Integrated project delivery

Abstract

Process innovation related to integrated project delivery is an important topic in the building industry. Studies on process innovation through the use of integrated contracts usually focus on contractors, and particularly on the possibility of forward integration into the building process. Three years ago, the first author investigated the process innovation capabilities of architectural firms by using the concept of system integration. This led to the idea that architects could take on the leading role in design-build contracts. Based on the results of that study, the conclusion was drawn that architects certainly have opportunities to act as a system integrator in the building process. By broadening their activities, architects can reclaim their central position, in which design and managerial skills can be combined. As a result of this promising view, a major client (a Dutch school board with a number of schools under its jurisdiction) and an architectural firm decided to develop a new concept. Together with the authors they developed the organisational and juridical aspects of the concept into a designer-led design-build method and implemented it in practice: the design and realisation of school buildings. Two projects were intensively monitored. It turned out that the concept has a lot of advantages for both the client and the architectural firm. This paper describes the specific concept and the results of the two pilot projects, and shows that the recognised advantages are consistent with the literature