- Team collaboration – Nothing new here! Collaboration is integral to any design-build project, and our clients and partners are hungry for tools to improve and enhance collaboration on their projects. I loved hearing how everyone is seeking out opportunities to improve teamwork to enhance project delivery.
- Technology – Speaking of tools, it was clear that we are at a tipping point. We need to leverage the available technology to improve communication and collaboration on our design-build projects. Focusing on simple things, like working together in the same drawing models and sharing project files in a collaborative workspace, increases access to the latest information and enables more productivity.
- Design Management – We all know the design phase is key to any design-build project. With rising costs and supply chain challenges, how the design-builder partners with the client and design team during this phase is becoming even more critical to provide essential real-time feedback to inform decision-making.
In addition to my perspective, I also wanted to share what our design-build teams are experiencing in the field. Therefore, I asked them to share some key takeaways from their sessions, which I’ve summarized below.
Lessons from our sessions
All Aboard: Amtrak’s Landmark D-B/F/O-M Initiative Transforming a Historic Transportation Hub
Gilbane, as part of the Plenary Infrastructure Philadelphia (PIP) consortium, is modernizing and renovating Amtrak’s William H. Gray III 30th Street Station. Scott Mucci, senior project executive at Gilbane, and Dana Edwards, design manager at Gilbane, explained to me just how complex this project is. Whether it was the preplanning of the 50-year maintenance cycle, the phased schedule to allow the station to remain operational throughout construction, or the existing conditions that needed to be documented and repaired, our team continued to think creatively to simplify this web of complexity.
So how did they do it? Our team aligned around a joint mission statement and worked from there to integrate the team in a variety of ways. They revamped workstreams by updating their meeting cadence, aligning their team structure, and creating pathways for issue escalation and resolution. They developed collaborative working tools like design and construction issue trackers to support better communication across all parties. This integration allowed them to align towards the same project goals versus pulling each other in different directions, ultimately putting our team on a path toward meeting our project goals.
To hear from our project team directly, listen to the recording of their session, “All Aboard: Amtrak’s Landmark D-B/F/O-M Initiative Transforming a Historic Transportation Hub” from the 2023 DBIA National Conference, which will be available for download in December here: https://dbia.org/design-build-conference-expo/
Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) for Non-VDC Professionals: Improving Project Delivery Through Strategic VDC Deployment in Design-Build
The implementation of VDC requires much more fluid collaboration than ever before, and according to Ian Carney, senior virtual design and construction manager at Gilbane, we need to tap into the collaborative nature of design-build delivery to improve project delivery. His session at the conference demonstrated the value of VDC involvement throughout a project’s lifecycle including BIM contracting, lean modeling through trade partner engagement, Level of Development (LOD), digital information exchange, and project scheduling. One of the biggest takeaways though, was how industry standards, like the U.S. National BIM Program, are working to drive owner adoption of BIM to address the significant “information deficit” and ultimately deliver greater value throughout the project lifecycle.
Want to learn more about the benefits of VDC on project delivery? The recording of Ian’s session, “Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) for Non-VDC Professionals: Improving Project Delivery Through Strategic VDC Deployment in Design-Build”, from the 2023 DBIA National Conference will be available for download in December here: https://dbia.org/design-build-conference-expo/
Unpacking BIM: Sharing Stigmas with Designers and Builders
I was lucky enough to collaborate with some industry experts on this one! As you can see, VDC was a hot topic. Have you ever been guilty of onboarding VDC too late or not aligning VDC goals with project goals? We’ve all been there. However, if we want to move the industry forward, past 2D design, we need to be willing to:
- Recognize and understand the obstacles everyone from designer to contractor is facing around model sharing.
- Think about how your role can better support the use of BIM objectives, thereby supporting project objectives.
- Positively support model sharing, whatever your role!
Design-build delivery offers a unique opportunity compared to other delivery models to leverage collaboration and information sharing through BIM. Communication is the foundation. When there is successful communication, the team can create alignment and ultimately:
- Define the goals of using BIM, aligned with the overall project goals. For example, discuss with the Owner what they need post-occupancy to ensure the deliverables are meeting their needs.
- Create a reliance on the models. Share the responsibility for executing BIM by leveraging your contract language!
- Work collaboratively. Engage VDC early in the pursuit phase. Once everyone has a seat at the table, ensure you’ve identified someone responsible and accountable to ensure proper execution.
Interested in more? The recording of our session, “Unpacking BIM Sharing Stigmas with Designers and Builders”, from the 2023 DBIA National Conference will be available for download in December here: https://dbia.org/design-build-conference-expo/
Lessons from DBIA Award-Winning Projects
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority’s (WMATA) new DC Headquarters
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority’s (WMATA) new DC Headquarters was part of an office consolidation strategy, which reduced WMATA’s total office building footprint by 100,000 usable SF – saving WMATA $130 million over the next 20 years. Instead of building new, WMATA looked to design-build delivery to renovate an inefficient eight-floor, 1960s building into an 11-story, 205,260 SF high-performance mixed-use building.
As the design-builder, Gilbane utilized design-build best practices such as a Big Room for collaboration and a trend log for cost transparency, helping the team focus on sustainability, diversity, and design excellence. These best practices helped drive successful outcomes like:
- Reducing energy consumption! The energy and carbon reduction achieved through the building is equivalent to 534 fewer cars driven in a year.
- Supporting diverse and small-owned businesses (DOSBs). The project exceeded its 30% WMATA-certified business enterprise goal by nearly 10 percent.
- Delivering on WMATA’s transit mission. The design supports the transit mission and the urban community with ground-level spaces for public hearings and WMATA’s Transit Accessibility Center, which supports accessible transportation needs for customers with disabilities.
The team’s success led to five awards at the 2023 National DBIA Conference including the 2023 Chair’s Award, National Rehabilitation/Renovation/Restoration Excellence and Merit Awards, Best in Design (Architecture) Award, and special recognition for Meaningful Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Engagement.
Learn more about the project and how it leveraged design-build best practices here: https://dbia.org/project/washington-metropolitan-area-transit-authority-dc-headquarters/
California Department of General Services – 1021 O Street State Office Building
The California Department of General Services (DGS) 1021 O Street Building sits in the heart of Sacramento’s historic government district, providing facilities for California’s Legislature and Executive Branch during the Capitol Annex renovation. Delivered under a Progressive Design-Build model, a first for DGS, Gilbane was the owner representative for this 10-story, half-million square-foot building, which fulfills critical office space infrastructure needs for the State, while meeting the rigorous requirements of the California DGS, all within a fast-tracked schedule and a highly scrutinized budget.
The team worked at an accelerated pace to incorporate input from multiple tenant groups, each with unique workspace requirements and robust security standards. The Design-Build (DB) team also worked closely with DB trade partners to advance the design from the criteria documents to support pricing and obtain timely State Fire Marshal and Division of State Architect permits, as well as develop and reconcile multiple estimates to meet the target budget for the project.
“Gilbane expertly managed the huge volume of documents, reviews, approvals, and meetings, monitored the construction progress, creatively solved problems, and looked out ahead to help avoid or minimize possible issues,” said Joel Griffith, Capital Outlay Program Manager for California DGS.
The project team was honored to win four awards at the recent DBIA National Conference, including Best in Process for Progressive Design Build and the coveted Project of the Year award.
