Albany, NY ACEC New York believes in the value of project delivery systems that guide the design of public and private facilities, are in the best interest of the owner, utilize a Qualifications-Based Selection (QBS) procedure for the design professionals, provide unbiased protection for existing and future infrastructure, and protect the health, welfare and life safety of the public. ACEC New York recognizes that the traditional design-bid-build project delivery system is utilized for the majority of constructed projects. However, ACEC New York also acknowledges design-build as an alternative project delivery system that, while not appropriate for every project, is a useful delivery tool to have in certain circumstances for private and public projects.
Design-build is an integrated approach that provides the owner with design and construction services under one contract with a single source of project responsibility. Design professionals may engage in a variety of roles in design-build execution agreements: as the lead entity, in a joint-venture relationship with a contractor, as lead designer in a sub contract role to a contractor or as a sub-consultant to the lead designer, or as the independent owner’s design consultant.
As a public policy issue, when design-build is utilized, ACEC New York endorses a two-step procedure and implementation process, sometimes referred to as the “bridging method,” as the process that best protects the interests of the owner, design professional, contractor, and the public.
Design-build is a useful project delivery tool for New York State to have. While not appropriate for every project, design-build can offer innovative design and faster project delivery schedules on certain projects. Transparency and communication are vital to successful design-build collaboration and will guarantee long-term viability of the design-build process.
Since its authorization in 2011, design-build has allowed the state to deliver projects that would not have been awarded without this project delivery tool. The industry and state owners have worked together to address concerns that have arisen about the process of delivering a design-build project. This continued collaboration is key to completing a successful design-build project, and ACEC New York looks forward to working with our industry partners and state public policy makers to reauthorize design-build in New York State in 2015 and further refine and enhance its effective use in the future.
ACEC New York is a proactive coalition of 280 firms representing every discipline of engineering related to the built environment—civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, environmental, geotechnical—and affiliated companies. Their shared goals are to further the business interests of our membership, enhance the quality and safety of the environment we live and work in, and help ensure the vitality of their communities.
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