Endorsing Collaboration

Though it's more common and customary, architect-contractor collaboration is by no means limited to a single model. There are many paths to success, with partnerships ranging from legal joint ventures and design-assist contracts to informal marketing and advisory affiliations.

Yet many architects-armed with advice from lawyers, insurers, and senior partners-still shun close associations with contractors. Many will gladly seek advice from favored contractors-in return, perhaps, for a good word to the owner during bid reviews. But why, they ask, should architects compromise their independence and expose themselves to added risk?

In a retail rollout the branches may all be unique, but the themes and materials and construction techniques remain somewhat consistent for the client's look and brand. Photo courtesy of Barneys New York/Adrian Wilson, photographer

"The reason why is that most knowledge of construction technology and cost is in the hands of specialty subcontractors and manufacturers, not architects and engineers," says Charles B. Thomsen, former chairman and CEO of 3D/I, a construction-management (CM) and A/E firm recently acquired by Parsons. "So we need to figure out contractual ways to engage subcontractors in the design process-and get that brain power."

Timing maximizes those benefits, adds Robert Fraga, president of the Construction Managers Association of America and former facilities portfolio manager for the U.S. Postal Service who just joined the GSA as assistant commissioner for capital construction program management. "Try to bring in the contractor as early as possible, because they have a great deal of knowledge that designers don't have and they're typically in tune with market conditions and cost," he explains.

And innovation comes in surprising places, such as site logistics and alternative methods, adds Boyd Black, director of project management services for the University of Illinois at Chicago and a board member of the Construction Owners Association of America. "These are things that architects don't have first-hand knowledge of, and they can lead to some very creative solutions," says Black. "The contractor has a very down-to-earth, practical role."

Whether for multiple midsized projects or a national franchise rollout, when the projects are numerous and repetitive such architect-contractor collaborations uncover useful efficiencies, says Robert W. Mullen, CEO of New York City-based Structure Tone. "In a retail rollout the branches may all be unique, but the themes and materials and construction techniques remain somewhat consistent for the client's look and brand," says Mullen. A retail owner might hire a CM who then selects local contractors as partners and hones the delivery process through each iteration. "It's a prime opportunity to create an assembly-line approach, so that the project team just keeps getting better and better," he adds.