IPD - Just do it.

Note to Meatheads: Using the word, "Value" doesn't necessarily make you, or make you appear, smarter.

- Hugh Macleod, February 15th, 2009

That's great, but there are times if every industry to re-evaluate and understand the value that you bring to your clients, and more importantly, the value that they actually want and need. 

Starting to hear the word, "value" a lot these days. it's now one of those "formerly useful words" like "enterprise" or "conversations" etc

- Hugh Macleod, February 15th, 2009

Unfortunately, in times of recessions and economic turmoil, everyone's value statements change. In the case of the construction industry, this is the compounding reaction to years of bloat and waste driven by a siloing of insurance risk and responsibilities.

So what's the value in architecture in this market? With declining credit and bonding, there is significantly less global capital for construction. China is post-olympic recession. Everyone is pulling out of Russia. Europe. Japan. Taiwan. And the US. The value of facilities needs to extend further, and that begins with the start of construction.

Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) is trying to redefine this.

Sure, commodities are dropping as a natural side effect of the decline in manufacturing and construction. But there is still room for 5, 10, 30% waste reduction and pre-coordination for a reduction of construction costs. Design-bid-build was about risk isolation, not necessarily in the best interest of the owner. We (the contracting and design community) need to lead this change as we analyze the values of our clients.

Why? Business as usual hasn't been bad. Now we're seeing fee reductions. Ridiculously high labor rates. And now manufacturing owners are realizing that they've been able to increase their efficiency in process, and that the construction industry needs to do the same - Reduction in E&O's. Prefabrication. Shortened construction schedules. Less change orders. 

What's wrong with DBB? It's served us well for 30, 40 years, hasn't it? Architects design and document it once. Then we hand it over to the GC and subcontractors, they evaluate it, propose changes, we redocument. Then we get out in the field, recoordinate and deal with additional changes in the form of RFI's, E&O's, and Change Orders (translation: $$$$$)

We can carry forward, business as usual, or we can look at Change (sorry, didn't mean to be so offensive by using the 'C' word, FAIA members). We can move out of starchitecture mode, and really try to get to the heart of bringing value to our clients. Great design, great execution, and as efficient as possible in the process. Architects and builders working together, with our clients. Savings back to the owner.

What's involved?

• Architect and General Contractor onboard day 1, together.
• Early Design Assist - Major trades (SMEP/FP/Framing/Cladding) between DD and CD's
• Let 2D die - 2D CAD is antiquated and a large part of our coordination nightmares. Buildings aren't flat,  so our drawing and coordination shouldn't be either.
• Project core team - Owner, Architect, Contractor. We all have a stake, and need to work at a team because decisions drive timelines, and we can't get there without each other.
• Plan the plan, work the plan - Pull Schedule. Process Calendar. LEAN. Critical Path Value Stream mapping. It all goes together, and, to repeat, decision-making drives design.
• Be a team - Look at everyone's strengths, and leverage them. Lose the attitudes. Work together. Romeo and Juliet figured it out, so can we (ok, that's a weird one but let's go with it...)
• Contractual language. The AIA is working on it....