Jean Scheijen For some time the construction industry has been moving toward design-build as a more collaborative way to deliver a project one that allows contractors to integrate design into their practices Advocates tout its cost and time savings so its no wonder that contractors focused on traditional delivery methods like design-bid-build DBB might be interested in design-build But experts say there are major issues contractors should consider before leaping into design-build Understanding the risks In the design-build delivery method contractors become the single point of contact and responsibility for both the design and construction phases of a project said Lisa Washington executive director of the Design-Build Institute of America This means that contractors whose experience has primarily been in DBB for instance need to have a clear understanding of the risk that goes along with that Design flaws and other issues related to plans and specifications for instance now are the contractors responsibility a shift from more traditional methods where the owner and contractor expect the architect to assume liability for any design errors The concept of a single point of responsibility can seem very straight forward said Washington but you have to understand what it means so that you can manage the expectations and work with the owner to properly allocate the risks Having the right mindset Developing a successful design-build program Washington said usually requires a significant mental shift on the part of team members who are not used to working so collaboratively You have to have the right mindset the right personalities and participants who are team-oriented not individual-oriented said Greg Gidez corporate director for design services at general contractor Hensel Phelps This can be difficult for those who have spent a career working on DBB projects where there is a clear hierarchy and players who can be a bit territorial regarding their respective roles Its possible to make the shift but are they curmudgeons who are intolerant to change If so then its going to be an uphill climb Gidez said If those team members can change however which is made easier once they taste success with design-build they should find the transition much smoother he said Some contractors said Bill Godwin partner and senior project manager with Bacar Constructors Inc in Nashville Tennessee have a leg up when it comes to integrating design into their businesses like those that have assisted owners in the design process and helped to establish costs as part of negotiated work or value engineering I think if you have that kind of background and culture Godwin said you have the opportunity to make a good transition into design-build If all youve ever been in is the hard bid rip-them-and-read-them type of work its not impossible but thats a heavy lift moving straight from that into this idea of team and cooperation and trust Adopting this collaborative philosophy however might aid in recruitment as well Get construction news like this in your inbox daily Subscribe to Construction Dive What I keep hearing Washington said is that young professionals who are graduating from college and entering the workforce its natural to them They dont understand why you even have to learn how to be collaborative Owners also have to have the right mindset she said and just like all the other team members on a design-build project understand that moving into a more collaborative relationship isnt as easy as flipping a switch Contractors need to recognize which owners will make good team members and which will not she said Recognizing design-build not for every project Most contractors that are engaged in design-build have a pretty formal process for making a go or no-go decision Washington said and it takes into account everything from how much work they have on their plate right now to how many team members they have available to how many other firms might bid on the project There is a cost to compete she said so every team must make a decision as to whether the project is worth the effort financially Design-build done right is very professionally and personally rewarding Gidez said But if you dont understand the nuances youre going to end up doing it wrong Some of the questions contractors should ask before taking on a design-build project are Do you have a designer on your team that understands scheduling budgets and what they have to do to deliver on time Did you thoroughly vet your partners and choose wisely Does the owner understand design-build practices Its in the details Gidez said and its the stuff like education the right personality the right owner the right fee all these things go into making the job right And if you dont have these conversations then all bets are off and its a free-for-all Partnering with architects and engineers Contractors that want to jump into design-build might be concerned at the prospect of hiring and investing in an in-house design team so that they are able to compete for projects but Godwin said they shouldnt be Its much easier to partner with an architectural-engineering firm than it is to go out and hire an architect to be a part of your staff he said Projects are so varied Godwin said it would be a challenge to decide which type of engineer or architect to take on full time Do you hire an engineer If so what kind structural mechanical electrical I would venture to say that the overwhelming majority of design-builders do it this way he said They partner with a firm that has the experience and background and résumé for the type of project that you want to pursue This is the strategy that even the biggest contractors take Godwin said We refer to firms that have the in-house capabilities as integrated design-build firms There are some out there and they are excellent but they are a distinct minority Being proactive versus reactive Contractors Godwin said need to realize that they will lead most design-build projects and must adjust from reactionary mode waiting on owner-hired architects and engineers to produce designs so that they can price and build them to developing that design themselves with the ultimate responsibility for meeting the expectations of the owner within the established budget The biggest contractor challenge in all of that he said is probably how to manage the design team how to be a good team leader and allow them to do their segment of the project Theres a lot of finessing that has to go on between your design partner and you as a general contractor