The Hopes and Fears of Design-Build THIS METHOD OF PROJECT DELIVERY TEMPTS SOME ARCHITECTS WITH THE ROLE OF MASTER BUILDER WHILE THREATENING TO PUT OTHERS ON PAR WITH THE TRADES By Nancy B. Solomon, AIA hether architects like it or not, design- Y G build is on the rise. According to the O L Design-Build Institute of America O (DBIA), an association founded in 1993 N W H to promote single-source project delivery within the C E design and construction community, about 40 percent T of all nonresidential construction projects in both the L public and private sector now use this approach, in con- A R trast to fewer than 10 percent two decades ago. And, on U T average, the 98 companies responding to ZweigWhite C Information Services for its 2005 Design/Build Survey E T of Design & Construction Firms indicate that, over the I H next five years, a larger percentage of their gross annual C revenue will come from design-build projects.“Design- R A build is taking off,” says Dorwin Thomas, AIA, the current chair of AIA’s Design-Build Knowledge D R Community. He predicts that it will be the leading O C method of project delivery in North America by 2010. The Buchanan Yonushewski Group of Denver provided design, construction, and development E R Admittedly, many of these projects are not services to expand and convert a local historic warehouse into the WaterTower Lofts. the kind that architects focus on. According to the L A same ZweigWhite survey, the responding firms were most likely to employ it to the process that was common before the 18th century, when edifices R U design-build in the market that includes industrial plants, refineries, and were typically shaped by a “master builder” rather than by a splintered T warehouses (48 percent of this work was reported to be done via design- group of architects, engineers, and contractors. Other supporters point out C E build). But this is followed closely by commercial (46 percent), parking that some forms of design-build have long been popular in other coun- T I garages (44 percent), recreation (39 percent), and medical facilities (38 tries, such as Japan and France. H percent). And the list goes on to include hotels/multifamily residential (34 Opportunities for architects in design-build, however, were in the C R percent); schools, libraries, and museums (26 percent); and other public United States during the first half of the 20th century. The AIA’s first Code A buildings (34 percent).“I used to think design-build was better for cookie- of Ethics, adopted in 1909, forbade its members from participating in cutter types of projects, but you are now seeing more complex projects design-build projects due to a perceived conflict of interest in protecting the being done by design-build,” observes Harold Adams, FAIA, chairman owner while at the same time profiting from the construction labor and emeritus of RTKL Associates and the current chairman of DBIA—the first materials. In addition, federal and state procurement laws were based solely architect to assume that post. on the design-bid-build method and therefore did not permit the use of a combined design-build contract. One contract instead of two Due to various and complex forces, the fate of design-build began Simply put, design-build describes a method of project delivery in which to shift in the latter half of the century. AIA adopted a new Code of Ethics R E T the client holds only one contract with the entity that will design and build in 1986 that no longer forbade design-build; the federal government has S I E the structure in question. This is in contrast to the so-called traditional gradually come to embrace the process; and—according to G. William M R project delivery method known as “design-bid-build,”in which the client Quatman, FAIA, a licensed architect and attorney with the law firm of H U F holds two contracts: the first with the design firm that conceptualizes the Shughart Thomson & Kilroy in Kansas City, Missouri—currently all but six D E project, generates the construction documents, assists the client in procur- states have laws that permit some level of design-build for public projects. R F ing a builder, and advocates on behalf of the client to ensure that the Design-build proponents say these changes have occurred largely © : Y project is built according to the drawings and specifications; the second is because, over the years, many more clients and industry members came to H P with the builder. Architects who are proponents of design-build often liken feel that the design-bid-build’s enforced separation fostered conflicts A R G among the various parties holding separate contracts with the client, thus O T Contributing editor Nancy B. Solomon, AIA, writes about computer technology, fueling litigation and increasing overall costs. “Owners are fed up with O H P building science, and topics of interest to the architectural profession. design-bid-build,” says Thomas. “They are demanding design-build 11.05 Architectural Record 1 ARCHITECTURAL TECHNOLOGY 2 ar groups. asDBIAchair, During histenure is encouraging other Adams isthefourth Community of largest Knowledge Build 25interest AIA’s practitioners:among than8,000members, more With Design- AIA’s the kindatthattime.some Nonetheless, be growing to seem does interest 2003 fi owners, of 20percent only theinstitute’s to firms responding AIA-member method delivery thepart on asingle-source for of preference growing many D The manyfacesofdesign-build thestart. from board on andinstallation costs techniques construction who knows contractor ever, a having thatallquality canget better clients by design andproducts withinplaced thehandsof design-build one team. contends, Adams how- still theyclients fear will notget what they need if all theauthority is will specs beperformance met. will thatitsrequirements ensure some But design-buildernment hasembraced because thatitsdetailed itbelieves Adams, many. to to anagging concern remains According thefederal gov- conflict.” time andmoney andreduces because itsaves espite the ethical and legal changes over the past 20-some years, thepast20-some theethical andlegal over espite changes andthe c hit A r c e hit rm survey indicated that they were offeringrm design-build survey services thatthey indicated were of c ts t ec The quality level offered by thismethod of by The quality offered level delivery, however, t ur o get involved and learn more about design-build. andlearn more o get involved al Record 11.05 ar design-build. get thedesigner into to version.like pushing one We’d The who holdsthecontract with theowner.Adams,“DBIA to isnot According team, to team structured of similarly interms those thatare among even b engineers, by dominated in thissurvey are very design- socurrently few developers. by percent thatthestaff shouldbe noted It of thedesign firms house; an integrated firm, hasboth which design andconstruction expertise in- acontractor; headed by were design-build projects led by were 26percent hiring by all players. theother brokers theact, into gotten firms—have struction—such asaccounting serving as businessesThomas reports con- with thateven to connection nohistorical contracts necessary theother project. expertise agiven andskills for staff, on builders anindividual or developer, builder, who sub- architect or and acontracting company, thathasboth designers and asingle company firm anarchitecture between venture aproject-specific joint by provided permutations of many are design-build. The service, example, for canbe uild projects are actually spearheaded architects. are uild projects by c hit e c 11 percent were led by designers; led by were 11 percent venture; joint by 5percent and4 t d The roles and influence of andinfluence The roles canvary thearchitect from greatly 2005survey, of 55percent ZweigWhite’s to According thefirms’ One of isthatthere understand need to things thefirst architects oes not have to be thelead,to oes nothave be all atthetable must the time.” but graduate design-build graduate offeredhas asenior ofKansas University the at Urban Design and of Architecture The School programs. t nur- schoolshave few a ties ofconstruction, understand thereali- better to for students R U ured design-build ured ecognizing theneed niversity ofKansasatLawrence s in Kansas City. in Kansas House (thispage),both and theModular2 right) and drawings, left(opposite, two the Modular1House p from constructed two affordable houses generated has studio twothe years, the past tudio since 1995. In tudio since1995. refabricated modules: refabricated PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS AT L AWRENCE ( THIS PAGE AND OPPOSITE) The students gain expe- rience at every stage, from identifying a real client and site through designing, manufactur- ing, transporting, and assembling the final product. Architect Steve Coxhead, senior associate at David Owen Tryba disciplines work well together. It’s critical, he says, “to establish the rela- Architects (DOTA) in Denver, agrees: “As long as the contractor is sensi- tionship before anyone starts worrying about the final design or the tive to the design philosophy and intent, the quality can be just as good in construction sequence, and then to nurture it through the process.”After a contractor-led project. The quality really has more to do with the rela- their team was selected, the various players participated in team-building tionship between contractor and designer.” retreats to create an atmosphere of communication and cooperation. And DOTA’s first design-build venture began in 2000, when the archi- to maintain this spirit of teamwork, architect, engineer, and contractor tecture firm approached Hensel Phelps Construction to collaborate on a worked together in the same office adjacent to the site. Says Coxhead, “It Request for Proposal disseminated by the City of Denver for a municipal made it easy to walk down the hallway to talk about the constructability building near the central business district.