Design-Build Delivers

Have thoughts? Text us! America’s design-build teams continue to deliver some of the most innovative, resilient, cost and time-efficient projects in the nation. Whether it’s a huge multi-million-dollar infrastructure project or a small community center, these national design-build winners show how the industry is changing the way America builds – even during a pandemic. This year’s award winners s...

Have thoughts? Text us! As we enter a new phase in our COVID-19 recovery, the issues facing employers and employees alike have shifted. While safety remains a top concern, the wide availability of a vaccine has many organizations questioning how/when to return to the workforce in full force. As some sense of normalcy returns, there are legitimate legal questions and challenges for employers. Inclu...

Have thoughts? Text us! Given all we've faced over the past year, we know design-builders are ready to seize the opportunity to come back even stronger in 2021. The possibility for new infrastructure investment, used as a tool to fuel economic recovery, provides design-build teams the chance to -- once again -- make our mark on communities nationwide. Are we ready for the potential opportunit...

Have thoughts? Text us! We’ll start the New Year off by taking a look into our legislative crystal ball to see what 2021 may hold for design-build legislation nationwide. Not only is there talk (again) about the possibility of long-overdue national infrastructure investment but states are also looking to infrastructure as a way to jump-start their local economies. Today we talk to DBIA’s advocacy...

Have thoughts? Text us! If you fly into Spokane Washington, there’s one icon you simply can’t miss – the Riverfront Park U.S. Pavilion. It’s been a landmark in the city since the 1974 World’s Fair and yet it had seen better days until the city’s parks department launched its first progressive design-build project to renovate and revitalize this important part of the community. In this episode of D...

Have thoughts? Text us! The best design-builders address differing site conditions based not only on the information they clearly see in front of them but on a deeper analysis of the situation. It just makes good sense to look beyond the surface. So, if it makes sense to look beyond the surface on a project, doesn’t it make sense to look beyond the surface in other aspects of our lives, including...

Have thoughts? Text us! Design-build has played a vital role in our nation’s response to the pandemic and will continue to be an important player in our post-COVID recovery. That’s just one reason why now’s the perfect time to join us at the 2020 Design-Build Conference & Expo and the Federal Design-Build Symposium. In this episode of Design-Build Delivers we talk to DBIA Conference Planning C...

Have thoughts? Text us! Delivering construction projects is inherently risky. That’s just a fact. However, Design-Build Done Right® best practices can help project teams manage risk through early collaboration and integration to deliver more successful projects. Design pros Greg Gidez and Pat Crosby sat down with DBIA to talk about the challenges many teams can face if they don’t talk about risk l...

Have thoughts? Text us! It’s that time of the year! DBIA’s 2020 Design-Build Project/Team Awards jury is meeting to choose the nation’s best in design-build. In this episode of Design-Build Delivers we talk to our current Project of the Year team about what it takes to deliver a truly extraordinary project. Sharp HealthCare turned to the Hensel Phelps | SmithGroup design-build team to deliver a ne...

Have thoughts? Text us! We’ve ignored our national infrastructure for decades and by some estimates, it will take trillions to reverse the damage. But even with broad popular support for increased infrastructure investment, the conversation always ends with “how do we pay for it?” Norman Anderson is an infrastructure expert who’s spent decades working strategically on infrastructure solutions and...

Have thoughts? Text us! There’s no doubt America’s design-build teams will have a critical role to play in the post-COVID-19 recovery period. What role will resiliency play as we design and build these recovery projects? How do we ensure project teams aren’t trapped in “blue sky thinking” that ignores the adaptation we’ll need in projects of the future? Today we talk to Dr. Stephen E. Flynn, the f...

Have thoughts? Text us! The challenges facing design-build teams nationwide vary widely as some projects continue and others are delayed or canceled. It’s vital that teams develop strategies to assess their risks and protect from potential disputes. In this episode of Design-Build Delivers, DBIA talks to Steve Reams, an attorney with Smith Currie who specializes in construction law and civil litig...

Have thoughts? Text us! Successful design-builders are collaborators. We know early integration of the entire team delivers the best results and yet…are we fully engaging our supply chain on design-build projects? Are we maximizing the full benefit of early collaboration or is there a kink in the design-build supply chain? New research on supply chain engagement in design-build will help provide a...

Have thoughts? Text us! Design-build has come a long way since DBIA first began working in the legislative arena helping to draft Design-Build Done Right® bills in states from coast to coast. In 1993, only three states had design-build public authority --now only two states are design-build holdouts. Every year, there is important legislative debate in statehouses which directly impacts how design...

Have thoughts? Text us! Let’s start the New Year off right by beginning this year’s design-build conversation at the beginning of the process – procurement. What does it take to practice Design-Build Done Right® procurement? How do you get your team on the same collaborative page from the very start of the process? In this episode, long-time federal procurement professional and DBIA instructor Ric...

Have thoughts? Text us! Whether you’re an Owner new to design-build or an old pro…choosing the right delivery method for each project is the vital first step to success. Not only do Owners need a good understanding of the available choices, they must translate how those methods might meet the unique needs of the project and the Owner itself. Sometimes that can be easier said than done. In this epi...

Have thoughts? Text us! Not all industry conferences are created equal. If you’re going to take the time away from your projects, we know you better come home with new design-build tips and tools, network connections and insights that can be put to work immediately. That’s the recipe for DBIA’s conference success. In this episode of Design-Build Delivers, DBIA’s Executive Director, Lisa Washington...

Have thoughts? Text us! It’s no surprise -- design-build qualifications help drive our industry’s most successful teams. As the use of design-build continues to grow nationwide, so has the competition and that means teams must demonstrate in quantifiable ways their design-build expertise. DBIA Certification has become a vital part of how successful design-build teams win projects. In this episode...

Have thoughts? Text us! As the use of design-build continues to grow nationwide, so has the need for new project tools to help collaborative teams share vital information. On big projects and small, BIM has become valued not only for its three-dimensional illustration of a design but also for its ability to help measure impacts that possible changes could have on cost and schedule. It’s no surpris...

Have thoughts? Text us! Engineer-Procure-Construct (EPC) in many ways looks and feels like design-build. However, in addition to those commonalities, there are some important differences. In this episode we talk to Haskell Infrastructure President Peter Kinsley, CBC, DBIA about the power EPC delivers in the industrial marketplace. Whether it’s complex processing plants utilizing the latest industr...

Have thoughts? Text us! Whether you call it big data or smart water, the digitization of the water/wastewater sector is transforming the industry by providing innovative solutions to challenges including rising water rates, aging infrastructure and overall water stress. Reese Tisdale, the president of Bluefield Research talks about what’s ahead for the industry and what role will design-build can...

Have thoughts? Text us! The latest design-build research predicts 5.8 percent annual growth in design-build spending in the education sector between 2018-2021. In fact, with 15 percent of the nation’s future design-build spending expected in the educational sector, education joins manufacturing and highway/street as among the top design-build markets. Design-build is already helping educators nati...

Have thoughts? Text us! While it might sound cliché, it’s also true. The future of our industry will be defined by young people in college and apprenticeships today. What do they expect from and will contribute to a career in the architecture, engineering and construction industry? We put those questions, and many more, to members of the National Design-Build Student Championship team from Iowa St...

Have thoughts? Text us! Chances are, if you ask ten design-builders -- What is an Owner’s Advisor? – you might get ten different answers. From the east coast to the west coast, and across all sectors, the role of the Owner advisor can be very different. Just the name itself varies significantly. That’s why DBIA’s Owner Advisor Task Force has been working with others in the industry to create a pri...

Have thoughts? Text us! As states and communities continue to search for ways to address their infrastructure challenges by doing more with less, America’s rail and transit sectors are increasingly turning to the power of design-build. In this episode of Design-Build Delivers, we look at the past, present and future of design-build in transit and rail. Tim McKay with Dallas Area Rapid Transit and...