.
Testimonials
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Value engineering is not about simply cutting costs. I prefer to call it 'value analysis.' It's more about allocating funds in the right places in the right ways, and de-allocating costs in non-priority areas or on components that won't lead to high-value outcomes.
Roark Redwood, AIA, NCARB, PMP Executive Director of Operations for AEI
The full piece on value engineering can be found online. It closes with another quote from Roark in which he explains that "(value engineering) helps owners keep the functions and key aesthetics they want, while increasing efficiency, typically and reducing costs. When done correctly, the efforts are almost certain to pay off."
