PHILADELPHIA ARCHITECT & CONSTRUCTOR STRATEGIES: DESIGN ASSIST

PHILADELPHIA ARCHITECT & CONSTRUCTOR STRATEGIES: DESIGN ASSIST

BY BYRON LEE, SENIOR MANAGER, MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS | GBCA

The Philadelphia Architect & Constructor Strategies (PACS) is a discussion series held by the AIA/GBCA Joint Committee. Four times a year, the committee meets to improve collaboration and relations in the Philadelphia region’s building industry. The following is a summary of a discussion about Design Assist.

For the past four to five years, Design Assist has been used to mixed results. Design assist is a project delivery method where the architect establishes overall design intent, and then signs off on areas of the design, relying on the expertise of the contractors. In the Philadelphia region, projects are using Design Assist for mechanical, electrical, façade, steel, or curtainwall design. To increase the effectiveness of Design Assist on a project, designers and constructors should consider the following strategies:

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Consider Design Assist as a way to deliver the best product, not as a method to save time and money, or to reduce liability.

Avoid using design assist as a last-minute tactic to fix issues. Keep in mind that the design may no longer reflect the fantasy design of any one party.

Find the right collaborators.

You need to identify subcontractors that will value the overall project and be flexible with the design team. Be clear about scheduling: timeliness with designs is important, but rushing can lead to just as many change orders as had design assist not been implemented.

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Respect each other’s positions.

A common trap is to assume that our interests don’t line up. While designers and constructors have specific goals and metrics that lead to booking the next project (e.g. beautiful aesthetics, long-lasting construction), effective collaboration depends on acting in good faith. Unwillingness to compromise can lead to delays in the schedule and to additional costs.

Design Assist can challenge the assumption that the bottom line should be the ultimate deciding factor in choosing subcontractors. Choosing the best collaborator becomes much more important to ensure the overall success and potential savings in a project.

Collaborative project delivery methods such as Design Assist, Delegated Design, and Integrated Project Delivery are not going away. Each of these methods provides opportunities to close the gap between designers and constructors.

About the AIA/GBCA Joint Committee

The mission of the AIA/GBCA Joint Committee is to promote collaboration between designers and constructors and to share ideas, best practices, and trends in order to provide greater value and superior outcomes for our mutual clients.

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