Architect-led teams

Nonetheless, there are those in the industry who would like to see more architects take full charge of the process. Observes lawyer/architect Quatman of Shughart Thomson & Kilroy, "Builders jumped up early to take the lead. Architects are signing on to be subcontractors to the 50 percent that are contractor-led." In this scenario, he fears that many of those architects are placed on par with the plumbers and electricians and have no direct contact with the owner. He firmly believes, however, that the current expansion in design-build affords the architectural profession a pivotal opportunity to take much greater responsibility in the design and construction fields-and reap the many potential benefits.

One practitioner who long ago took the helm is Brad Buchanan, FAIA, a founder and principal of the Buchanan Yonushewski Group (BYG) in Denver. After earning a degree in architecture, Buchanan worked for traditional architecture firms in Denver for about five years before setting out on his own. One of his first commissions was a small-town firehouse. In a meeting with the local building-committee chair, the young architect indicated that it was time to speak to the person who was going to build the project. "After a long pause," recalls Buchanan, "the chair responded with, ‘You are the architect, aren't you going to build it?' He just assumed that's what we did, and I said, ‘Sure.' "

Click images to view them larger Social Security Administration, Birmingham, Alabama The U.S. General Services Administration is increasingly relying on design-build competitions to procure new facilities. The agency recently contracted with a single-source provider, The Opus Group of Minneapolis, to replace an existing Birmingham facility with a modern office building for the Social Security Administration. Although technically working for Opus, HOK Architects led the design process. Photography: Courtesy The Opus Group

Buchanan ended up crafting a construction management relationship in which he was paid hourly to design, draw, procure materials, and manage the building process. Through this experience, he discovered that only about one third of the drawings were relevant. Much of the design was done during construction-often through sketches done on the reverse side of the blueprints lying on the hood of his pickup truck. Through this process, Buchanan came to believe that "design and construction are one process. And without understanding that whole process, I don't think you can fully serve."

Today, Buchanan and his partner, John Yonushewski, run a 45-person design-build firm that aims to satisfy the myriad facility needs of its clients-from design and construction to overall development. "When my client has a problem, I see it as an opportunity to expand my business," says Buchanan. "We become a trusted partner, so the client calls us instead of three separate companies. BYG is a one-stop shop."

Buchanan shares the concern many practitioners have about the quality of design-build projects led by contractors who do not truly value the role and expertise of the architect. But he feels that architects can avoid this problem altogether by leading the design-build project themselves: "BYG is doing what we do because it allows the design to be part of the entire process. We are in charge of the entire quality from first to last day. There are so many decisions being made in the field. I don't know how else to accomplish this without the architect being the contractor as well."