·
Fewer
change orders
·
Single-point
of contact
·
Cheaper?
·
Faster?
·
No
“pointing fingers” in a dispute between the design professional and the
contractor – the architect works for the contractor
Go to DBIA’s website to
understand the benefits they promote:
One Contract, One
Integrated Team
Design-build
streamlines project delivery through a single contract between the owner and
the design-build team. This simple but fundamental difference saves money and
time by transforming the relationship between designers and builders into an
alliance which fosters collaboration and teamwork. United from the outset of
every project, an integrated team readily incorporates BIM and LEED
certification goals.
What’s this mean for
architects?
- Benefits
– hook up with a competitive contractor and their marketing team, and you
increase your chances for big jobs.
And, your construction administration services will be limited (is
this really what you want?).
- Challenges – as an architect, do you really want to work for the contractor? Is this a conflict with our professional mission to represent the owner? Are you doing the owner an injustice by not developing the design hand-in-hand with the users? Can you afford to be a player bidding on a project?
Bridging Documents –
These are architect-prepared plans describing the scope for the owner. They become the “bid documents” in a
design-build RFP. If a complicated
project, like a hospital, they may be at the Design Development level. Many owners and agencies think they are
saving money by providing sketchy descriptions of project scope. “Leave the
creative design to the contractor-design professional, and they’ll find a
better way to build for less.”
Designing for Free -
When bridging documents are lacking, architects and engineers on the design-build
team get to prepare schematics, often for FREE. The design better be sufficiently developed
so the sub-contractors understand the scope.
The AIA says the median cost for firms to submit a design-build package
is $260,000! An unscrupulous contractor can cut corners when the scope has not
been well-defined by the owner.
What about QBS? If not familiar with this law, Google
“QBS”. Called the “Brooks Act”,
Qualifications Based Selection is just what the name implies. A preferred list of architects is ranked by
the owner based on qualifications. The owner meets with the first ranked firm and
negotiates fees. If unsuccessful, the
owner can go to #2 and so on. QBS
applies to public work. California has
its own law for public entities: “the
Mini-Brooks Act”. Is Design-Build
procurement by California public agencies without compensating design
professionals, a violation of the law?
Circle back…“Is Design-Build Project Delivery
Benefitting the Public?”
In fact is
this method of procurement a benefit? Is
this one more opportunity for fraud?
Check out the sordid history of LACCD and design-build. My biases are showing!
We need to
understand why so many public clients prefer design-build. Many public architects are advocates for
design-build. Why? Instead of whining about losing opportunities,
ASK HOW WE CAN BETTER SERVE THE PUBLIC BODY.
It’s a rapidly changing world, and architects are lagging behind.
What action is being
taken?
- Grassroots,
AIA’s leadership conference for component leaders is this week (March
20-22). One of the four issues they
will take to “the Hill” as they meet with their representatives is “Small
Business Procurement”. AIA supports
common-sense reforms to procurement that will help small firms enter the
marketplace. Not many architectural
practices can afford the cost of designing for free to compete for a
design-build project!
- AIA
Los Angeles – Meeting with Paul Welch, Hon. AIA, California Council
Executive VP, 2013 CC president Frank Bostrom, AIA and local firm leaders
representing AIA/LA and Pasadena-Foothill met in February to develop an
action plan at the State level.
- LAUSD’s Small Business Advisory Council under the leadership of Charles Bryant, AIA is currently advising the District on how to provide design-build opportunities for smaller firms.
Lance
Bird, FAIA
