The Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) has released what it claims to be the first and only full set of warranty bonds, proposal bonds, and payment and performance bonds that are specifically crafted for design-build projects.
A task force within the Washington-based DBIA, chaired by G. William Quatman, the general counsel for Burns and McDonnell, worked over the past year on forms that are tailored to this sector. The coauthors of the forms include designers and builders. The National Association of Surety Bond Producers and the Surety & Fidelity Association of America have endorsed the documents.
The new family of bond forms includes a Proposal Bond (610), a Warranty Bond (615), and three sets of Payment and Performance Bonds for Design-Builders (620 and 625), Contractors (640 and 645), and Subcontractors (630 and 635).
“Mirroring the design-build philosophy, DBIA’s family of contract documents is reflective of our diverse membership base representing the needs of both public and private owners, general and specialty contractors, architects, consultants, and engineers,” says Lisa Washington, the Institute’s Executive Director and CEO. “They are written to guide success for the entire project team – owners and practitioners alike.”
A spokesperson for the Institute, Geoff Corey, tells BD+C that his organization focuses primarily on nonresidential activities. “So these forms would be of real interest to [AEC] firms doing design-build commercial or government projects.”
He also points out that many AEC firms that don’t specialize in design-build enter these projects through joint ventures and LLCs, or are hired subcontractors. “They would probably be interested in using these model forms since they’ve been created for design-build projects,” says Corey.
DBIA states that the advantage of these documents is that they offer one solicitation, one award, and one contract to administer. The documents are also adaptable to a project team’s characteristics.
The bond forms, as well as other contract and consent forms are available on DBIA’s website.
Related Stories
| Jan 21, 2011
Manufacturing plant transformed into LEED Platinum Clif Bar headquarters
Clif Bar & Co.’s new 115,000-sf headquarters in Emeryville, Calif., is one of the first buildings in the state to meet the 2008 California Building Energy Efficiency Standards. The structure has the largest smart solar array in North America, which will provide nearly all of its electrical energy needs.
| Jan 21, 2011
Harlem facility combines social services with retail, office space
Harlem is one of the first neighborhoods in New York City to combine retail with assisted living. The six-story, 50,000-sf building provides assisted living for residents with disabilities and a nonprofit group offering services to minority groups, plus retail and office space.
| Jan 21, 2011
Revamped hotel-turned-condominium building holds on to historic style
The historic 89,000-sf Hotel Stowell in Los Angeles was reincarnated as the El Dorado, a 65-unit loft condominium building with retail and restaurant space. Rockefeller Partners Architects, El Segundo, Calif., aimed to preserve the building’s Gothic-Art Nouveau combination style while updating it for modern living.
| Jan 21, 2011
Library planned for modern media enthusiasts
The England Run Library, a new 30,000-sf glass, brick, and stone building, will soon house more than 100,000 books and DVDs. The Lukmire Partnership, Arlington, Va., designed the Stafford County, Va., library, the firm’s fourth for the Central Rappahannock Library System, to combine modern library-browsing trends with traditional library services.
| Jan 21, 2011
Virginia community college completes LEED Silver science building
The new 60,000-sf science building at John Tyler Community College in Midlothian, Va., just earned LEED Silver, the first facility in the Commonwealth’s community college system to earn this recognition. The facility, designed by Burt Hill with Gilbane Building Co. as construction manager, houses an entire floor of laboratory classrooms, plus a new library, student lounge, and bookstore.
| Jan 21, 2011
Upscale apartments offer residents a twist on modern history
The Goodwynn at Town: Brookhaven, a 433,300-sf residential and retail building in DeKalb County, Ga., combines a historic look with modern amenities. Atlanta-based project architect Niles Bolton Associates used contemporary materials in historic patterns and colors on the exterior, while concealing a six-level parking structure on the interior.
| Jan 21, 2011
Research center built for interdisciplinary cooperation
The Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children’s Hospital, in Houston, the first basic research institute for childhood neurological diseases, is a 13-story twisting tower in the center of the hospital campus.
| Jan 21, 2011
Music festival’s new home showcases scenic setting
Epstein Joslin Architects, Cambridge, Mass., designed the Shalin Liu Performance Center in Rockport, Mass., to showcase the Rockport Chamber Music Festival, as well at the site’s ocean views.
| Jan 20, 2011
Houston Dynamo soccer team plans new venue
Construction is scheduled to begin this month on a new 22,000-seat Major League Soccer stadium for the Houston Dynamo. The $60 million project is expected to be ready for the 2012 MLS season.
| Jan 20, 2011
Construction begins on second St. Louis community center
O’Fallon Park Recreation Complex in St. Louis, designed by local architecture/engineering firm KAI Design & Build, will feature an indoor aquatic park with interactive water play features, a lazy river, water slides, laps lanes, and an outdoor spray and multiuse pool.