Design Management + Pre-Construction Management + Construction Management
PDC manages every dimension of your construction project — budget, schedule, contractors, procurement, quality, and risk — so that your development delivers on time, within budget, and to specification.
The Full Scope from Day One
Project management in Costa Rica is not just site oversight. It is the systematic control of every variable that determines whether a project delivers on its objectives: cost, schedule, quality, scope, and risk.
PDC's project management service covers design process management — architectural design review and constructability coordination, value engineering, engineering construction drawings management and review across all disciplines, and permitting process oversight. Pre-construction management includes: bidding management, contractor selection, and contract drafting — as well as the construction phase: schedule control, cost control, cost accounting, subcontractor coordination, quality inspections, RFI and submittal management — and project closeout: punch list, occupancy permit, warranty administration, and handover documentation.
PDC provides a dedicated project manager who acts as your full-time representative on site — the single person accountable for every contractor, every cost, and every milestone.
We assume the role of Owner's Representative, pursuing your best interests and providing the critical leadership necessary for success.
Papagayo Design Center assumes the role of leader and manager of the team of architects and engineers assigned to develop all activities required — from master planning and conceptual designs, through construction drawings, contracting construction companies, and construction completion — pursing the best interests of the Owner/Developer as its representative.
With more than 45 years of working experience in engineering and project management, and a well-developed project management delivery system that follows Project Management Institute (PMI) project management procedures, we provide focused project direction, develop disciplined team frameworks, and constant project vigilance. Our system enables us to deliver the financial security and risk management demanded by large and complex projects today.
Papagayo Design Center staff experience and expertise of more than 25 years in the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica includes the development of luxury residences, multifamily residential buildings, boutique hotels, branded vacation hotel resorts, sport and beach clubs, upscale restaurants, mixed-use developments (commercial/hospitality/office), urban development divisions, and roads & utilities infrastructure.
Scope Definition · Work Breakdown Structure · Stakeholder Alignment
PDC doesn't begin work — we begin planning. Before the first drawing is commissioned, before a single engineer is engaged, PDC establishes the full project framework: confirmed scope, defined deliverables, assigned responsibilities, and a structured timeline that every party can follow from day one.
This initiation phase is where the project is won or lost. Projects that skip structured planning don't fail during construction — they fail because no one defined the scope clearly, no one assigned accountability, and no one built a roadmap before the first dollar was spent.
Phase Decomposition · Deliverable Mapping · Scope Control
PDC develops a full Work Breakdown Structure that decomposes the entire project into phases, deliverables, and work packages. Every element of scope is identified, named, and assigned — ensuring nothing is assumed and nothing falls between disciplines. The WBS becomes the backbone of the schedule, the budget, and the accountability matrix.
PDC Templates · Task Assignment · Progress Tracking
From day one, the project is built inside ClickUp using PDC's proprietary project management templates — structured by phase, with tasks, subtasks, assignees, due dates, and status tracking configured before work begins. Every contractor, consultant, and team member has a defined lane. Nothing is tracked by email or memory. The owner and investor have real-time visibility into every open item, every completion, and every delay — from anywhere in the world.
Gantt Chart · Critical Path · Phase Milestones
PDC builds the master Gantt chart across all project phases — from design kickoff through construction completion and occupancy permit. Critical path activities are identified, milestone dates are locked, and the schedule is baselined before any phase begins. This schedule becomes the reference document for every progress report, every contractor meeting, and every owner update throughout the project.
RACI Matrix · Communication Plan · Decision Authority
Every project has too many people, too many decisions, and too much ambiguity about who does what. PDC eliminates that with a formal responsibility matrix — mapping every task to a responsible party, an accountable reviewer, and a communication channel. Architects, engineers, contractors, municipal contacts, legal representatives, and the owner all know exactly where they fit, what they own, and who to escalate to.
Design Coordination · Cost Control · Constructability
It has become the most important component of the project management delivery system. If a project's design is carefully managed to ensure it is consistent with the owner's vision, aesthetics, functionality, scope, quality, schedule, and budget, then the construction process becomes a less complex execution procedure.
Drawing Quality · Buildability · Field Conflict Prevention
PDC reviews the architectural drawings not to correct the architect, but to add value — identifying design details that can be simplified, coordinated, or refined to make the project easier to build, more efficient to construct, and less costly without compromising quality or design intent. This collaborative review process results in drawings that are cleaner, more buildable, and less prone to field conflicts.
Multi-Discipline Coordination · Drawing Review · Permitting Readiness
The same principle applies whether PDC is providing the engineering directly (structural, civil, electrical, mechanical) or coordinating with the client's engineers. We review all engineering construction drawings across all disciplines, coordinate between them, identify conflicts early, and ensure the full set is coordinated, complete, and ready for permitting and construction. When PDC provides the engineering, this is handled internally; when the client has their own engineers, we act as the technical reviewer and coordinator.
Cost Optimization · Constructability · Scope Analysis
PDC systematically reviews the project scope, specifications, and design decisions to identify opportunities to achieve the same result at lower cost or with better constructability — always protecting the quality and design vision the owner is investing in.
Drawing Coordination · Specification Review · Constructability Analysis
We perform a careful and thorough review of all construction drawings and technical specifications across all design specialties — architectural, structural, electrical, mechanical, and plumbing — to ensure that the construction documents submitted to general contractors are complete, fully coordinated, and constructable. This process significantly mitigates the risk of scope gaps, inter-discipline design conflicts, and mid-construction ambiguities that generate change orders, cost overruns, contractor disputes, and schedule delays — protecting the owner's budget and ensuring construction teams receive a build-ready document package from day one.
Institutional Submissions · Timeline Control · Permit Tracking
The permit process — whether managed directly by PDC or coordinated with the client's permitting team — is tracked during pre-construction to ensure all submissions are timely, complete, and aligned with the construction start schedule. We monitor the institutional approvals pipeline so that construction is not delayed by permit gaps.
Cost Estimations & Budgets · Scheduling · Bidding & Contracting
Providing accurate, timely cost estimations, schedules, and budgets — from planning the design process through the construction phase — is essential in successfully managing complex projects. It gives the owner an opportunity to make intelligent, informed decisions at critical stages throughout the life of the project.
PDC employs proven software and management systems including WBS, Microsoft Project, Cost Control/Cost Projection software, ClickUp, QuickBooks, AutoCAD, Civil 3D, and Revit — monitoring all project activities, generating detailed budget and cash flow reports, Gantt charts, PERT organization charts, and resource allocation schedules. Project costs and schedules are constantly back-checked against the control budget baseline for strict adherence.
Identification · Mitigation · Contingency Planning
Clear understanding of project constraints and weaknesses facilitates a risk management program with appropriate responses to diminish risk. More than 25 years of work experience in the Pacific Coast with hotels, clubs, residential buildings, and related urban development infrastructure projects allows us to foresee future problems and plan appropriate mitigation strategies.
Bidding · Negotiations · Contracting · Procurement
Mastered through various management techniques and strengthened with the experience of having worked with most of the major consultants, general contractors, subcontractors, and material suppliers in the country. Invited participants are carefully selected based on past experiences. We have worked with AIA Contract Documents (American Institute of Architects) for purchasing and contracting.
Schedule · Quality · Safety · Reporting
PDC specializes in project and construction management. We provide the leadership to manage the design and construction processes with efficient, disciplined procedures, offering a level of specialized technical expertise.
As the owner's representative, PDC directs and coordinates all activities of the design and construction phases. All communications among the owner, construction contractors, technical inspectors, and the design team are funneled through the PDC team to guarantee quick, efficient decision-making and a single source of accountability.
The underlying principle of the "team approach" is that when the owner, design team, systems engineers, technical inspection team, construction manager, general contractor, key trade-contractors, and procurement manager work toward a common goal directed by a consistent management process, the results are predictable and successful.
The PDC Project delivery methodology is based on a pro-active system based on the Project Management Institute (PMI) processes areas which constantly places the project focus and ownership's objectives at the forefront.
Roles · Communication · Performance
We have a strong conviction that the best way to achieve success is through teamwork. The owner's team, design team, and contractor team are coordinated by the project manager through different management tools to pursue a smooth development of all project tasks toward a common objective.
Tracking · Forecasting · Change Orders
The key to good project cost accounting and cost control is not only knowing what you have spent to-date, but also knowing what you have committed to, control of all change orders, and updated projections of completed cost. PDC generates detailed job accounting cost reports and monthly project cost control reports. We establish the UNIFORMAT construction activity code through the entire project process for precise cost control and accounting to ensure efficient use of ownership investment. Periodic reports are issued in a customized format so all project stakeholders receive accurate, timely, and summarized reports.
Milestones · Critical Path · Resource Allocation
More than 45 years dealing with Costa Rican consultants, construction companies, subcontractors, suppliers, and workers has given us extensive knowledge to plan and schedule projects with realistic timing and sequencing that are achievable. PDC manages the entire project schedule from conceptual design to construction completion punch list via a proactively imposed project scheduling system.
Pending Lists · Punch Lists · Close-Out · Final Delivery & Turnover · Owner Handover
The final phase is as important as any other. PDC manages the complete close-out process to ensure you receive a fully documented, legally complete project — with every permit closed, every system commissioned, and every deliverable formally transferred to the owner.
| Pending List & Substantial Completion | Scope verification through construction drawings, Technical Specifications, and Construction Contract |
| Final Walkthrough & Punch List | Scope verification through Construction Drawings, Technical Specifications, and Construction Contract |
| Punch List Supervision | Each item tracked to full resolution before final payment is certified |
| As-Built Drawings | All record drawings collected and reviewed from contractor and every consultant discipline |
| Warranties & Operation Manuals | Equipment warranties, O&M manuals, and maintenance contracts collected and organized |
| Legal Close-Out Documents | Occupancy permit, CFIA sign-off, utility connections, and environmental closure obtained |
| Final Payment Certification | Contractor's final invoice approved only upon full close-out compliance |
| Formal Project Handover | Structured owner orientation and complete transfer of all project documentation |
Autograph Collection by Marriott, Playa Flamingo (124 suites, LEED Silver) · Kalia Eco-Luxury Living, Nosara (28 residences) · CocoBay Estates · Segovia Heights Condominium · The Tennis Club at CBE