Supply side short‐circuiting in design and build projects

Abstract

Design and build is becoming an increasingly adopted procurement solution for construction projects. Characterised by its integrated team approach, it allows the construction contractor to take a more central role in the design process than its traditional alternatives. Its global popularity and rate of adoption necessitate greater understanding by those involved, particularly client organisations whose primary business is not construction. This research is focused on understanding the team dynamics at the pre‐tender stage. Employing a grounded theory methodology and semi‐structured interviews, the central theme of “short‐circuiting” the tender development process by architects emerged. Four major themes responsible for short‐circuiting are: the quality and distribution of the “employer’s requirements”; architect’s unwillingness to realign their role with design and build; clarity of the contractor’s communication channels; and client’s misunderstanding of the time required to successfully procure buildings. The short‐circuiting manifests itself in a confusion of roles and responsibility of the parties involved, leading to client dissatisfaction in the finished construction product.