There was a time when institutions hired architects to design projects, then sought bids, and selected a contractor who then built the project. Today, it’s rarely done that way. There are many reasons for this; complex permitting, compressed schedules, changes in construction delivery, and an increasing number of non-construction, technical components necessary for the occupation of most projects.

A true interdisciplinary team is made up of T-Shaped specialists, not generalists.  In order to be an effective collaborator you must first be an accomplished specialist.  Only then can you meaningfully grasp the depth and complexity of your collaborators’ contributions, and support, challenge and ultimately complement them.

Over the last twenty years or so, the construction delivery process has changed. No longer a simple design and bidding process, most institutions select a complete project delivery team at the outset of a project. This team typically consists of an owner’s project manager, an architect, and a construction manager.

In recent years the construction industry has seen a number of significant changes;  LEAN construction, Integrated Project Delivery (IPD), Building Information Management (BIM), all of which have significantly shortened the duration, if not the cost, of construction.  What has often been ignored in the discussion of how to improve overall outcomes in construction delivery is the design process that leads to construction in the first place.