Practical guides for owners and developers, written by the architects at 3rd Act Architecture + Consulting. Each one answers a question we hear before a project starts: how to deliver it, what it will cost, and which decisions are expensive to change later.
Design-Build vs Design-Bid-Build
Who carries the risk under each delivery method, and how cost certainty and schedule compare.
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The Owner’s Representative Role
What the role does, when to engage one, and when it pays for itself.
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How Much Does It Cost to Build a Hotel?
Flag standards, key count, site work and FF&E: the variables that move a hotel budget.
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How Much Does It Cost to Open a Dispensary?
Buildout, security infrastructure and the design decisions that set the number.
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Scoping and Phasing a Hotel PIP
How PIP scope is negotiated and phased so the property keeps operating.
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CM at Risk vs Design-Build
Contract structure, GMP timing and risk transfer compared.
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The AIA A141 Single Contract
How a single design-build contract reallocates risk and coordination for the owner.
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Retrofit vs Ground-Up Construction
The six conditions that decide whether an existing building is worth converting.
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Cultivation Facility Cost Breakdown
Where cultivation budgets actually go, and why mechanical outweighs the shell.
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