Acuity Audiovisual is a Design-Build audiovisual integrator, which means that we work with customers to identify the business needs, define the desired functionality, establish a budget, design the solution and then execute the complete installation with warranty and service options. Our customers communicate their needs in a variety of ways. Some start with a blank slate, while others provide pretty substantial designs and product selections that we help to refine and finalize before quoting. The design-build project utilizes a single partner to deliver the entire project from start to finish.

A Design-then-build project is one where the owner hires a separate audio and video design firm to develop the design, and then uses that design to gather proposals for a different company to procure and install the equipment.

Both processes can deliver great results, but Acuity Audiovisual has stuck with the design-build process for nearly 30 years because it better serves our customers, and here’s why:

• Our design engineers are in lock step with programmers and installers, which enables them to consider installation difficulty (pronounced cost) in the design. In fact, many of our design engineers started as installers and programmers in the field!
• They also work with our procurement specialists and sales team to keep track of equipment, cable and labor innovations and costs. As they translate the functional description into a design and scope of work, they can better apply the cost benefits, equipment availability and ease of operation to the design.
• As a full service audiovisual integrator, like most design-build firms, Acuity Audiovisual also provides a full line of services for maintaining your AV systems and correcting any issues. This provides valuable insight into the operation, reliability and longevity of our audio, video, projection and presentation designs.
• Acuity Audiovisual Sales Consultants are better equipped to present a full solution with very informed recommendations because of the team experience in designs, procurement, installation and long term servicing of the systems.
• In the design only process, an owner is presented ideas and options from a single firm that is then put out for bid to installers to get the lowest price. If you publish the project as a design-build with some core parameters, the responses offer a variety of options, ideas and recommendations that may not have even been considered with a single designer…kind of like an open source design party to get the best total solution!

Of course, there are definitely situations where the unique requirements of acoustic design, mechanical automation or complex specialized functionality make a specialized design firm invaluable. But even in those situations it is good to have an installation team that is familiar with the design process to provide a professional installation. So even on projects where we are just providing the installation or the design, the experience in both areas enhances the value we can deliver individually – a tremendous attribute that we use to better serve our customers!