Design-Build: Part 1 - Understanding the Method

Over the past two decades, the Design-Build delivery method has become a preference for public agencies and owners procuring increasingly complex public works and civil infrastructure projects.

In the early 2000s, many states in the US had restrictive laws limiting Design-Build use for public projects. Since then, a growing body of evidence demonstrating the benefits of Design-Build has led to over 40 states authorizing the use of Design-Build and other Alternative Project Delivery (APD) methods, including Construction Manager / General Contractor (CM/GC), Public-Private Partnerships (P3), and Job Order Contracting (JOC).

In addition, there has been a shift in the construction industry towards a focus on collaboration and risk management. Recognizing the benefits of a collaborative approach, owners have increasingly opted for Design-Build as it fosters teamwork, stimulates information sharing, and enhances transparent communication between project members.

Design-Build is a construction project delivery method that combines the design and construction services under one contract between the owner and a single entity known as the "Design-Builder" or "Design-Build Team". This approach promotes collaboration, as one entity drives a unified workflow from the initial concept through completion. It transforms the relationship between designers and builders into an alliance that encourages collaboration, resulting in a project completed faster, more cost-effectively, and with optimized quality.

The vertical accountability structure of Design-Build places the responsibility of coordinating all project elements with the Design-Builder, minimizing the risk of conflicts, change orders, and disputes common in other project delivery systems where the owner must manage separate contracts for design and construction.

Owners are trending towards Design-Build as a response to the challenges posed by increasingly complex public works and civil infrastructure projects for the following reasons:

The Design-Build method involves one entity—the Design-Build Team—working under a single contract with the project owner to provide design and construction services. This unified flow of work builds collaboration and transparent communication, reduces risks to schedule, and delivers the best value innovation. In comparison:

Over the past 20 years, Design-Build has evolved significantly to become a preferred choice for owners. The single point of responsibility, flexibility and responsiveness, enhanced risk management, and collaborative approach offered by Design-Build make it particularly well-suited to addressing the challenges posed by complex public works and civil infrastructure projects.

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