special supplement
FROM BLUEPRINT
TO BUILD-OUT
Project delivery methods help construction happen
by JESSICA LASKEY
B
uild it, and they will come — but how should you contract to
build it?
“You can have a great design, but if you don’t have a way
to turn that vision into reality, the whole thing falls apart,” says
Chuck Hack of architecture and engineering firm Lionakis. “Proj-
ect delivery methods help a client bring a project to market.”
There are many different types of project delivery methods,
each with their own benefits and drawbacks.
Design-build is one of the most popular, in which an owner de-
velops a concept, then contracts with a single company that both
designs and constructs the project.
Another is design-bid-build, in which an owner develops
a plan with an architect or engineer and then solicits bids from
contractors.
Meanwhile, integrated project delivery — in which owner, ar-
chitect and contractor work in collaboration from the get-go — is
not as commonly used as design-build or design-bid-build, but
because of its integrated structure, it is a cost-saving approach.
So how do construction companies choose? Often the client
selects the PDM based on how much control they want. Having
separate service providers means more control but higher cost.
Tighter integration can mean reduced costs but potentially limited
influence.
Here are how six regional construction firms select their
PDMs.
August 2019 | comstocksmag.com
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