The Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) has released “Universally Applicable Best Practices Applying to Any Project Type, in Any Market Sector, of Any Size.” Based on research, case studies, and industry input, DBIA has identified design-build best practices.
“The 10 Design-Build Done Right Best Practices serve as a single source that clearly defines design-build fundamentals to significantly enhance superior project outcomes,” says Lisa Washington, CAE, Executive Director/CEO, DBIA. “With design-build currently at 40% of all non-residential design and construction, the impetus for owners to engage in Design-Build Done Right is at an all-time high. By applying these ten DBIA Best Practices, owners and practitioners will unlock the inherent value of design-build project delivery.”
Best practices supporting effective design-build start during the owner’s procurement decision-making process and span through project execution. Each DBIA Best Practice is supplemented by several techniques that provide guidance on specific ways to implement the best practice. The combination of best practices and implementing techniques are the basis for Design-Build Done Right.
Design-build requires more than a good contract and appropriate risk allocation. Everyone from the owner to the subcontractors must understand the process, the expectations and fully engage in the collaboration. DBIA categorizes the 10 best practices (and nearly 50 supporting implementing techniques) into three areas:
Procuring Design-Build Services
1. An owner should conduct a proactive and objective assessment of the unique characteristics of its program/project and its organization before deciding to use design-build.
2. An owner should implement a procurement plan that enhances collaboration and other benefits of design-build and is in harmony with the reasons that the owner chose the design-build delivery system.
3. An owner using a competitive design-build procurement that seeks price and technical proposals should: (a) establish clear evaluation and selection processes; (b) ensure that the process is fair, open and transparent; and (c) value both technical concepts and price in the selection process.
Contracting for Design-Build Services:
4. Contracts used on design-build projects should be fair, balanced and clear, and should promote the collaborative aspects inherent in the design-build process.
5. The contract between the owner and design-builder should address the unique aspects of the design-build process, including expected standards of care for design services.
6. The contracts between the design-builder and its team members should address the unique aspects of the design-build process.
Executing the Delivery of Design-Build Projects:
7. All design-build team members should be educated and trained in the design-build process, and be knowledgeable of the differences between design-build and other delivery systems.
8. The project team should establish logistics and infrastructure to support integrated project delivery.
9. The project team, at the outset of the project, should establish processes to facilitate timely and effective communication, collaboration, and issue resolution.
10. The project team should focus on the design management and commissioning/turnover processes and ensure that there is alignment among the team as to how to execute these processes.
DBIA recognizes that there are real-world differences among design-build market sectors (e.g., water/wastewater, transportation, federal projects), and that specific implementation techniques might differ slightly from one market sector to another. For this reason, DBIA is in the process of working with market sector experts on sector-specific documents to supplement the overall best practices released today. These will provide more detailed guidance on how to put these best practices and implementing techniques into use in different design-build market sectors.
DBIA intends to continually update its portfolio of publications, tools and other resources so that design-build stakeholders will have access to leading-edge information that will allow them to achieve Design-Build Done Right in accordance with the concepts expressed in this document.
Related Stories
| Jul 23, 2014
Top Healthcare Sector Architecture Firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
HDR, Stantec, and HKS top Building Design+Construction's 2014 ranking of the largest healthcare architecture and architecture/engineering firms in the U.S.
| Jul 23, 2014
Tallest skyscraper in South Korea now open
The Northeast Asia Trade Tower stands at 308 meters and is the focal point of the Songdo International Business District, a new 310-hectare city built on reclaimed land.
| Jul 23, 2014
Architecture Billings Index up nearly a point in June
AIA reported the June ABI score was 53.5, up from a mark of 52.6 in May.
| Jul 22, 2014
L.A.'s tallest tower to get observation deck
U.S. Bank Tower, as part of a series of improvements, will be getting an observation deck and restaurant at its top.
| Jul 22, 2014
Herzog & de Meuron unveil curvy concrete condo in Manhattan
Herzog & de Meuron have released renderings of their new $250 million New York building, a 12-story condominium with 88 luxury apartments.
| Jul 21, 2014
Narrowing the field: Stirling Prize shortlist announced
The list includes first-time nominees Mecanoo and Renzo Piano Building Workshop, as well as previous winners Zaha Hadid Architects and Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios.
| Jul 21, 2014
Designing the process of leadership transition
Transition planning can be one of the more complex challenges that firms face. Effective plans begin by determining the gap between a firm’s current state and the future it envisions for itself. SPONSORED CONTENT
| Jul 21, 2014
16 utility questions to answer during your building project
We need electricity to power our building projects, along with water and gas and a faultless sanitation system. That’s what we think about when we think about utility requirements for our building project, but are we missing something? SPONSORED CONTENT
| Jul 21, 2014
Commercial real estate development growing at strongest pace since recovery began: NAIOP report
Industrial, warehousing, office, and retail sectors see strong gains; Texas leads the nation in construction-value stats.
| Jul 21, 2014
Economists ponder uneven recovery, weigh benefits of big infrastructure [2014 Giants 300 Report]
According to expert forecasters, multifamily projects, the Panama Canal expansion, and the petroleum industry’s “shale gale” could be saving graces for commercial AEC firms seeking growth opportunities in an economy that’s provided its share of recent disappointments.
