TABLE OF CONTENTS In today s market, the design-build project delivery method can respond to a variety of owner needs related to facilities and other physical improvements. As a rule, a design-builder can or will undertake any risk for which it has both the financial capacity to accept and the skill, ability, capacity, and authority to manage. The design-build contract method, which typically combines architectural and engineering design with construction, can also include site procurement, construction and permanent financing, physical plant maintenance, and, if necessary, facility operation. The flexibility of the design-build methodology is evidenced by the evolving multiplicity of contract examples. These new contracts combine design and construction in various combinations and often add related products and services, including furniture, fixtures, and equipment; long-term maintenance contracts and building system guarantees; project financing; and facility staffing and operations. However, these combinations did not occur without motivation from the marketplace, that is, from owners needs and constraints. Practitioners of design-build have recognized that the design and construction industry is driven by owner needs and not by any limitations on the supply of design or construction services.
A design-build offer is an answer to a question. Unlike traditional design-bid-build procurement, which asks the simple and direct question What will my building cost?, design-build proposals respond to the more complex and difficult request Show me the best facility with the greatest value that meets my needs and budget. Thus we see that...
