Last week, Paul Himes moderated at Bisnow’s Data Center Investment Conference and Expo (DICE) at DC’s J.W. Marriott. Check out the full list of Bisnow DICE speakers!
Paul Himes from Himes Associates spoke about the controversial topic of the Design-Build model. Other speakers on the panel included, Kevin Brightwell, KTA Group, Brian Brezovsky, DPR Construction, Ben Stewart, Verizon Teremark, and James Sauvageau, ESD.
The best thing about this panel, aside from the constant witty banter, was that each speaker came armed with the view of their respective backgrounds: General Contractors, A/E firms, Owner’s Reps. This of course made for an interesting and truthfully comical 45 minutes of meaty dialogue for the audience.
The DB model has many positive aspects; it is collaborative, and saves the owner both time and money by preventing constant back and forth between A/E firms and GC’s. It seems so simple, doesn’t it? Yet somehow, information always seems gets lost in translation. It seems to me that nothing would be more logical and productive than having every important player at one round table making quick decisions. Ben Stewart from Teremark made the best point that everyone should to take home. Yes, the DB model has some pitfalls and can be a bit more time consuming, but consider the other option. A traditional design-bid-build model is just outdated.
It’s all about managing expectations on all ends of the spectrum. From the scope of work, to who (GC or A/E) will act as the lead throughout the project.The DB model has been around long enough now that it’s time for the masters to master it!
“Remember that the six most expensive words in business are: ‘We’ve always done it that way.’” -– Catherine DeVrye
