Every project consists of the following three components: 

1. Quality 
2. Cost 
3. Time 

These represent the basic objectives in the building project. The end product is desired to be of a certain quality, for a specified cost, constructed within a given time period or schedule. Ideally, these should all be held in a relatively even balance. Unfortunately, in many situations one of these objectives will take priority over the other two. The danger here is inadvertently causing problems by elevating one of these objectives above the others. 

For instance, a Church that’s bursting at the seams is extremely anxious to get the new space constructed and is likely to encounter problems in quality and cost over-runs in the effort to build the space as quickly as possible. If the design plans are rushed, some aspects of the building may not have been fully considered. This may result in problems during construction that will inevitably cost additional money to rectify. When quality is sacrificed in order to rush a job all sorts of substandard conditions may result, including uneven drywall, improperly caulked windows, improperly balanced heating and air-conditioning systems, or unspecified products being substituted for specified ones that may not arrive in time. 

If the primary objective is to keep cost as low as possible, the quality will be reduced, and the schedule is likely to become elongated. Contractors may not give the job as high a priority as one that is more profitable. 

If quality happens to be the most important objective, you can be sure that the Church will pay a premium price. There are certainly advantages to quality in terms of longevity; however, most churches would need to sacrifice valuable ministry space in order to afford this level of quality. And, of course, higher quality typically takes longer to build. 

Understanding the way these different project objectives can affect one another should help the church make informed decisions. This is particularly true if the church is considering starting the design process with a contractor or design/builder. If a price is quoted before a design is developed, and that price seems to be very low/affordable, you can be sure that it is based on certain assumptions regarding the quality of the project. Understanding the balance of these project components should encourage a reasonable time schedule during which plans are fully designed and the work is constructed. A good architect and builder team should enable you to develop a level of comfort with all three of these project objectives, with none being sacrificed.

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