The answer to improving quality, speed and cost of construction in Philadelphia

By Byron Lee, Ph.D. Senior Manager, Marketing and Communications, GBCA

The Penn Medicine Pavilion in West Philadelphia is a monumental feat of construction. The cuttingedge $1.6 billion facility represents what’s possible when contractors, architects and owners work in lock step from start to finish.

“Every aspect of the design and building process was geared toward collaboration,” explains John DeFazio, senior vice president at LF Driscoll. “If it weren’t for that, the project would have never come together in such an extraordinary way. The facility is beautiful, its clinical functionality is incredible, and, remarkably, there were no cost or schedule issues.”

While project delivery methods such as the integrated project delivery (IPD) model used for the Penn Medicine Pavilion are still a minority in the market, the benefits of closer collaboration among building industry stakeholders are clear. Encouraging collaborative project delivery methods such as IPD, design assist, and delegated design, the General Building Contractors Association (GBCA), the local chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) and AIA Philadelphia, the local chapter of the American Institute of Architects, are working to strengthen partnerships between contractors, designers and engineers. The goal? To deliver better buildings — and better outcomes — for their clients.

Building productive partnerships

The AIA/GBCA Joint Committee fosters dialogue around designers’ and contractors’ shared interests. The group — co-chaired by DeFazio and Joshua Levy, AIA LEED AP, senior director of planning for Genesis AEC — brings constructors and designers together to discuss strategies for working together, often with owners’ involvement.

“For the longest time, the prevailing thought in the design world was that it was an architect’s responsibility to protect building owners from being taken advantage of,” notes Levy. “We have come a long way since then. Today more and more architects and constructors embrace that as a joint responsibility and are working together to deliver what’s best for the owners. That’s ultimately what’s best for all of us.”

“We want to make sure we have an open line of communication, which eventually produces a better product for our clients,” says Maura Hesdon, general manager of Shoemaker Construction Co. and a member of the national AIA/AGC Joint Committee. “We’re also focused on encouraging collaboration earlier and earlier in the design and construction process.”

In fact, research published in 2022 by AIA and AGC found, unlike in previous years, the majority of architects and contractors strongly agree that the earlier they start collaborating, the better the outcome for the client.

“It all comes down to the fact that no one has all the expertise that’s needed for a project to be successful. But, if we put our heads together, we can come up with some really great solutions,” Levy adds.

A necessity for today’s market

In many ways, the industry demands this type of collaborative approach. Hesdon points out that market instability has accelerated the need for architects and contractors to work closer than ever before.

“Supply chain issues are constantly influencing projects in the design phase. For example, when steel became difficult to procure with lead times of a year or more, buildings were being redesigned to remove joists or integrate more concrete construction so projects could continue moving. Without that foresight and communication, clients wouldn’t be getting the best recommendations,” she explains.

Industry leaders also agree collaboration is increasingly more important because building is increasingly more complex.

“Many professionals don’t realize how complex it is to construct modern buildings that are outfitted with so much technology and so highly customized for their intended use,” says DeFazio. “That doesn’t change the fact that owners are looking for quality, speed to market and economy. That’s why the more expertise you can bring to the table in the beginning of a project, the better.”

When design and construction are more aligned from the outset, projects can begin as much as a year or two sooner than with a traditional approach that requires a fully complete design before construction begins.

“Every project we do is faster than the one before. Success in this environment happens when we work together,” says Levy. “The same applies when helping owners make the most of their budgets. I’ve personally seen construction costs for a building component on a project shrink from $8 million to $200,000 thanks to the designers and contractors working together to find a creative solution.”

Significant savings also come from collaborative value engineering exercises, avoiding the legal fees associated with dispute resolution, and eliminating the need for an owner’s agent. At the end of the day, a collaborative construction team helps owners get what they need, what they want and what they can afford.

Unfortunately, public sector organizations like state universities, school districts and municipalities are bound by Pennsylvania’s Separations Act of 1913, which mandates a design-bid-build model with a minimum of four prime contractors.

“This legislation eliminates opportunity for collaboration and ends up costing public organizations much more time and money,” says Hesdon. “These significant clients are unable to embrace different delivery options, but we’re doing everything we can to demonstrate how they, too, can benefit from more collaborative approaches to construction.”