Undergraduate Thesis: BIM and IPD

A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF BUILDING INFORMATION MODELING AND INTEGRATED PROJECT DELIVERY IN HIGHER EDUCATION

A Thesis by LE PHUC

Submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies of Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of BACHELORS OF ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN

Approved by: Principle Faculty,

Mark Clayton

Head of Department,

Ward Wells

December 2012

Major Subject: Architecture

Copyright 2012 Le Phuc

ABSTRACT

The new building construction contract form of Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) was investigated through a series of interviews of architects, contractors, and university system representatives. Integrated Project Delivery is a business model that brings together all stakeholders in a design and construction project, including owner (or client), builders, designers, and consultants. By reducing incentives for conflict, it provides a continuity of information flow from start to finish, and eliminates most of the opportunity for communication error. It enables greater optimization of all needs from start to finish and facilitates incorporation of sustainable strategies. One of the recommended practices in IPD is the use of Building Information Modeling (BIM.) Research investigated the inducements and barriers to adoption of BIM and IPD for campus facilities design, construction and operations.

Three Texas university systems (both private and public) participated as well as a variety of architects ranging from medium firms to larger firms as well as contractors.

The method that these three university systems were chosen (Texas A&M University System, the University of Texas System, and Rice University) was based on the size of the university system. Texas A&M University system and the University of Texas System are the two largest systems in Texas. They were ideal candidates for the study because they provided projects that fall into the multi-million dollar range. A private system was also ideal in this research to show the dynamic between public and private

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sectors. Data was collected through one-on-one, casual interviews with a variety of architects, contractors and university system members. The selection of architects and contractors ranged from medium sized firms to international sized firms. For the university system members, the universities that were interviewed were Texas based; Texas A&M University, the University of Texas, and Rice University. Participants responded to semi-structured interview questions on the topics of IPD, BIM, and the future expectation of the two in sessions ranging from 20 minutes to one hour and a half in length. The interviews were recorded, and the data was analyzed to identify experiences and attitudes with respect to IPD and BIM. The goals of these interviews were to determine whether the uses of BIM and IPD in the work place are beneficial for the architecture industry as a whole and if there will be any further advances with this new form of project delivery. After in depth analysis, it can be determined that for not just the university system owners (in both private and public) but for architects and contractors collectively, the utilization of BIM and IPD principles are incredibly beneficial for the industry. BIM and IPD principles have proven to reduce project schedule, allow for better collaboration among the team, and in some cases, reduce cost. The surface has only been scratched in terms of BIM and IPD. The advances that BIM and IPD will have in the future will increase project quality in all aspects from design to completion. BIM and IPD principles have helped reduce cost, speed decisions, and increase quality in not only design but also in construction and construction management. The hope for the future of BIM and IPD goes beyond the level that BIM is currently being utilized. In higher education, owners expect in the

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future these 3D BIM models that are being shared between the architect and contractor, will help in facility management and deferred maintenance. Owners hope that one day the “information� part of BIM will be investigated more to be able to identify manufacturer, label, life expectancy, and price of these building components after construction completion. The surface has only been scratch in regards to utilization of BIM and IPD principles. It is hoped that the use of BIM and IPD principles be a standard of practice in the near future.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

ABSTRACT .......................................................................................................

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TABLE OF CONTENTS .......................................................................................

v

1. INTRODUCTION ...........................................................................................

1

1.1

Research Conclusions ............................................................................

1.1.1 The Implementation of IPD ................................................

Context and Motives...............................................................................

Research Questions ................................................................................

Overview of the Thesis ...........................................................................

1 1 3 4 5

2. LITERATURE REVIEW .................................................................................

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1.2 1.3 1.4

2.1

Campus Planning and Facility Management ...........................................

2.1.1 Facility Management ..........................................................

Building Information Modeling ..............................................................

2.2.1 Value and BIM Technologies .............................................

2.2.2 Adoption of BIM in Design-Build and IPD ........................

Project Delivery Methods-Integrated Project Delivery ............................

2.3.1 Traditional Delivery Methods Used in Higher Ed. ..............

2.3.2 Integrated Project Delivery .................................................

Research Methods ..................................................................................

2.4.1 Questionnaire Design and Factor ........................................

2.4.2 Interpretive-Historical Research .........................................

2.4.3 Qualitative Research ..........................................................

2.4.4 Correlational Research .......................................................

2.4.5 Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Research ................

2.4.6 Simulation and Modeling ...................................................

2.4.7 Logical Argumentation .......................................................

8 9 12 13 14 15 15 17 21 21 22 22 23 23 24 24

3. RESEARCH METHODS .................................................................................

25

2.2

2.3

2.4

3.1

Options ...................................................................................................

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25

3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5

Overview of Method...............................................................................

Task Descriptions ...................................................................................

Schedule .................................................................................................

Instruments and Procedures ....................................................................

25 27 30 32

4. DATA COLLECTION / ANALYSIS ...............................................................

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4.1

Involved Texas Universities ...................................................................

4.1.1 Texas A&M University System ..........................................

4.1.2 University of Texas System ................................................

4.1.3 Rice University ..................................................................

Demographics and Statistics ...................................................................

BIM- Collective Theme ..........................................................................

4.3.1 Defining BIM .....................................................................

4.3.2 BIM as a Requirement ........................................................

4.3.3 What Works Well in BIM ..................................................

4.3.4 What Does Not Work Well in BIM ....................................

4.3.5 BIM and the Relationship with Others ................................

Integrated Project Delivery- Collective Theme .......................................

4.4.1 Traditional Delivery Methods and Differences ...................

4.4.2 Defining IPD ......................................................................

4.4.3 Pros Behind IPD.................................................................

4.4.4 Cons Behind IPD................................................................

Future Expectations- Collective Theme ..................................................

4.5.1 Adoption of BIM Will Increase ..........................................

4.5.2 Adoption of IPD Principles Will Increase ...........................

4.5.3 Merging of the Industry ......................................................

Higher Education- Collective Theme ......................................................

39 39 42 45 46 48 48 49 50 58 62 63 63 65 65 68 70 70 71 72 72

5. CONCLUSIONS ...............................................................................................

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4.2 4.3

4.4

4.5

4.6

5.1 5.2 5.3

Contribution 1: Full Support of BIM.......................................................

Contribution 2: Split Support of IPD.......................................................

Contribution 3: AE and CM Support of IPD ...........................................

76 77 77

REFERENCES ......................................................................................................

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1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Research Conclusions The use of BIM technologies has increasingly changed the interactions between architects, contractors, and owners within the past few years. As a collective group of University system owner’s from Texas A&M University, the University of Texas, and Rice University, BIM has improved and strengthened the relationship between the triumvirate of owner, architect, and contractor. It not only improved the interactions between the triumvirate, but it also allowed for project design to completion to be more efficient, quicker, and beneficial for all parties. Many examples will be further analyzed as to the pros and cons of BIM. From an architect’s point of view, it can be collectively concluded that the uses of BIM technologies have increased the proficiency of architects to deliver projects to owners, especially in higher education. The use of BIM has allowed for architects to collaborate with the owners and contractors more effectively, as well as providing a better service for the clients. In terms of contractor benefits, BIM has drastically improved the interactions between the contractors and owners. The use of BIM technologies, such as clash detection, have greatly reduced error in the field, providing for substantial savings in construction costs. BIM, as a whole, has significantly improved the interactions among the owner, architect, and contractor. Also it has helped project design and construction in an extremely efficient manner.

1.1.1 The Implementation of Integrated Project Delivery (IPD)

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Simplified, IPD is when the owner, AE, and CM work together from design to construction to produce an efficient, on budget, on schedule project. There is a mixed consensus with the legal contractual form of IPD. However, the principles, not to be mistaken with the contractual, are very beneficial for the triumvirate of members in a project. In the contractual sense, IPD legally binds together the owner, architect, and contractor. Having all these major players bound into one contract allow for no player to outweigh the other; all players are on the same level. This is a characteristic that all of the university system members of Texas A&M University, the University of Texas, and Rice University oppose. The owners should not be on the same level as the architect or contractor. They are the owners and need a service provided. Although there is seemingly one con, the pros of IPD principles outweigh the cons. In an IPD principle based project, collaboration between all members of the teams and transparency between all parties is pertinent. An IPD principled project cannot be successful without the collaboration of the team as well as the addition of BIM technologies. BIM is a tool that helps the process of IPD. Cohesion and collaboration is the nature of an IPD project. In terms of the architects and contractors, they believe that the principles of IPD can be very beneficially for everyone in the team (AE, owner and CM). However, there is a split between support for IPD among the institutional representatives within the research.

Although some believe that IPD (contractually) would not be as beneficial as other methods, the principles behind IPD, such as collaboration, can be incredibly beneficial for the owner, architect, and contractor.

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1.2 Contexts and Motive Interviews with a large number of stakeholders in the building procurement and project delivery process document the pros and cons behind the use of Building Information Modeling (BIM) and the principles of Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) in higher education. The data was collected from a variety of different parties that have direct use of BIM or IPD. Among these groups, there were university system owner representatives from Texas A&M University, the University of Texas, and Rice University, architects from a variety of firms ranging from mid-sized large, and contractors also from a variety of companies ranging from mid-sized to large. All of these groups have used either BIM or IPD. The thesis is divided into different sections that allow for a better understanding of how BIM is used and how IPD principles are implemented. The first section presents, a detailed description of campus planning and facility management. This section describes how the facilities planning departments of each university is organized. It also outlines facility design guidelines that each university provides to the architect before a building is designed. It describes the purpose of each university’s Campus Master Plan and its significance. The next section of this research addresses Building Information Modeling (BIM). It defines what BIM is, the theoretical benefits of utilizing BIM, and the current level of adoption of BIM technologies. In the following section, project delivery methods are discussed with an emphasis on higher education projects. In addition to the traditional methods, this section also defines and outlines the process of the new delivery method of Integrated Project Delivery (IPD). The next section

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describes the methods used in this research. It discusses alternative research methods that could have been used. It explains why an interview method was chosen, the major tasks that were needed to be accomplished in order for the research to be successful, and the schedule. The next section is data collection and analysis. In this section, the data from the respondents were combined and themes were uncovered and explored. The research questions asked are also included. Lastly, conclusions are drawn from the data collected and also questions suggested for future research investigations.

The motive of this research was to investigate the new technologies and methods of BIM and IPD in the production and management of university buildings. The architecture industry is undergoing change at a very fast pace. In the past generation, 2D hand drafting has been replaced by 3D digital modeling. Therefore, the question arises, how much will the industry change in the next 50 years? In particular, an interest explored within this research was architecture in higher education. Higher education buildings are monumental landmarks that can define a city. The way these buildings are designed, constructed and managed can affect a huge population. For these public buildings, how do the strict rules, regulations, and statues of the state affect the design process of a building? How can BIM help the process of construction and collaboration?

Can BIM push the envelope for design for the future? All these questions are answered.

1.3 Research Questions The questions that this research will answer are focused on the use of BIM and IPD in higher education. The main areas of focus that were tackled were an analysis,

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assessment and identification of the effects that BIM and IPD principles have on the architecture and construction industry, particularly in the institutional sector of architecture. Questions regarded what works well and what does not work well in a BIM environment, if there is a 100% utilization of BIM, and their definition of BIM were answered. Also, questions regarding what works well and what does not work well in a project based on IPD principles were answered. Lastly, concerns regarding future expectation for BIM and IPD in higher education, what the owners expect to see from the architect and contractors owners, and to what extent BIM will be adopted will be answered.

1.4 Overview of the Thesis The primary intention of this project was to analyze, assess and identify the effects that Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) principles have had on the architecture and construction industry, particularly in the higher education sector. The dependencies of BIM on IPD principles and vice versa were also analyzed.

IPD is, “a project delivery approach that integrates people, systems, business structure and practices into a process that collaboratively harnesses the talents and insights of all participants to optimize project results, increase value to the owner, reduce waste, and maximize efficiency through all phases of design, fabrication, and construction (AIA).� IPD establishes a set of core principles that include mutual respect and trust, mutual benefit and reward, collaborative innovation and decision making,

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open communication, appropriate technology, and organization and leadership. The goal of IPD for large and small scale projects is to have an organized project where “facilities managers, end users, contractors and suppliers are all involved at the start of the design process…processes are outcome-driven and decisions are not made solely on a first cost basis…all communications throughout the process are clear, concise, open, transparent, and trusting…designers fully understand that ramifications of their decisions at the time the decisions are made…risk and reward are the value-based and appropriately balanced among all team members over the life of a project…the industry delivers a higher quality and sustainable built environment (AIA).” In public higher education, the official form of IPD is not utilized because of legislative legalization issues. However, the principles of IPD are often incorporated in the other delivery methods that are commonly used.

A key component stated in the goals of IPD is the adequate use of technology, particular BIM. Although often misunderstood, BIM is not a software application. It is “an information-based system that builds long-term value and advances innovation (Jernigan).” BIM can be defined simply as a process that enables the entire project team (architect, contractor, owner’s representative, client, and consultants) to create and share project knowledge in a single, unified representation. BIM combines graphical project data with non-graphical information including specifications such as cost, scheduling, and scope data. The most important aspect of BIM is its ability to “create object-oriented database, meaning that it is made up of intelligent objects –representation of doors, windows, and walls, for example –capable of storing both quantitative and qualitative information about the project (Elvin).”

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This research has examined the topics of IPD and BIM among professionals in the architecture industry. These professionals include practicing architects, BIM managers, contractors, and university system members. Through in-depth research interviews with these professionals, insights about BIM and IPD were collected. This data was analyzed to support conclusions that may be of value to other professionals.

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2. LITERATURE REVIEW

A review of publications and literature establishes the context for the research in the areas of campus planning and facility management, Building Information Modeling, project delivery methods, and research methods. In addition, the campus master plans and planning organizations of the three universities are discussed.

2.1 Campus Planning and Facility Management The sector of higher education, particularly campus planning, is a complex sector that joins the public, students, faculty, and civilians in a common meeting place.

Architecture, in the higher education sector, is strongly concerned with designing at an economically low budget, designing for a lasting structure, and designing to please the owners.

There are many factors that contribute before a building can be constructed on a campus, especially at a public university. One of the major components needed before a building can be constructed is the capital budgeting and funding. A list of potential projects for review and approval must be compiled and must be approved by a governing board. In the state of Texas, that board is called the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. A major factor in public higher education projects is the amount of funding available for the potential project. Traditional funding sources for public higher education come from state funding because it is a state institute. In some states, “capital projects for public institutions are funded from occasional, period, or annual general

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obligations bond issues with the amount of capital available varying with the fortunes of state budget, credit, rating, and other competing needs (Kaiser and Klein).�

Another major issue of campus planning is assessing quantitative capacity needs.

With the influx of students, more buildings, dormitory halls, labs, etc. will be needed.

Campus master planning also sets high importance on the visual appeal of the campus.

The history of campus master planning will be discussed in more detail (Kaiser and Klein).

Each university operates a campus planning or facilities planning office. A simplified explanation of the responsibilities of the facilities planning office is that it is responsible for selecting an architect and a contractor for a capital project, setting the scope of the work, assisting in the entire design process to construction, and setting design guidelines.

2.1.1 Facility Management In order to understand the management of a project from idea to completion, it must be understood that there are six basic phases that contribute to the development of a project (Barrie and Paulson). Those six phases are concept and feasibility studies, engineering and design, procurement, construction, start-up and implementation, and operations of utilization.

A key facility management issue is contractual obligations. Better facility management and project management is dependent on the contract clarity among all parties. Contract clarity is needed because it allows for all parties in a project to have a

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legal document that gives direction if there is ever a miscommunication. Contract clarity is ideal in all projects because it allows for the project to be designed and constructed in a fluid motion, with minor complications. Professional organizations of contractors and architects each provide model contracts for use by their membership. With that said, large construction and architectural contract industries are in competition. “ConsensusDOCS has little immediate chance of taking market share away from AIA’s documents because AIA forms are widely accepted. Owners and attorneys would be more likely to gradually, over the years, add ConsensusDOCS as another option, rather then choose it instead of AIA (Korman).�

Facility management differs between different organizations as well. For the Texas A&M University, the Facilities Planning and Construction (FP&C) department is divided into two different directors. One director is responsible for delivery of projects while the other is in charge of all project planning. The delivery section of the department involves mediating the construction process and allowing for everything to run smoothly on the field, dealing with change orders, interaction directly with construction inspectors, and dealing with the bidding process on new capital projects.

Within the delivery department, there are three area managers that are strictly in charge of the areas appointed (E.g.: West Texas, Central Texas, South Texas, etc.). There are architectural project managers, engineering, and construction project managers. Within those teams, there are project managers that do architecture and construction, cohesively.

The planning committee sets the standards for the capital projects and also coordinates with the different college representatives to provide services where needed.

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The planning committee also has a heavy role in determining project budget, reviewing bidding processes, interacting with university college representatives, managing the facility design guidelines, and editing the campus master plan.

The University of Texas Office of Facilities Planning and Construction (OFPC) is organized very similarly to Texas A&M FP&C department. They are divided by region as well. OFPC is organized into program managers that take charge of each region. Within these regions there are construction inspectors, architects, and engineers for each region. Again, the organization is very similar to Texas A&M University but more regionally based.

Lastly, in comparison to the organizations of the other two cases, the organization of the Facilities Engineering and Planning Department of Rice University is flat. Rice’s University organization is responsible for only one campus. Under the Associate Vice President, there are two Assistance Vice Presidents. One Assistant Vice President is responsible for facilities and the other Assistant Vice President is responsible for project management and engineering. There is also a University Architect, a business manager, director of business services, a communications manager, and a director of sustainability.

The facility Assistance Vice President is responsible for custodial services, grounds, and all the maintenance services. The Assistant Vice President for project management and engineering supervises all of the project management staff and the central plan. The director of sustainability is the director of the center of the energy management and sustainability center. The communications manager is pertinent. Rice

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University had $800 million dollars of work that was going to be done in four years and very quickly. The main role of this director was to allow the students to have an insight into the decisions being made. Rice provides the CIC (Construction Information Center).

All the renderings and floor plans are available for the students. Rice wanted to have a level of transparency on the campus to its operations that is typically not found on other campuses.

2.2 Building Information Modeling The design and construction of university facilities is being greatly affected by innovations that are being adopted throughout the industry. Building Information Models (BIM), “unite the project lifecycle, bringing together design and documentation information and workflows for the design, construction, and operation of all types of buildings and facilities around the world, from the conventional to the most inspiring projects of our time (Bentley Systems Inc).� AIA defines BIM as a digital representation of physical and functional characteristics of a facility. As such, the BIM serves as a shared knowledge resource for information about a facility forming a reliable basis for decisions during its lifecycle from inception onward (AIA California Council). One of the first digital aids to drafting was Computer-Aided Design (CAD). CAD focused strictly on 2 dimensional and linear spaces. In comparison to CAD, that has long dominated the architectural design field, BIM has several advantages because it not only manages just graphics, but also information. This information “allows the automatic generation of drawing and reports, design analysis, schedule simulation, facilities

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management, and more—ultimately enabling the building team to make better-informed decisions (Bentley Systems Inc).” BIM is “an enabling technology with the potential for improving communication among business partners, improve the quality of information available for decision making, improving the services delivered, reducing cycle time, and reducing cost at every state in the life cycle of a building (Smith and Tardiff).”

BIM is a “project as well as a process simulation (Kymmell).” BIM simulates the construction of a project in a virtual environment. Projects using BIM are now able to see the entire process of construction from crane movement to foundation pours. This simulation capability that BIM utilizes allows for a smoother process during the construction phase of a project. “Virtual building implies that it is possible to practice construction, to experiment, and to make adjustments in the project before it is actualized (Kymmell).” BIM is “a project simulation consisting of the 3D models of the project components with links to all the required information connected with the projects’ planning, construction or operation, and decommissioning. This second describes the 3D models, the information contained or attached to these models, and the nature of the links among the individual models, the components, and the information (Kymmell).”

2.2.1 Value of BIM Technologies There have been a number of long and short-term factors that have been combined to drive a need for new business models for the practice of architecture and building project delivery. Through adoption of BIM, architects are “in a position to

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extend the BIM model(s) in both directions on the delivery timescale (pre-design and post-occupancy) and to link BIM to the owner’s business or organizational objectives.

This approach can deliver improvements not only in the impact of the initial project on enterprise performance, but it can enable much more significant improvements in the facility and functional operations of performance (e.g., facility links for energy, maintenance, and space management) (Jonassen, 2011).”

Designers can use BIM through the design process to reengineer their design process for greater effectiveness. BIM for designers allows “creating, understanding and testing concepts, integrating the efforts of multiple design participants in creating the model, detecting and resolving conflicts in the design model, tracking program elements such as areas, volumes, floor area, efficiencies, etc., and tracking project-related costs (Jonassen, 2011).”

Builders can use BIM as a tool for significant construction value that includes “virtual construction before physical construction, construction sequence planning (4D), construction sub trade coordination, quantity and cost-tracking, and integrated trades assembly of large components off site (Jonassen).”

2.2.2 Adoption of BIM in Design-Build and Integrated Delivery BIM is an ideal tool for design-build and integrated project delivery. Ideally, with design-build, the construction and design team are integrated from the start. With the use of BIM, design and construction choices can be made from the start. The same applies for integrated project delivery. “Through early collaboration and modeling by all

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disciplines, [BIM] can incorporate sustainable strategies at less cost than current approaches.

2.3 Project Delivery Methods- Integrated Project Delivery

2.3.1 Traditional Delivery Methods Used in Higher Education Traditionally higher education facility projects in Texas have been conducted using a process emphasizes competitive bidding for the construction phase. This changed when “in 1995 the Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 1 which was largely an education reform bill. However Senate Bill 1 also introduced, on a large scale, the use of alternative project delivery methods for public school districts and institutions of higher education. The initial law lacked procedural detail, but has been substantially revised and clarified by amendments passed in the 1997, 1999 and 2001 legislative sessions of the Texas Legislature (Association).�

Since passage of the bill, there are six project delivery methods that can be used for public projects in Texas: 1. Competitive Bidding 2. Competitive Sealed Proposal (CSP) 3. Construction Manager-Agent 4. Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) 5. Design- Build 6. Job Order Contracts

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The most commonly used delivery methods used in the higher education facilities aligned with my research are Competitive Sealed Proposal (CSP), Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) and Design-Build.

In Competitive Sealed Proposal (CSP), the owner or government entity must select the architect team to create construction documents. “Government Entity is to select offeror that offers ‘best value’ and attempt to negotiate a contract with that offeror.

May negotiate options for scope/time modifications and associated changes in price.

Government entity must formally end negotiations before starting to negotiate with next ranked offeror (Association).” There are no subcontracting requirements in CSP. The proposals are publically opened and names of offeror and monetary proposals are read aloud. After the proposals are read, the government entity discusses and negotiation can begin with the “best value” offeror.

When using the Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR), “a construction manager-at-risk, (CMAR), assumes the risk for construction, rehabilitation, alteration, or repair of a facility at the contracted price in the same manner as a general contractor; but also provides consultation to the governmental entity regarding construction during and after the design of the facility (Association).” Owners must engage in selecting the architect and producing construction documents. Contract award criteria can include experience, past performance, safety record, and proposed personnel and methodology.

The selection of an architect is based on a short listed ranking system.

Design-Build: “Under the design-build method of construction contract procurement, the governmental entity awards a single contract to a firm who both

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designs and constructs the facility. A design build firm is defined as any legal entity or team that includes an architect or engineer, and a builder qualified to engage in the building construction in Texas (Association).” The procedure for the selection of Design-Build is a two-step process. The first process is an evaluation of statements of qualifications. These qualifications include the offeror’s experience, technical competence, capability to perform, past performance of offeror’s team and members thereof, and other appropriate factors submitted by the offeror in response to the request for qualifications (RFQ). The second process includes selection. During this process, the owner evaluates the ranks and short lists the most qualified offerors for interviews.

During these interviews, the owners will judge their technical competence, feasibility of project proposed, and overall intellect.

2.3.2 Integrated Project Delivery As stated previously, IPD is “a project delivery approach that integrates people, systems, business structure and practices into a process that collaboratively harnesses the talents and insights of all participants to optimize project results, increase value to the owner, reduce waste, and maximize efficiency through all phases of design, fabrication, and construction (AIA).” IPD allows for parties outside of the traditional triad of owner, architect, and contractor to have input on the project. It also represents the “combined efforts of architects, engineers, contractors, sub-contractors, owners and attorneys and intends to describe the key elements of an integrated process (AIA California Council).”

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The table below is a comparative study between traditional project delivery and integrated project delivery (AIA).

Table 1: Comparison of project delivery alternatives Traditional Project Delivery

Integrated Project Delivery

Fragmented, assembled on just as need or minimum necessary basis, strongly hierarchical, controlled

A integrated team entity composed key project stakeholders; assembled early in the process, open, collaborative Concurrent and multi-level; early contributions of knowledge and expertise; information openly shared; stakeholder trust and respect Collectively managed, appropriately shared

Linear, distinct, segregated; knowledge gathered “just as needed�; information hoarded; silos of knowledge and expertise Individually managed, transferred to the greatest extent possible Individually pursued; minimum effort for maximum return; first-cost based Paper-based, 2 dimensional; analog

Encourage unilateral effort; allocate and transfer risk; no sharing

Teams

Process

Risk

Compensation/ Reward

Communication/ Technology

Agreements

Team success tied to project success; value-based

Digitally based, virtual; Building Information Modeling (3,4 and 5 dimensional) Encourage, foster, promote and support multi-lateral open sharing and collaboration; risk sharing

In terms of traditional project delivery, the closest integration of construction and design was the design-build method of project delivery. In the design-build approach,

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“the owner procures both design and construction services at one time, from one entity, based on a statement of requirements (Haviland).” The expected rewards were that communication problems would be minimized, construction expertise can be factored into the design, delivery time can be shortened, and the cost of the project can be reduced. IPD was created as a way to integrate design and construction, along with the use of technology to tie the two industries together in a more cohesive way. As described by the AIA, IPD follows a basic set of principles (2007). These principles are: •

Mutual Respect and Trust: All parties of the project work as a team and are committed fully in the interest of the project at hand.

•

Mutual Benefit and Reward: All participants and team members start the integration process early on, allowing for innovative business models and efficient organization.

•

Collaborative Innovation and Decision Making: “Innovation is stimulated when ideas are freely exchanged among all participants. In an integrated project, ideas are judged on their merits, not on the author’s role or status. Key decisions are evaluated by the project team and, to the greatest practical extent, made unanimously (AIA).”

•

Early Involvement of Key Participant: Decision-making is done efficiently at the earliest practical moment in the project. The collaboration of all the parties together allow for combined knowledge and expertise in their field of the industry. These decisions in the early part of a project allow for the greatest effect.

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•

Early Goal Definition: “Project goals are developed early, agreed upon and respected by all participants. Insight from each participant is valued in a culture that promotes and drives innovation and outstanding performance, holding project outcomes at the center within a framework of individual participant objectives and values. (AIA).”

•

Intensified Planning: The thrust to integrate reduces the need of time to design because all parties are present during heavy decision-making.

•

Open Communication: The primary principle that IPD is focused on is open, honest, and direct communication during the project from design to substantial completion.

•

Appropriate Technology: “Integrated projects often rely on cutting edge technologies. Technologies are specified at project initiation to maximize functionality, generality and interoperability. Open and interoperable data exchanges based on disciplined and transparent data structures are essential to support IPD. Because open standards best enable communications among all participants, technology that is compliant with open standards is used whenever available (AIA).”

•

Organization and Leadership: All team members should be committed to the project’s goals and values. Roles are to be clearly defined.

IPD allows for a better-organized collaboration of ideas. During a slow economic market, collaboration may be seemingly negative because “it is difficult for many

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architecture, engineering, and construction professionals to make certain technological transitions that are necessary to streamline the collaborative process (ConstrucTECH).”

IPD is “an approach to agreements and processes for design and construction, conceived to accommodate the intense intellectual collaboration that 21st century complex buildings require (ConstrucTECH).”

2.4 Research Methods Many methods have been used in architectural research (Groat and Wang ). The following methods of research highlighted from Groat and Wang are some of the most commonly used methods of research:

2.4.1 Questionnaire Design and Factor Analysis Questionnaires are a type of research that use survey setting and are intended to measure something. “The instrument can be administered by post, in face-to-face interview, over the telephone or increasingly by email or directly over the web (Hoxley).” An effective questionnaire provides reliable and valid information at a reasonable cost. One of the issues that come with questionnaire research is factor analysis. Factor analysis is a statistical technique for aggregating many variables into underlying factors (Hoxley).

According to Linda Goat and David Wang, there are seven basic research strategies that are discussed in their book, “Architectural Research Methods.”

1. Interpretive- Historical Research

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2. Qualitative Research 3. Correlational Research 4. Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Research 5. Simulation and Modeling Research 6. Logical Argumentation 7. Case Studies and Combined Strategies

2.4.2 Interpretive- Historical Research Historical research is one of the oldest types of research. It has been argued, “historical inquiry is its own mode of knowledge (Groat and Wang).” The method behind interpretive-historical research is collecting and organizing evidence, evaluating it, and constructing a narrative from the evidence that is holistic and believable.

“Throughout this process, interpretation is key (Groat and Wang).” In order to analyze interpretive-historical research, the narrator cannot violate the sequence of the flow or the coherent interconnectedness of its contents.

2.4.3 Qualitative Research In an opened-ended interview, which is a common method of qualitative research, the analysis of the data requires “a long, interactive process of identifying key themes, developing an elaborate coding scheme, and eventually synthesizing the results into textual narratives (Groat and Wang).” There are strategies of qualitative research that include, an emphasis on natural settings, a focus on interpretation and meaning,

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focus on how the respondents make sense of their own circumstances, and the use of multiple tactics (Groat and Wang).” The chart below shows the phases of researching coding.

There are different tactics with data collection for qualitative research. These include interviews, which can be in-depth, key informants interviews, and career histories, focus groups with discussions guided to test small groups and participants help construct the right questions, surveys with multiple sorting, and observation. Once the data has been collected, it is coded reduced and displayed. The researcher then will gradually “move towards identifying patterns, providing explanations, and evaluating the findings (Groat and Wang).”

2.4.4 Correlational Research The basis of correlational research is to “clarify patterns of relationships between two or more variables” (Groat and Wang). There are two types of correlational research; relationship studies and casual comparative studies. In relationship studies, they focus more specifically on the nature and predictive power of such relationships. In casualcomparative studies, they try to stake out the “intermediate” positions between the predicative orientation of relationship studies and “the focus on causality that characterized experimental research (Groat and Wang).” The chart below summarizes the methods behind correlational research.

2.4.5 Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Research

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One example of experimental research in architecture is performance of various building components that allow for a longstanding building. A component such as day lighting and energy analysis is a very popular trend in current research. The method behind experimental research is very similar to a scientific hypothesis. There is a controlled variable, a collection of data that is taken throughout a certain amount of time, and the data is then analyzed.

2.4.6 Simulation and Modeling Research “Simulation research comes out of a general human fascination with the replication of real-world realities (Groat and Wang).� Simulation modeling research is often used in material testing. Many buildings components undergo tests replicating realworld stresses before being sold on the commercial market.

2.4.7 Logical Argumentation Logical argumentation is a process of stating a thesis, establishing a position, and evaluating the evidence in a proper manner. Argumentative essay assignments generally call for extensive research of literature or previously published material. Argumentative assignments may also require empirical research where the student collects data through interviews, surveys, observations, or experiments.

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3. RESEARCH METHODS

3.1 Options As mentioned previous in the literature review, there were seven research strategies investigated for the purpose of this research. The seven strategies were interpretive-historical research, qualitative research, correlational research, experimental and quasi-experimental research, simulation and modeling research, logical argumentation, and case studies and combined strategies. In order to determine which would be the best to use, ease, validity, reliability, and generality were taken into consideration.

3.2 Overview of Method The method of study used in this research is qualitative research. Qualitative research “is a multi-method in focus, involving an interpretative, naturalistic approach to its subject matter. This means that qualitative researchers study things in their natural settings, attempting to make sense of, or interpret, phenomena in terms of the meanings people bring to them. Qualitative research involves the studied use and collection of a variety of empirical materials (Groat and Wang).� From this definition of what qualitative research is, there are four key components identified: 1. An Emphasis on Natural Settings: Natural setting is meant that the objects of inquiry are not removed from the venues that surround them in everyday life. The value of the research is precisely due to its ability to highlight trends embedded in the contexts

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of the subject. For this particular research, interviewing the participants, who included a variety of university system owners, architects, and contractors, was held in their own offices. The ability to keep them in their own natural setting ensured the interviewing process be comfortable and familiar to the participant.

2. A Focus on Interpretation and Meaning: There is a heavy focus on this component to make memos during the interviewing process at certain gestures. There is a set of methodological practices such as notes, tone, gesture, etc., that embrace interpretation and meaning in context.

3. A Focus on How the Respondents Make Sense of Their Own Circumstances: Letting the various stakeholder speak for themselves and make sense of the process they experienced allows the interviewer to respond to how the interviewee reacts to their current position. Body language and tone of voice is a good indication of their feelings regarding the subject, in this particular study, BIM and IPD. 4. The Use of Multiple Tactics: The characteristic of qualitative research has been referred to as “a pieced-together, close knit set of practices that provide solutions to a problem in a concrete situation (Groat and Wang).� Not all qualitative research methods require there be a use of multiple tactics. An example of a multiple tactic research would be a research that included face-to-face interviews, a cross-sectional survey design, a modified time diary, photographs, etc. For this research in particular, the use of multiple tactics is not extremely prevalent.

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As far as data collection in qualitative research, there are three major steps for data collection and analysis.

1. Data Reduction / Coding: “Because qualitative research typically results in a vast amount of data, a major task in data analysis is to reduce the volume of data into manageable chunks. Although there is no way to begin, a common device is to code the chunks into various themes, often by making notes in the margins of transcripts or documents (Groat and Wang).�

2. Data Display: Most data in qualitative research is placed in a matrix for better organization and display. Although this is optional, it helps for a better understanding of the data and allows the analyst to have a clear overview of the entire project.

3. Drawing Conclusions: Once the data has been reduced, coded, and displayed in an appropriate way, the researcher will begin to identify patterns or recurring themes in the data.

Qualitative research was the best strategy to use because the varying groups of respondents gave an in-depth sense of BIM and IPD in the professional world as opposed to a scholarly view that can be research found in books. It was pertinent to interview professionals as opposed to basing the information on scholarly evidence because the research is capturing the sense of contemporary architecture and technological advances of today, as opposed to the past. One on one interviewing allowed me to present questions and respond accordingly to the participant’s answers.

3.3 Task Descriptions

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The research entailed a very detailed list of tasks that were pertinent to a smooth process for data collection. There were five major tasks: 1. Create a proposal and literature review- During the proposal and literature review process the topic of BIM and IPD was narrowed. The process began with focusing on key points of BIM. These points included the adoption, who is utilizing it, the limitations it has, and if it is required by clients. The second topic focused on was the utilization and potential advantages of IPD in the architecture and construction industry. After the two subjects were narrowed down, the personal interest of higher education was then entwined. More questions arose from the topic of BIM and IPD, and if it is utilized in higher education. The literature review produced a collection of several sources that have examined these topics.

2. Obtain Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval- The process of obtaining IRB approval was one of the more tedious steps of the research. For this research in particular, human subject forms were prepared. During the IRB approval process, the first step was to file a project application. This project application required a project abstract, questions regarding the method used to interact with the participants, number of participants, what the project was regarding to, etc. The next form that needed to be completed was a conflict of interest form, following a consent form outline for the participants in the study. This consent form included information such as why the research is being conducted, how many people will be a part of the research, issues of confidentiality, etc. One particular form that was unique to this study was a form that authorized the use of contacts obtained from outside sources. This form allowed the use

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of contact information from architects and contractors. Lastly, an email template of how the researcher was going to recruit the participants and a summary of the project was required to complete the IRB approval process. Once the researcher received IRB approval, the next steps were taken towards completing the research.

3. Compile list of university system members, architects, and contractors, contact and schedule appointments- This step was also very tedious. The list was broken into groups.

The first group was university system members. That group was broken into three other groups according to their university; Texas A&M University, the University of Texas, and Rice University. The second group consisted of architects and the third group consisted of contractors. The architects were collected into a sub-group for those in medium-sized firms and a sub-group for those in large firms. For each group, the names, numbers, emails, positions, and location of each person were collected. Each person was contacted to set up interviews.

4. Interview- The interviews required the majority of time. For each group of respondents, there were questions tailored towards their profession (architect, contractor, or system member). In general, all the questions for each profession differed only slightly to obtain a better understanding of the same topics and to get a larger range of opinions from each group. Before conducting the interview, each person was given an information sheet regarding the research, the goals of the research, and consent to record form. If some of the questions were not understood completely, supporting questions were used to guide the respondent in a more direct path.

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5. Analyze data- Data analysis consisted of coding the collected information. Hours of audio were analyzed from the recordings. The process was to transcribe the interviews and develop a coding method to find recurring themes within the groups.

6. Write thesis.

3.4 Schedule After the literature review and proposal, the next steps in the research were becoming IRB approved. IRB approval was a tedious and long process that continued from June 2012 to July 2012. The beginning of August allowed for practice interviews to be conducted. The following three months were the schedule for interviews. During the duration of these three months, the objective was to also analyze the data as it is being recorded:

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3.5 Instruments and Procedures Each interview lasted from 20 minutes to an hour and a half in duration. The interviews were based on a template of semi-structured questions. Each group (University system owners, architects, and contractors) had questions geared towards their profession. All the questions were grouped into four different categories: introductory questions, questions regarding BIM, questions regarding IPD, and lastly, questions regarding future expectations and BIM and IPD combined. Below are group specific questions:

University Member Questions A. Introductory Questions: (Approximately 20 minutes) 1. Can you tell me your title in the university system?

2. What are your responsibilities and with whom do you most frequently work?

3. Do your university system operations require your projects to use BIM? 4. How do you define BIM? 5. What makes the sector of higher education different from other sectors of architecture?

6. Can you tell me a little about the organization of your system, particularly in the FP&C department?

7. Can you tell me about a typical day in the office?

B. Research 1: Whether the use of BIM technologies can improve interaction with the architect, the contractor and the client / owner. (Approximately 20 minutes)

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8. Can you identify a particular project that you have required the use of BIM technologies? a. How large was the building? (Stories, area) 9. Can you identify a project that did not require BIM? 10. Please compare and contrast how the use of BIM helped / or did not help the interactions between the architect, contractor, and the university system.

11. How did BIM change your relationship with the other team members inside and outside of the university system?

12. How do you require the AE to tackle BIM on renovation projects?

13. Do you believe that the contracting side of architecture will play catch up, in terms of BIM, with the architectural side?

C. Research 2: The push for new construction form of IDP, Integrated Project Delivery.

(Approximately 20 minutes) 14. What is the most common delivery method that your university system uses?

15. Can you explain the differences between the common delivery methods?

16. Which delivery method do you believe is the most efficient for the client, AE, and contractor?

17. Do you believe that your university system in particular should be looking into and utilizing Integrated Project Delivery for future projects if it were legalized in Texas?

18. Why do you believe that Integrated Project Delivery is not legalized in Texas as of yet?

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19. What do you believe are the pros to utilizing Integrated Project Delivery?

20. What about the cons?

21. What are your opinions on the architecture and contracting industry merging as a whole?

D. Research 1 & 2 Combined and future expectations (Approximately 20 minutes) 19. Explain how BIM aids the IPD process?

21. What do you believe are some of the major factors in the industries’ push for BIM and IPD?

Architect Questions A. Introductory Questions: (Approximately 20 minutes) 1. Can you tell me what your title is in the company?

2. What are your responsibilities and with whom do you most frequently work?

3. When did your company start using BIM? 4. How do you define BIM? 5. In terms of client expectations, what makes the sector of higher education different from the other sectors of architecture?

B. Research 1: Whether the use of BIM technologies can improve the architect’s interaction with the contractor and the client/ owners. (Approximately 20 minutes) 6. Can you please identify a BIM project in your head?

7. Can you please identify a non-BIM project?

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8. Please compare and contrast the two projects previously named and explain how BIM worked well and did not work.

9. With higher education, there are a lot of existing buildings. How do you tackle BIM on renovation projects?

10. How did BIM change your relationships with other team members both inside and outside of the company?

11. Who do you believe is utilizing BIM more efficiently, contractors or architects?

12. Can you kind of explain the duration and process of the learning curve with BIM? C. Research 2: The push for new contract form of IDP, Integrated Project Delivery.

(Approximately 20 minutes) 13. Has your company used Integrated Project Delivery or a similar project delivery method that had the same principles?

14. Did the use of collaborative interdisciplinary teams help the integrated project?

15. Can you provide an example of contractor or consultant input in early stages that was beneficial?

16. Did integrated principles speed decisions, increase quality, and reduce cost?

D. Research 1 & 2 Combined and future expectations (Approximately 20 minutes) 17. Does BIM aid the integrated project delivery process?

18. Would you do integrated project delivery without BIM? Why? Why not?

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19. What are your opinions on the architecture and construction side of the industry merging as a whole?

Contractor Questions A. Introductory Questions: (Approximately 20 minutes) 1. Can you tell me what your title is in the company?

2. What are your responsibilities and with whom do you most frequently work?

3. When did your company start using BIM? 4. How do you define BIM? 5. Have you ever worked with a public higher education building. If so, in terms of client expectations, what makes the sector of higher education different from the other sectors of architecture?

B. Research 1: Whether the use of BIM technologies can improve the contractor’s interaction with the architect and the client/ owners. (Approximately 20 minutes) 7. Can you please identify a project in which your company has used BIM technologies?

8. Can you please identify a non-BIM project?

9. What are the advantages of using BIM in the company, as well as on the field?

10. What are some of the difficulties on the field that you encountered in the non-BIM related project that could have been avoiding using BIM? 11. Do you believe that the construction side of architecture is surpassing the design side in terms of utilizing BIM?

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12. How did the use of BIM help the interactions between the designers, university system owners, and your company?

C. Research 2: The push for new contract form of IDP, Integrated Project Delivery.

(Approximately 20 minutes) 13. Has your company used IPD? 14. Has your company done a similar project with conventional delivery?

15. Did the use of a collaborative interdisciplinary team help the IPD project?

16. Can you provide an example of your company or consultant input in early

stages

that was beneficial?

17. Did IPD speed decisions, increase quality, and reduce cost?

18. Do you believe that the company will be looking forward and utilizing IPD, if it has not done so already?

19. What do you believe are the pros to IPD? 20. What about the cons?

D. Research 1 & 2 Combined and future expectations (Approximately 20 minutes) 21. Does BIM aid the IPD process?

22. What do you believe are some of the major factors in wanting to have the push for BIM or IPD?

The procedures used to collect the data were semi-structured questions as well as a digital voice recorder. When first entering an interview setting, the participant was asked to sign a consent form that allows for the recording. The consent form states facts

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such as that the respondent’s identify will be kept completely confidential, participation is strictly voluntary, the data collected will be used strictly for academic purposes only, the participants are not getting paid for their involvement, etc. After the respondent signed the consent form, the recorder was started and the interview was conducted. Data was collected on the digital recorder. At the completion of the interview, the respondents were thanked.

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4. DATA COLLECTION / ANALYSIS

Facility planning offices are responsible for management of new construction, establishment of performance and aesthetic standards, and long-term planning.

4.1 Involved Texas Universities The three following Universities were analyzed.

4.1.1 Texas A&M University System Within the University System of Texas A&M, there is the Office of Facilities Planning and Construction (FP&C). FP&C is responsible for the design, construction, and afterlife of buildings on the eleven universities and seven state agencies that constitute the Texas A&M University System. The eleven universities within the system are Texas A&M University, Prairie View A&M University, Texas A&M UniversityCommerce, Tarleton State University, West Texas A&M University, Texas A&M University- Kingsville, Texas A&M University- Corpus Christi, Texas A&M University- Texarkana, Texas A&M University- Central Texas, Texas A&M UniversitySan Antonio, and Texas A&M Health Science Center. The seven state agencies are Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station, Texas Forest Service, AgriLife Extension Service, Texas Engineering Extension Service, Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, and Texas Transportation Institute. FP&C is, “dedicated to the ongoing program to improve and expand all physical facilities in support of the teaching, research and service missions of each university and agency of The Texas A&M System. FP&C seeks to accomplish this by providing timely and efficient professional services in a fiscally sound manner throughout all phases of project development. The department further strives to insure that each design for a new renovated facility provides a safe and accessible environment for the public; complies

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with state and federal codes and regulations, is visually attractive; adheres to the adopted architectural design policies; incorporates durable institutional quality materials and construction techniques; is functionally enduring, energy conserving and economical to construct and maintain (The Texas A&M University System).”

FP&C is also responsible for completing projects in the earliest and most practical timeframe in order to satisfy not only the university, but the students as well.

The Texas A&M University System has strict facility guidelines. Each university has a set of standards that each architect and contractor hired must be familiar. For example, being a state agency, Texas A&M University, requires a certain percentage of Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) participation. The procurement process utilized by Texas A&M, “seeks to provide equal opportunity and equal access in the design and construction opportunities on projects managed by FP&C (The Texas A&M University System: FP&C).”

The Facilities Design Guidelines are intended to help the project architect/engineer and contractors preserve the cohesion of the campus as one entity and maintain standards for what that particular university wants to portray in their architecture. As stated, the Facility Design Guidelines are to be used alongside with program requirements for the university. Texas A&M University has a design philosophy that is stated strongly in the Facilities Design Guidelines. This philosophy includes high design quality such as, “all buildings should be designed with flexibility in mind. Over the life of all major campus buildings the functions will change and the space will be reconfigured (The Texas A&M University System: FP&C).” In the design philosophy of Texas A&M University, there is a heavy emphasis to keep campus design standards up to an established level. The campus design standards states, “building

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design shall follow the guidelines established in the University or Agency Master Plan as well as the guidelines in this document. In the event of a conflict between standards established in a Master Plan and this document the Campus Master Plan shall govern. In lieu of master plan guidelines the design shall blend with campus standards and neighboring buildings. The design shall also conform to neighboring building setbacks, roof lines, etc. (The Texas A&M University System: FP&C).”

Another major point in the Facility Design Guidelines is building operations and maintenance. In higher education, campus buildings are built to last for 75 or more years. The Facility Design Guidelines require that “the project AE should obtain constant feedback from the Member Facilities Department during design. Detailed instruction from the Project AE stating the design intent for all building systems and the operating/ maintenance procedures are required during the design process (The Texas A&M University System: FP&C).”

The facility design guidelines consist of 33 divisions that detail requirements for electrical systems, earthwork, concrete, existing conditions, furnishings, plumbing, and other crucial elements.

The majority of the universities within the Texas A&M University System have a campus master plan. For example, Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, follows a campus master plan. The master plan is, “intended as a strategic and tactical guide for the physical development of the campus over the next fifty years. It is a hierarchical, comprehensive plan that proposes a radical reorientation of campus development policy in order to bring the physical environment into alignment with the academic and social mission of the University. It is intended to achieve the ideals of Vision 2020 to enhance the quality of campus life (Campus Planning and Facilities Management).”

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Texas A&M University’s campus master plan is divided into four main sections: the long-range plan, the landscape plan, the architecture plan, and the process plan. One example feature of the campus master plan is the integration of historic Texas A&M University campus with the modern.

For Texas A&M University, there were eight goals of the campus plan.

1. Reinforce campus identity 2. Reinforce campus community 3. Establish connectivity 4. Create architecture that contributes positively to the campus community 5. Promote spatial equity and appropriateness 6. Establish an accessible, pedestrian campus 7. Promote sustainability 8. Develop a supportive process

4.1.2 University of Texas System The University of Texas System is the biggest public higher education system in the state of Texas and consists of nine universities and six state agencies. Similarly to Texas A&M University System, within the University of Texas System offices there is an Office of Facilities Planning and Construction (OFPC). OFPC is very similar to the FP&C of Texas A&M University System in establishing facility guidelines. The University of Texas System has a set of Facility Design Guidelines that are separated

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into the categories of technical specifications, building envelope specifications, electrical specifications, mechanical specifications, and mechanical details.

Also similarly to Texas A&M University, the University of Texas follows a Campus Master Plan. The Facility Design Guidelines for the University of Texas state that, “a Campus Master Plan is a comprehensive and collaborative process of gathering, collecting, analyzing, synthesizing and documenting requirements to acquire, develop or improve land, a campus, or a campus precinct through a long‐range plan that balances and harmonizes all affected elements to support the strategic mission of the Institution and the growth required in enrollment, programs and facility support (University of Texas System).”

The mission of the University campus plan is “to provide high quality management in the areas of planning, construction and operation of the facilities essential to the teaching, research, and public service functions of The University of Texas at Austin (Campus Planning and Facilities Management).”

The University of Texas has a strict set of rules for programmatic planning.

Some of these factors include the consideration of demographics, enrollment projections, space projection models, classroom and lab utilization, and future land acquisitions. One major component to the campus master plan at UT System is the timeframe at which these capital plan projects are executed. According to the Facility Design Guidelines of UT, “the Campus should determine the useful life of the document prior to beginning the Campus Master Plan process. A reasonable timeframe for most campus master plans is a 10 – 20 year planning horizon, but the Campus should decide what is appropriate based

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on its knowledge of campus requirements and the findings of the Campus (University of Texas System).”

There are six steps that the University of Texas implements during the planning process of a project.

1. Pre-Planning Meeting: The campus administrations as well as the vice chancellor of the University of Texas System meet to discuss the campus’ strategic direction and intent to initiate on future projects for the university.

2. Management Team: The campus president appoints an oversight / steering committee that will oversee the project and accountability.

3. A Campus Master Plan Team is created to insure that the project is following the Master Plan. “A Campus may use internal staff and/or external consultants to complete its Campus Master Plan; this decision should be made early in the master planning process. If an institution uses external consultants, OFPC can assist with the procurement process (University of Texas System).”

4. Schedule: A schedule for the process should be prepared which identifies tasks to be completed, who is responsible for the tasks, and the importance of each task.

5. Participants: Identifies all the participants that will be involved. Typical participants might include campus administration, internal members of the OFPC group, campus operations and maintenance, community stakeholders, etc.

6. Decision Authority: Identify who is responsible for each action and who has the authority to approve information and make right decisions.

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After these six steps are implemented, the main reference that is used in order to have a cohesive campus is the Campus Master Plan. The campus plan of the University of Texas states that, “the master plan for an academic campus embodies and reveals an institution’s intellectual, social and physical aims. When these distinctive characteristics, unique to each community, are difficult to discern and incoherent, it is because the principles that bring clarity and harmony to buildings and open spaces have been ignored in favor of the needs of the moment. The rules of planning, as applied to campus architecture and the design of open spaces, can be used to regenerate an institution’s sense of place and more clearly communicate its mission (The University of Texas ).”

The Campus Master Plan, “must design every element in a way that serves our architectural heritage, the adjacent environments, the broad goals of The University, and the highly specific demands of our academic and research programs… the Campus Master Plan will help us design, build, and maintain the campus in ways that will preserve its special character while preparing The University for the next century of service to Texas and the nation (The University of Texas ).”

4.1.3 Rice University Rice University in Houston, Texas is one of the largest and best-known private universities in Texas. Rice University works very differently from Texas A&M University System and the University of Texas System because it is a private institute; it is not primarily funded by the state. Similarly to Texas A&M University and the University of Texas, Rice University has an office dedicated to the design and construction of future capital plan projects. This office is called the Office of Facilities Engineering and Planning. Within this office is the Project Management group which,

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“is comprised of a team of professional project managers who are responsible for management of all aspects of new construction and renovation projects on the Rice campus. This team provides engineering and project management services that support improvements and maintenance of the campus infrastructure, further directing the architectural development of capital improvements as well as providing consultation on maintenance issues (Rice University Facilities Engineering Planning).”

The Facility Design Guidelines of Rice University have 15 divisions that specify what is required in buildings for the architect and contractor. These specifications range from site work, concrete, electrical, wood and plastics, finishes, mechanical, etc. The design guidelines are not issued by the state and their process of developing a building from design to construction is not restricted as intensely as by the state.

The facilities of Rice University are also managed using a Campus Master Plan.

The goal of the campus master plan is “to preserve and protect the assets that make the campus among the most beautiful in the country. These assets include carefully planned open spaces, a large group of distinctive buildings, and an extraordinary stock of mature trees. The Rice University campus owes its coherence and beauty to the 1910 Master Plan, a document that has served as a guide for two centuries. Even after subsequent departures from the original plan, the essential form of the campus endures. The goal in revising the plan for the first time in 50 years was to reaffirm its best ideas and to design an extended framework into which the University can grow while maintaining the unity and beauty of the original master plan (Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects).”

4.2 Demographics and Statistics A total of 30 respondents in the three categories of university owner representatives, architects, and contractors were interviewed for the research. Within the

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group of university system members interviewed, there were a variety of different job titles that include (but were not limited to) project manager, area manager, cost analyst, director, chief facilities officer, executive director of project management, architects, project architects and assistant director. Of the 30 respondents, more then half of the interviews conducted were of university system owners. Within the group of architects interviewed, there were a variety of different titles that include (but are not limited to) project manager, BIM structural engineer, BIM specialist, BIM coordinator, managing principal, and director of project delivery. In the contractor group, the titles included (but were not limited to) to construction project manager, general contractor, construction superintendent, construction quality control inspector, and director of delivery.

The educational institutions have similarities and differences. The University of Texas System is the biggest system in the state of Texas and one of the largest university systems in the nation. It is a national leader in education, research, health care and service and also have $3 billion invested into active construction on all campuses. Texas A&M University System is the second largest university system in the state of Texas.

The Texas A&M System educates more then 120,000 students a year and has a faculty and staff of 28.000. Lastly, Rice University is one of the top ranked private schools in the state of Texas and is one of the top schools in the nation. Although compared to the Texas A&M University System or University of Texas System, the university itself is small, the impact they have is tremendous.

The other companies that participated in this research consisted of architects and general contractors. In terms of the architects, the company ranged from mid-sized firms

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(5-50 employees in the firm) to internationally recognized firms that have 50+ employees with several offices around the world. The contracting companies included mid-sized companies as well as companies with internationally recognition.

The time frame in which these interviews took place was a period of 3 months, August 2012 through October 2012. Each interview ranged from 20 minutes to an hour and a half. The total hours recorded was about 22 hours of interview time, leading to transcriptions of about 150 pages. In order to better understand the collective theme that ran throughout the course of all the interviews, there was a reorganization of each category.

4.3 BIM- Collective Theme Among the respondents, it can be concluded that there is a widespread endorsement for the use of BIM technologies on projects from university system members, architects, and contractors. Some of the recognized benefits of BIM that will be further explained include cost savings in construction and design, speed, reduced error, and reusability in operations and maintenance. The following categories help in understanding the benefits of BIM in the architecture and construction industry.

4.3.1 Defining BIM Among the respondents, there is a slightly varying definition of BIM. BIM has been defined as, “a method of designing and constructing in 3D, with real information prior to construction. It can produce construction documents and maintain the building (Owner).� Respondents are also defining BIM as a 3D model that has different

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disciplines that can be used within that model. It is utilized to review any conflicts within the design. The process of BIM is a relatively new concept. Some define BIM as a tool, not a cause. “BIM is a tool to execute a project. It is the utilization of information to ensure that it is reducing clashes and appropriate maintenance clashes (Owner).” One of the misconceived notions regarding BIM is that BIM is a particular program. For example, one of the newer program packages in the market is the Autodesk program Revit. “Revit is not BIM. Revit is a tool. BIM is primarily both a technology but it can also be a process (Owner).” As respondents can collectively agree, BIM is not strictly one program. Although there are different interpretations to the true definition of BIM, there are underlying standards of what BIM is. Collectively, “BIM is an information rich digital representation of a building that can be used during the design, construction, and life of a project (Architect).”

4.3.2 BIM as a Requirement in the Respondent’s Professions It can be collectively concluded that there is a need for the use of BIM technologies among university system members, architects, and contractors. All of the university systems require, to some degree, the use of BIM on their projects. For most higher education buildings, the project budgets can extend towards the multi-million dollar range. The logic behind BIM is that any company or firm that has the capacity to execute a project with that large of a budget is bound to be utilizing BIM. Therefore, the opportunity for medium firm to win university projects increases as well. BIM has allowed for multimillion-dollar project to be awarded to all firms rather then strictly

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larger firms. In the past, only larger firms had the extra resources to use BIM. One of the respondent universities systems does not require BIM in their contracts current, but “sees BIM as standard of care (Owner).” University system members, AE’s, and CM teams work with BIM because it is easier for the group to collaborate efficiently. In the end, the use of BIM is beneficial to all parties of the team. These benefits will be later described. Ultimately, “BIM provides a better service for the owner and a more fluid process for the AE and CM (Contractor).” Among the respondents there was a widespread agreement for the requirement / utilization of BIM in projects. It can be seen that even if some university systems do not require the use of BIM contractually, architects and contractors are still pushing to utilize BIM to ease the process.

4.3.3 What Works Well in a BIM Environment As mentioned previously, there are several recognized benefits of utilizing BIM among all the respondents of the research. Among the obvious benefits such as cost savings in design and construction, fastened schedule, and ease, there are other major benefits explored by utilizing BIM in the architecture and construction industry.

Elimination of Redundancy: One benefit that BIM has had in the industry is the ability to avoid rework. One university system in particular had a project that was an ideal example of how BIM has avoided rework. During the interview process, the participants were asked to identify projects that did not use BIM and a project that did use BIM and they were asked to compare and contrast how BIM worked and did not work. One example was an 18,000

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square feet project with a budget of $5.5 million dollars. From a BIM and modeling standpoint, this particular university system started using BIM in the beginning of the project (design) all the way to substantial completion. Typically what has been done is that the contractor will develop as-built sketches and red lines the drawings. Since this university system was requiring BIM from both the architect and the contractor, it was established that it is the contractor’s responsibility to produce the as-built BIM model.

This procedure was the most efficient procedure because otherwise the process is going backwards from contractor to architect. Basically, BIM works well in this environment because it allows works to not have to be redone. One of the main problems in the industry is the constant rework of drawings between architects and contractors.

Collectively concluded from the respondents, correct model sharing in a BIM environment can prevent rework drastically. BIM is able to intertwine other disciplines such as plumbing, electric, mechanical, etc. All of the sub consultants can produce their drawings in the BIM model instead of having to produce their own drawings in their own model, and then have the contractor or architect redrawn what the sub consultant has drawn. Not only does this take out redundancies but it also pushes the work effort to the most ideal location. With the elimination of redundancies due to BIM, the project schedule can also be significantly shortened.

Another university system project was an ideal example of how BIM eliminated the redundancies in a traditional construction process. This was a $40 million dollar project on the main campus. BIM allowed the AE to draw one time, and draw the correct thing. BIM has eliminated the need to trial and error in drawings. That process then

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allowed the CM to price it at the same time. There was not an aligning of what is temporary and what the real activity is. All the data was already aligned because they shared the BIM model in developing the documents. The correct use of BIM was highly effective because, “it brought the project in 6 months early, 15,000 square feet larger, and with an overall savings of $2 million dollars (Owner).”

Reduction of Error: One of the major benefits behind the use of BIM is the reduction of error in not only the design but in the field as well. Error in the field is a top expense that can be avoided using BIM. Previously, there were clashes that architects and owners were not able to see in 2D until construction began to take place in the field. With projects, that started with BIM and ended with BIM, all parties were able to eliminate weaknesses in the design. BIM has helped tremendously for punch list items during construction as well. Punch list items are items that need attention and inspection before signed off by the owner. Traditionally there would be a project manager in the office that would type up those punch list items and then the construction inspector would go through the entire list and manually check off each item that needed attention. With BIM, the inspections can go significantly faster because CM’s are utilizing punch list items from other digital sources they take out on the field. This could never have been achieved without BIM. Also, the use of BIM has greatly reduced the amount of punch list items.

Another way in which BIM has reduced the number of errors in a project is by reducing the number of Requests for Information (RFI’s). BIM can fix problems instantly. Issues that arise in design can get fixed in minutes as opposed to days with

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traditional project design. In the industry currently, there is a good collaboration between the experienced builders and the new generation of BIM experts. The demographics of these parties utilizing BIM allow for experience in every aspect of BIM and construction.

There is also a huge reduction in the number of Change Orders in a project.

Change Orders are major errors that need to be edited in the project scope. The experienced CM in BIM will be responsible for the dimensions of a project. If a project has a subcontractor that has not drawn their specialty correctly in the BIM model, or if they are not utilizing BIM at all, there are a lot of issues that come up in the field. BIM helps the CM get dimensions from the 3D model easier then using traditional 2D drawings. These reductions in error on the field and in design are crucial because major cost expenses happen from mistakes. “The use of BIM correctly has reduced thousands of dollars worth of error in the design of a project just by the simple click of a mouse (Architect).�

BIM has greatly reduced the amount of error on the field and in the design process. These reductions of error can save thousands of dollars in project budget as well as fasten the project schedule.

Building Maintenance: BIM has helped the owners in particular because of its ability to organize maintenance. Maintenance is crucial for higher education buildings because tax dollars from the state go directly into building maintenance. In the past, project did not have that data that BIM has provided. Maintenance issues were solely dependent on old drawings.

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Now that BIM is being utilized, there are records of the building and how everything was installed. As far as maintenance items, the staff knows where to target for maintenance items and how to fix the building efficiently and quickly.

BIM has been a huge advantage in ease of maintenance. The attachment of building operation data to a project and loading that information into the owner’s building automation system has been a huge benefit. The use of real time 3D models with data attached help building owners and physical plant members operate and maintain their facilities operations tremendously. Owners can see manufacture details, life expectancies, cost, and quantity of maintenance items through the BIM mode. As compared to a project where it does not have a 3D model, “when a facility operator needed to change an item of maintenance, they would have to search through a set of three ring binders on a bookshelf (Owner).” BIM is a tool and the tool needs to be used…”if you put a tool on the shelf, it’s no better then set of 3 ring binders.” The ease maintaining the building in BIM versus using a three ring binder is a huge advancement.

BIM being used as a source for building maintenance and upkeep has not been explored to its full degree, but the future of it will be further discussed.

Budget: Another major benefit of utilizing BIM is it’s potential to reduce project budget.

One major project example of how BIM has reduced project budget was a $100 million dollar project constructed in 2008 on one of the university’s main campus. The project had not been executed in BIM initially. When the particular university wanted to begin the construction of the project, the estimates of the project were far exceeding the

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budget. To remedy the problem, the project managers solicited proposals from the marketplace to bid the project. For this $100 million dollar project, the use of BIM became pertinent to keeping it under budget. Through the use of the BIM model and that particular contractor’s cost database, the cost of the project ended up being reduced by $25 million dollars and the project was brought in schedule. “BIM was a huge advantage of that project. Without the use of BIM to help guide that particular project’s budget, I do not believe we would have be able to keep the project under budget (Owner).”

Provides a Visual Representation: BIM has not only improved the interactions between the architects, contractors, and owner, but it has drastically improved the communication between the parties involved in the project and the clients.

BIM has helped the user see a visual representation of the building. Clients were able to see what they were receiving in terms of 3D modeling. Before BIM, 2D drawings in CAD were the representations that were used to show the client. Most clients have a difficult time visualizing a 3D model out of 2D drawings. With BIM and its ability to show these 3D drawings, the clients can ask for their specific needs rather then trusting that the architect will provide those specifics. BIM is used as a modeling tool for the owners to show their clients. “BIM allows us to really know what the client is looking for in terms of their expectations and needs. Most clients have a difficult time visualizing something from a flat 2D drawing… that is not a standard way of thinking. Now that the industry is fully utilizing BIM, clients can see what we are designing and agree or disagree with reason (Architect).”

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Labor in the Field: BIM has made drastic advances in labor in the field. One example of how BIM has helped with labor in the field is the ability to install hanger points. For one company in particular, the CM would have spent hours on mapping hangers out but now one person can do it and can install 400 hanger points in a single day. “BIM has made a tremendous difference as far as labor in the field (Contractor).” BIM has the ability to show the process of construction as well. This characteristic of BIM can allow CM’s to simulate concrete pours, crane maneuvers, and staging layout all prior to breaking ground. The ability to see the construction of a project before actually construction saves thousands of hours of labor on the field.

Demand for More Complex Buildings: With the industry heading towards more advanced and efficient buildings, the use of BIM is steadily following the market. BIM pushes the envelope for innovation.

For one particular firm, they were designing a building that really pushed the envelope for innovation. “In this particular project, we utilized BIM to it’s full potential.

This project was one of the most complex projects we as a firm have ever designed (Architect).” This project was a multi-million dollar, 80-story skyscraper with zero 90degree angles. “The reality is that this project could not have been done in basic AutoCAD without spending 3 to 4 times longer (Architect).” The AE spent a hundred thousand man-hours doing it in Revit (the firms particular BIM tool). BIM is pushing the envelope for design and allowing the AE to produce a better, more complex, and

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visually appealing building. As BIM advances, the benefit of that results in a higher demand for more complicated and efficient buildings.

Another building that demanded for a complex structure could not have been done without the use of BIM technologies. This building was a 35,000 square foot building. “Threading the infrastructure through that building was extremely complicated.

It could not have been done anywhere near successfully without the use of BIM (Owner).”

As the demand for more technologically advanced buildings increases, the technologies that produce these buildings increase as well.

Collaboration: The most important benefit behind BIM is the higher level of collaboration between the owner, architect, and contractor. Although BIM is a tool of technology, “it is a tool that must be used with collaboration. BIM by itself will do nothing for a project.

BIM with advanced collaboration can be highly efficient (Owner).”

A prime example of how collaboration as a result of using BIM in a project was a beneficial was project constructed in 2010 on a main campus of one of the universities.

The project was designed using BIM, which was not required at the time. The CM and the AE both agreed to use BIM as a best business practice. The university system agreed with the AE and CM that they could use BIM on the project. The CM took the model that was developed it for their specific specialties. Not only did it help coordinate work with all their subcontractors, but it was also used to assist with schedule management.

That particular university system saved budget cost during the duration of the project

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because of the correct utilization of BIM. Early clashes could be found which avoided costly change orders. Successful utilization of BIM was also able to save schedule time by accelerating and compressing the amount of time for shop drawings. BIM made that process more efficient because it allowed fewer people to do more work. It also made the process from design to construction more fluid because of the needed collaboration that resulted from using BIM in all parties.

Collaboration, as a result of BIM, has been one of the underlying factors in the push for BIM utilization. Efficient collaboration using BIM has the potential to spark a chain reaction for saving money, shortening project schedules, and essentially, producing a more beautiful building.

4.3.4 What Does Not Work Well in a BIM Environment: As respondents collectively agree, there are very few cons to the utilization of BIM in projects. Some of the obvious cons are the cost of initially getting a company on board with BIM technologies, the learning curve of BIM, and the personnel capacity.

However, the cons investigated within the context of this research include what owners are wanting in terms of BIM models, when to start using BIM, the learning curve of BIM, the line of division between the AE and CM BIM models, the technological capacities of these large models, and collaborative confusion.

How Owners Define What They Want in Terms of BIM: From an owner’s standpoint, there are very few issues that do not work well in a BIM environment. “Essentially, BIM has helped in many different ways. If I had to find

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a negative aspect behind utilizing BIM, the only con I would find could be remedied as time continues and as the technologies advance (Owner).” The only issue that can be found from an owner’s standpoint is determining the true definition of what owners want in terms of a BIM model from the CM or AE. There is a hazy area in what to expect from these 3D models at the end of a project’s construction. From a managerial side, that can be seen as a negative. “The owner is asking us to do a lot of work with this 3D BIM model, when ultimately, we’re still just using the 2D drawings for construction (Architect).” Although BIM has improved the process of construction documentation tremendously, there are still issues that have yet to be worked out. When Revit (the leading tool used in BIM) got introduced, the level of expectations of what to produce increased but it did not seem like the timeframe in which to produce it or the fee changed with it. In many cases, the model that AE’s have found is not considered the instrument of service. It is still the 2D drawings that the subcontractors, CMs, etc. are using.

Owners want a BIM model from the AE or CM, however, the question arise for all parties, “How detailed should these 3D models we are turning into the owner be (Architect)?”

When To Start Using BIM: Another con behind the utilization of BIM technologies is when to start using BIM during a project. “The key behind BIM is to start early in the project phase (Architect).” BIM needs to start before submittal, before Design Development, before a majority of the project milestones. All parties involved in the project need to be on board with using BIM. Some projects will be good candidates for BIM and some will not.

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Currently, as a new process, a lot of companies have no experience at BIM. The question then arises, “When do companies need to start using BIM if not done already?”

Some companies do not have the manpower and resource to fully invest in BIM technologies. “That is not necessarily a legitimate case in saying how BIM does not work well because it is not in the hand of the actual BIM, but the newness of BIM is an issue. That issue will resolve itself in time (Owner).”

Learning Curve of BIM: Another issue with BIM is that the learning curve is tremendous. Although there will be lasting benefits in the long run, it is hard from a financial standpoint to take that “leap of faith.” Another reason why the learning curve is so difficult is because the majority of the respondents are still using AutoCAD at the same time as their BIM program of choice. “We still use CAD today, we do not produce drawings with CAD, but we have to integrate other vendors’ drawings (Architect).” Companies that are hiring are going to be looking for potential employees with experience in both BIM technologies as well as basic CAD technologies. Finding those are increasingly difficult.

The Line of Division Between the AE BIM Model and the CM BIM Model: Another issue that takes place in a BIM environment between the AE and CM is a line of division between the AE and the CM’s model. “There is always an issue when it comes to model sharing (Contractor).” Part of it has to do with how the contracts are written. Generally it is a one-way trip; the AE hands off their model to the CM. Some projects that are being implemented are breaking down these barriers. “What is happening is that the AE’s are giving the CM’s weekly models so they can integrate

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clash detection on the field. With that being stated, there is a power struggle between who owns the model (Contractor).”

Technology Capacity for Larger Models: Another con that can be seen with BIM is that the models are getting extremely large. There is so much information packed in the models that it will take minutes to open files. The computer software available today is struggling tremendously to open these files…”there is wasted time waiting (Architect).”

The technology is catching up but the other issue with BIM is the location of these files when they are not being edited. All construction and architecture companies have different services that store the model and the data. Most of the owners have services that are not set up for the uploading and download their files. Owners require AEs and CMs to save the models in a specific format the owner is asking. “That becomes a problem because data can be lost of confused when all this information is transformed from one digital language to another (Architect).”

Collaborative Confusion: Lastly, another difficulty that come with working with BIM, particularly on the field, is confusion about which model is the most up to date BIM model. Also, a lot of personnel on the field have not been professional trained to utilize BIM. Therefore, maneuvering in the program becomes difficult when you are working out on the field.

The process of designing and constructing a project using BIM has gotten longer due to the need for more coordination of these smart models. There is more information that the AE and CM must now respond to. “The coordination of all this new information

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can be increasingly difficult, especially when trying to work all the information into a computer model (Owner).”

Although the respondents have found several cons in utilizing BIM technologies, they can collectively agree that the pros outweigh the cons heavily.

4.3.5 BIM and the Relationships With Others: It can be collectively concluded that BIM has drastically improved the relationships between the owners, architects, and contractors. BIM makes it easier to figure out problems earlier in terms of project coordination among the triumvirate. One of the main relationships that BIM has improved is the relationship between the architect and the contractor. Having the contractor on early in a project using BIM solves a lot of the constructability problems early on.

In one particular project on a university campus, the contractor was involved in using BIM for constructability. The contractor used the model during construction for clash detection and solving issues that did not match the drawings. “From what has been seen through an owner’s perspective, a lot of the contractors put BIM in their contracts for their subcontractors (Owner).”

The relationships that the CM and AE have with the owners are growing tremendously. BIM is the guiding factor for that. As BIM becomes a standard of practice, the relationship between the architect and contractor. The use of BIM technologies fosters collaboration because of the interdisciplinary characteristics that the models have. From an architect’s point of view, “the biggest reason that BIM has

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improved relationships is because the AE’s can see each other’s information at all times and if the model is correctly set up, all parties can see each other’s documents; BIM produces a transparent environment (Architect).”

4.4 Integrated Project Delivery- Collective Theme Among the respondents there were split views of the effectiveness of IPD. Although the architects and contractors were collectively in favor of IPD, some of the institutional representatives were supportive and others opposed the use of IPD. The positive and negative aspects of IPD are further investigated. In order to better understand the concept of IPD, the respondents collectively agreed on the traditional delivery methods they are all using and the definition of IPD.

4.4.1 Traditional Delivery Methods and the Differences One of the most common delivery methods that the university systems are using is Construction Manager at Risk. In a Construction Manager at Risk delivery method the contractor is brought on at the same time design team is. The contractor works together with the architect early in the design process. During these pre-construction services, the contractor is looking at constructability issues and budgets. The contractor will be an integral part of the team for estimating, constructability, and to guide how much facility that can be built. It is pertinent in the CMAR delivery method that the contractor has an understanding of the design. This type of method forces the AE and CM to be more of a collaborative team. “The main point is that CMAR is a more collaborative style if done

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right, and it gives the owner the idea of what the project cost, delivery time, and quality early in the process instead of waiting until the end (Owner).”

Another common delivery method used in Texas public higher education is Competitive Sealed Proposal. In a CSP, the AE has the documents drawn at 100%, they are “put on the streets and the CMs bid for it (Owner).” However, the proposal is comprised of prices in response to questions that are ranked based on criteria. All potential companies get ranked and are scored on a percentage based on your qualifications and price. “CSP gives you more of flexibility on hiring the CM (Owner).”

The difference between a CMAR and a CSP is that in a CSP, the owner is bidding out the whole thing. The CM is not brought on until the construction documents are fully complete. It also means that the AE is going to design to a certain percentage of the budget. The AE designs up to about 90% of the budget, depending on the group.

The rest of that budget is made up in add-alternates. “The problem with CSP is that the AE is not using a contractor to give you that pricing. There are a lot of unknowns when bidding out a project using CSP. Also, with CSP, it favors change orders. It leaves more openings for chargers for the missed things (Owner)” It can be seen there that there is a split between what delivery method is the most ideal for owners. The controversy with traditional delivery methods (CMAR and CSP), there are flaws within those methods.

Like many owners ask themselves, “What is truly the best delivery method we as an institutional facility that will save us money, time, and delivery a better quality project?”

IPD thrives to be a chosen delivery method of choice. One university system in particular uses an innovative delivery method called Guaranteed Maximum Price

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Contractor at Risk. This project delivery method is very similar to IPD; however the only difference is that is it not contractually bond.

4.4.2 Defining IPD A key factor about IPD in public higher education is that it is not legalized for public buildings. In order for IPD to be legal for public institutes to implement, the legislator needs to be amended. “IPD is really a methodology (Owner).” In and IPD project, all parties are equal; owner, architect, and contractor. In a true IPD, there is only one contract signed by all parties. There are usually incentives for cost savings and early delivery. Those incentives, usually funded by the contractor fee, “are more of a legal entanglement (Contractor).” As it can be seen, there is an unclear definition of IPD. This directly results in the split support among the respondents. The following pros and cons behind IPD principles are analyzed.

4.4.3 Pros Behind IPD Principles: The major underlying pro behind IPD principles is the requirement of collaboration among owners, architects, and contractors. Collaboration of project design to completion is the main goal of an IPD project.

Collaboration Respondents collectively agree that the major pro behind IPD principles is having a collaborative and transparent environment. “A collaborative team makes the design to construction process one fluid movement (Architect).” One example of a

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contractor / consultant input that is beneficial early in a design process are when AE’s are thinking about what systems to use in a building project. This collaborative process strikes a chain process of saving money for the owner, shortening the project schedule and having a specialist in that field helping with the design. When subcontractors or other consultants are on board in the design, it allows for better decisions to be made.

Collaboration allows a higher level of efficiency. There is value from the CM being at part of the design process, in terms of values and cost estimating. The more input there is from all disciplines, enhances the building itself. The lines of communication availability are, “so great that with all these trades working together, there is potential for a great design (Architect).”

As a collective theme from the respondents that fully support IPD, the use of collaborative interdisciplinary teams helped the integration process because it produces better documents; more accurately. In the short run, “a lot of people say it takes longer, but if you look at it from a long term point of view, that is the learning curve of the industry. Collaboration and innovation is key…this is what IPD can give (Owner).”

Owner as Part of the Team: According to one of the university systems that are in favor of IPD principles, the owner has three sets of responsibilities. “1. The owner must be a client and must be able to define what they want and be permitted to have those expectations. 2. The owner has to remember they are a service provider. They are providing decision, payments, and can facilitate better relationships between the AE and the CM and finally, 3. The owner is a team member. They cannot place the blame. If the team fails, the owner is a part of that.

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The last two responsibilities of the owner are pertinent parts of IPD (Owner).� With the owner being an integral part of the time, they now have more accountability during the process of a project. The traditional method of letting the AE and CM take charge and make the majority of the decisions is changed.

All Parties on Board Early One of the advantages with an IPD form of a contract is that it allows subcontractors to be brought into the project early on. In a CMAR delivery method, the owner can bring in the CM during design and can bring in a subcontractor as well for design assist, but the subcontractor is not legally a part of the team because they still have to bid the contract. In IPD, it would provide a way that the subcontractors can be a part of the team from the earliest stage of design. Having all the parties involved in the design would allow for better decisions to be made for cost, constructability, and appeal.

Also, with the sub consultants on board in the design early, the project can be ensured the best decisions because the sub consultants are specialized in their fields. IPD is “attempting to push forward decision making as early as possible (Owner).�

The owner, AE, and CM can control more deciding factors when they are involved early in a project. One of the main attractive characteristics about IPD is that there is no longer a need to go between AE and CM constantly. IPD allows the owners, AE, and CM to work at a highly integrated level.

Incentives The last advantage of utilizing IPD principles that has been collective agreed upon by the respondents is incentives. The incentives are used among the owner, AE,

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and CM. A positive outlook about the incentives is owners are able to invest in the other members of the project and it will motivate them. The way an incentive in an IPD project works is that an architect would put a small percentage of their fee at risk and the owner will inform the architect if there are doing a successful job in the project. For that small risk, the fee is higher and there is the ability to get a larger fee then ordinarily for the architect. That is a clear reward. For higher education in particular, universities will constantly have projects, the owners want architects and contractors to have the desire to work for their university.

Under a conventional IPD project, the team is going to share whatever profit is gained or lost at the end of the project. If the team works well together, the project will be financially profitable, resulting in everyone benefiting. In theory, “it is a good method, but in higher education, in order for the method to work well, there has to be a profit sharing motive built into the contract. Any savings that you get from the profit of a project can be returned to tax payers. If there is profit sharing under IPD, the team is going to split the savings (Owner).” The question rises, “Should you take dollars that are from the tax payers, and insinuate the team to work better to profit share?” This is where a pro of IPD in higher education can easily be argued as a con

4.4.4 Cons Behind IPD Principles Although some of the university system representatives, architects and contractors collectively support IPD principles; the other university system

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representatives believe there are several underlying cons behind the utilization of IPD principles.

Shedding Risk Onto the Owner The major con behind IPD is the shedding of risk from the architect and contractor, onto the owner. With a true IPD project, the owner, architect, and contractor are all equal. They each share the same amount of risk as the other. “In an owner’s world, the owner is not equal (Owner).” The owners hire the architect to ensure their client gets the best product for the best price. Owners believe the idea of all shareholders having open and collaborative arrangement can be successful but CMAR can result with the same successful outcome if the right parties are chosen. Owners in public higher education institutes are about risk reduction. “With IPD, the risk is shared. Public state institutes are here to protect the assets of the state of Texas, not here to protect the assets of private firms (Owner).”

Vague Set of Rules Another cons of IPD are that it is not well defined. There is a tremendously amount of room for error and uncertainty. The major issue with the newness is that when issues start to arise in an IPD project, what is the remedy? Who is the one that takes the responsibility? “IPD is very similar to CMAR without well-defined lines of authority (Owner).” The vagueness of these guidelines for IPD do not allow for university system owners to have a security that is need with state money. “With an IPD project, our law system is going to look at it and ask, ‘What are the checks and balances that are going to

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be in play?’ If we as owners let them use this delivery method…how many people are going to be taken advantage of before everyone learns the system (Owner)?”

Shortened Schedule Leads to Erratic Decisions One attractive characteristic that and IPD project implements is the shortening of project schedules. The problem that institutional work has to deal with is the coordination among all the parties that a project needs approval by. As the market drives the need for more capital projects and a tighter schedule; clients want the schedule shortened up. The ideal IPD project will have all parties of the project working concurrently. “What happens is that when the schedule is shortened, there is less time to make decisions and when working with higher education, there are more people to get approval from. Having to get everyone to understand that you need this approved is going to be difficult (Owner).”

4.5 Future Expectations- Collective Theme According to the literature review, a lot of the underlying pros and cons of BIM and IPD were prevalent. The literature review ran fairly parallel to the research interview conducted. The following conclusion about future expectations of BIM and IPD are recorded.

4.5.1 Adoption of BIM Will Increase As respondents collectively agree, the push for BIM is becoming more and more of a challenge. A faster time frame and accurate format is the challenge that is being tested as the industry begins to use BIM as a standard of practice. The future

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expectations that owners want from the architects and contractors are directly related to the BIM process. The process of linking the different models from different disciplines in itself is groundbreaking. Future expectations involve the application of information infused to the model. The information is linked in data sets where the owner can have access to all the practical data. What restricts the information of BIM is the industry looking for a common way of organization. As with any learning curve of a new methodology, the industry will begin to regulate itself.

“There are very high expectations of the BIM model in the future (Architect).”

Currently, no company is producing great BIM models for maintenance and building upkeep. All owners can expect is reasonably accurate documentation of the building that has been delivered. “The problem is that there is little agreement on content and little consensus on exactly what should be delivered to the owner in a useful way that can be put into our management system. There needs to be an alternative way to put these smart models into an enterprise system without having to put it through a spreadsheet first (Owner).” Owners hope in the future that the AE and CM can collaboratively produce a model that can be utilized for the lifespan of the building.

Architects have only scratched the surface of BIM with the ability to use these types of technology to communicate with the building world. With the technology currently, it is going to open up a whole new world of communication.

4.5.2 Adoption of IPD Principles Will Increase

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The future expectations of IPD have been collectively agreed among the respondents. Although, the contractual obligation of IPD will not progress, the major principles of IPD (collaboration and transparency), will flourish in time. As mentioned, the collaboration between all the team members needs to be as transparent as possible.

“Collaboration is the number one and most crucial part to a successful project. I believe that as owners begin to see the benefits of collaboration, it will become a standard of practice to have everyone involved early in the process (Owner).”

4.5.3 Merging of the Industry Another future expectation agreed among the respondents is the merging of the architecture and construction industry. Eventually the industry will merge but in terms of working together as a collaborative team. “At this point, architects and the contractors have different priorities; therefore there will never be a true alignment of the team as one entity (Architect).” In most circumstances, the architects are utilizing BIM most effectively. Although the architects have been using the tool longer, the contractors are coming into the technology at lightening speed. “I believe in time, architects and contractors working together will be a standard of practice. With the use of BIM technologies and IPD principles, projects will be of better quality, be constructed faster, and generally, better (Contractor).”

4.6 Higher Education- Collective Theme

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The respondents collectively agree that higher education is a unique sector. There are state statues that have to be followed and to a certain degree, it drives public higher education into a much less risk tolerant environment. “With that risk tolerance, there comes a certain level of bureaucracy (Owner).” It can be concluded that with this lack of risk, owners of institutional buildings want the safest and most effective delivery of a project.

Another characteristic of higher education that makes it unique is that higher education owns and operates buildings for decades. Institutional buildings are going to be around for 75 – 100 years. The total cost to maintain and operate a building in higher education is pertinent. Public higher education buildings are not required to obtain building permits from the local jurisdictions. As opposed to other sectors of architecture, higher education run, maintain, and design their buildings in-house.

Also, “the biggest difference in higher education is the need for collaboration to get where a project needs to go. In the private sector, they have a much better understanding about getting right to the point of a project from design, construction, to completion. There are little distractions. In higher education, it tends to bring distractions in (Owner).” There are many different stakeholders in a higher education project.

Therefore, with “so many different hands on the project. Decisions tend to take time to get made (Owner).”

Due to higher education being so unique, the question that arises is what makes higher education different from the other sectors of architecture, such as commercial or

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residential, in terms of utilizing BIM and IPD? Are the benefits of BIM and IPD the same?

4.6.1 Benefit Unique to Higher Education with BIM One of the main benefits that can be collectively agreed among the respondents is the reduction of project budget and schedule. In public higher education in particular, the budget and schedule are the driving forces of the design and construction of the project.

BIM aids the process of shortening the schedule, which is pertinent in higher education because construction during school semesters is increasingly difficult. Ideally, construction projects want to try to be as minimally invasive as possible to the campus.

“On a college campus, construction can cause a big issue among the traffic of students, cars, etc. We cannot just look at the project and what it affects, but we have to look at the buildings next to the project, the sidewalks and walkways, and how we are affecting the students. A faster construction process leads to a happier client (Architect).”

Secondly, BIM’s ability to manipulate building maintenance is crucial benefit geared towards higher education. Due to the fact that institutional buildings will be around for decades, the ability to have knowledge on maintenance is crucial. With BIM, gathering information on maintenance is pertinent.

4.6.2 Benefits Unique to Higher Education with IPD One of the major benefits of IPD that is unique to higher education is the collaboration among the teams. The collaboration of the owner, AE, and CM allow for more accountability from the owner. As mentioned previously, the owner is able to have more input in the design, process, and construction of the project.

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Secondly, the transparency that is needed in an IPD project is pertinent in a higher education facility. “Due to all of the stakeholders that have their hands in the project, the ability to see what all the other parties are doing is crucial. Transparency is key for a project to be successful (Owner).�

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5. CONCLUSIONS

5.1 Contribution 1: All Respondents Are in Full Support of BIM The research has contributed to the analysis of university system owners, architects, and contractor’s preferences towards BIM and IPD. It can be collectively stated that all of the institutional representatives, architects, and contractors fully support the utilization of BIM. Not only do they describe BIM as a tool, but it also is a tool that is useless unless a collaborative and skilled team is using it to its full advantage; a team including architects, contractors, and consultants. Collectively, the respondents believe that although BIM has had tremendous strides of improvement in the past few years, it could be pushed even further. “The pros definitely outweigh the cons when it comes to the utilization of BIM. I think companies that make the investment in BIM are saving themselves thousands of dollars, time, and will give them a smoother process in project delivery (Owner).”

Similarly with architects and contractors that participated in this research, the utilization of BIM is pertinent. BIM has improved the interactions among internal members of the team but also external well. It has also allowed for a more efficient process in project design to construction. Although, there are some flaws with BIM, architects are collectively looking forward to utilizing BIM even more. “Not doing a project in BIM today would be a waste of time, effort, energy, and money. These new technologies should be embraced. The industry is definitely changing and at a very fast rate (Contractor).”

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5.2 Contribution 2: Split Support of IPD From Institutional Representatives In terms of IPD, there are mixed viewpoints that may indicate a period of change.

While one institution expressed emphatic opposition to IPD, another expressed ambivalence with perhaps a positive tendency and the third expressed enthusiasm for the principles fi not the specific contractual arrangements.

Representative of one institution had a more open mindset to the use of IPD, but the other institutions were more reluctant. Reluctance is based on the perceptions that there is a lack of a clear definition of the rules and guidelines before it was utilized and there would also need to be an understanding of every aspect. The newness of this and lack of clarity of this form of contract is the underlying factors that are permitting it from being further pushed for. Representatives of another institution highly disagree with IPD. “I am not a big fan of Integrated Project Delivery because it seems to me as a way of shedding risk from the architect and the contractor to the owner, and I am not in favor of that (Owner).�

Although there was a split viewpoint for the utilization of IPD, the majority of the institutional representatives were in favor of the major pro to IPD, the collaboration created among the team.

5.3 Contribution 3: Architect and Contractor Support of IPD Principles Architect and contractor respondents collectively agree that IPD principles should be utilized early on in the design and construction of a project. One of the major

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pros of IPD that apply directly to contractors is their early input with cost estimating on design projects. There is a certain level of checks and balance that allows for the collaboration of not only the architect and contractor, but the architect, contractor and owner.

Architect and contractor respondents support IPD’s collaborative characteristics allowing, “fairness, a better project, better quality, communication, and overall better product for the client. Essentially that is what it boils down to…keeping the client happy. IPD principles are the way to do that (Contractor).”

5.4 Future Work The architecture and construction side of the industry will always run parallel. In the future BIM will become further and further advanced that the use of information will be able to be extracted from the BIM model and building maintenance will become a standard of practice. BIM is not there yet. In construction, there will be need for faster punch list items; fewer change orders, and a way that allows for pre-fabrication and higher efficiency. BIM can bring that as well as the principles of IPD. “We have only scratched the surface of what BIM, alongside with IPD principles, can do for the architecture and construction industry (Architect).”

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