Page 12 - spaces4learning, July/August 2020

spaces4learning DESIGN-BUILD
WHY DESIGN-BUILD MERITS SERIOUS CONSIDERATION FOR ACADEMIC DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION
The academic sector is the perfect use case for exploring how design-build is the best delivery system for mitigating risk, increasing the speed of delivery, lowering costs, and delivering great design –
all through a simpler, more collaborative process.
By Ed Hodges
DESPITE BEING THE FASTEST GROWING AND MOST popular method used to deliver construction projects in Amer- ica, many outside of the architectural design and construction industries are still unfamiliar with the design-build model. But project owners familiar with design-build recognize its financial and risk mitigation benefits. Academic institutions, which are increasingly under pressure to decrease costs and shorten proj- ect schedules, stand to benefit from adopting the design-build model on their campuses.
What is design-build?
In every design and construction project, unforeseen cir- cumstances almost always arise – like weather, cost overruns, product shortages or change orders – often resulting in a de- layed project completion. The design-build method helps keep projects on schedule, as the client manages one contract with a single point of contact. Because the designer and contractor are hired together as a team, decisions are made collectively to deliver a project that fits the client’s requirements and wishes. They work together to solve any challenges that may arise, rath- er than blaming each other for any setbacks encountered along the way.
In traditional architecture and construction project delivery, there is a triangular relationship between the client, architect and contractor, with the client at the topmost point. Subcon- tractors are often hired under both the architect and contractor points of this triangle – further complicating the relationships
by allowing for ambiguity over who owns the exposure when problems arise. The client must manage two separate teams and their subcontractors, which can create an adversarial relation- ship rather than a symbiotic one.
Long-considered an alternative method of project delivery, research from FMI shows that design-build construction spend- ing is anticipated to grow 18% from 2018 to 2021, and is pro- jected to represent up to 44% of construction spending by 2021. Manufacturing, highway/road and education are expected to represent the greatest percentage of design-build construction.
Before we dive into why these sectors, particularly educa- tion, are prime for design-build project delivery, let’s briefly ex- plore some of the common misconceptions that have hindered wider implementation of the design-build approach.
Common misconceptions around design-build delivery
Because design-build was most commonly adopted in public works projects such as highways, bridges and other municipal works, when it was initially introduced, many people thought that it was only for projects where function outweighs design – i.e. if you choose design-build, control over design will be com- promised. A contributing factor to this misguided thought is that teams are typically contractor-led, so the architect or de- signer is not in the driver’s seat of the project.
Another misconception about design-build is that it is typi- cally chosen only for projects with aggressive timelines for com-
12 JUL/AUG 2020