The #1 Mistake Doctors Make When Planning Their New Facility
…And How to Avoid It
If you're a doctor or healthcare professional dreaming of opening your own clinic, med spa, or specialty practice — you've probably started looking for an architect or a contractor.
It’s a traditional approach. It seems logical. But it almost always leads to miscommunication, blown budgets, and months of delays — especially in the world of healthcare design and construction.
Why? Because when you hire an architect and a contractor separately, you’re putting yourself in the middle — trying to coordinate two teams who might not share the same priorities, timeline, or understanding of your needs.
The architect may design something beautiful… but difficult or expensive to build.
The contractor may make changes on the fly… that compromise the original vision.
And when something goes wrong? You’re stuck managing the blame game.
Trouble is, as a busy healthcare professional, you don’t have time to babysit a construction project! You still have patients (and employees) to care for.
📊 Quick Stats:
According to the Construction Industry Institute, 70% of construction projects run over schedule — most due to miscommunication between separate vendors (source)
A study by Engineers Daily found that design errors account for over 38% of project cost overruns (source)
According to Medical Construction & Design Magazine, doctors lose hundreds of hours managing coordination between architects and contractors during the design and build phase (source)
There’s a better way, use a Design + Build firm.
What Is the Design + Build Model?
While the Design + Build model isn’t new, it’s rapidly growing in popularity — especially in healthcare construction. It’s a fully integrated process where one firm handles both the design and construction of your facility — from initial sketches to handing over the keys.
Instead of managing separate teams (architect, engineer, general contractor), you work with one point of contact, one contract, and one team working toward your vision from day one.
This model is gaining traction in medical and wellness facility development — and for good reason.
Why It Works So Well for Healthcare Practices
Whether you’re opening the newest location or just expanding your office, you’re not just building a beautiful, functional space — you’re building a high-performance, code-compliant, and patient-focused facility. It’s a lot.
Design + Build offers key advantages for healthcare providers:
🧠 Smarter Planning with Healthcare in Mind
Specialized practices require:
Efficient flow for staff and patients
ADA compliance
Medical gas or specialized electrical needs
Cleanable surfaces, durable finishes, and more
A healthcare-savvy Design + Build team (such as us at Santorini) plans for all of this early — so you’re not paying to redo things later.
⏱️ Faster Timelines
Traditional builds often fall apart when design plans don’t match construction realities.
With a Design + Build firm, your architect and builder are already collaborating — meaning fewer delays, faster decisions, and less back-and-forth.
💰 Predictable Costs
When architects and builders are siloed, it’s easy to underprice or over-design.
With Design + Build, construction cost is a core part of the design process — so your budget stays under control from the start.
🦩 More Time for What Matters
Managing a construction project isn’t what you went to medical school for.
With an integrated team, you spend less time coordinating — and more time focused on your patients, your team, and your future business.
Why Doctors in El Paso & West Texas Are Making the Switch
Here in El Paso and across West Texas, more and more healthcare providers are turning to design and build firms for their medical offices and wellness centers.
They want:
One point of contact
Predictable timelines
Trusted local experience
And a space that reflects their values and professionalism
So, What’s the #1 Mistake?
You likely figured this out by now…
The #1 mistake doctors make when building their practice is hiring their architect and their contractor separately.
Choosing a Design + Build model eliminates that disconnect — and gives you one aligned team, one shared vision, and a much smoother road to completion.
Ready to Build Smarter?
At Santorini, we specialize in helping doctors, dentists, and wellness providers design and build beautiful, efficient, code-compliant spaces — without the construction chaos.
Whether you’re just starting to brainstorm, plan, or need a second opinion before signing a lease, we can help you take the next step with clarity and confidence.
Let’s Talk
Click here to schedule your free 15-minute consultation and find out if the Design + Build approach is right for your next facility.
