5.1 Introduction

Every construction project has a substantial element of design in it, whether the Employer or the Contractor engages the designer. In percentage terms, the cost of design is generally a small part of the overall cost of a construction project, and a very small part of the overall cost of a project considered over its life cycle. However, as it is the design that defines not only the form and nature of the construction, but also the characteristics of the constructed facility that determine the ongoing operating and maintenance costs over its entire life, its importance is substantially greater than the proportion of its percentage cost of the project.