Design-Build: Past to Present
For centuries, “Master Builders” were responsible for the creation of the built environment. The designer and the builder were one in the same. Master Builders like Antonio Gaudi, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe were responsible for both the design and execution of that vision. Gaudi spent years on-site, particularly at the Sagrada Família, directing workers, sculptors, and artisans, embodying the master builder’s role as both designer and project leader. Wright often oversaw construction details, ensuring his vision was executed precisely, combining aesthetic innovation with structural ingenuity. Mises was known for overseeing construction to ensure his “less is more” philosophy was realized, with his use of steel and glass in projects like the Farnsworth House, which required close coordination between design and execution.
The move away from the master builder model was driven by the Industrial Revolution’s complexity, professionalization of architecture, economic pressures, urbanization, specialization, and regulatory frameworks. With the professionalization of architecture, the trade of construction was removed from coursework and today it is hardly studied in most architecture schools. In a litigious environment, the fear of litigation, liability and risk pushed architects to remove themselves from the trade of construction all together. Unfortunately, today many architects go their entire career without taking control of how their drawings translate into a building. This not only makes for an inefficient project delivery process but also produces soul-less architecture.
Fortunately, today, the construction industry is becoming conscious of this tragic disconnect between the creator and the producer, and firms are exploring solutions. Enter, Design-Build. The Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA), was founded in 1993 and thus the modern renaissance of this project delivery methodology can be said to have reemerged in the late 20th century. Design-Build is a project delivery method where a single entity is responsible for both the design and construction of a project under a single contract. Design-build aims to streamline communication, reduce project timelines, and control costs by fostering collaboration between architects, engineers, and contractors from the outset.
Today. we can find a plethora of Design-Build firms throughout the Denver Metro area, most of them, a prime General Contractor that will fold the architect or engineer into their team of subcontractors, no different than a GC would subcontract a framer or a plumber. This approach does solve many issues typical of the broken and outdated Design-Bid-Build project delivery methodology that has dominated the last century but leaves much to be desired in terms of efficiency and delivering soulful architecture.
Tune in for future blog posts as we dive deeper into the differences between the traditional project delivery methodologies of Design-Bid-Build, Design-Build and the highly specialized world that BONSAI spearheads, Architect-Led Design-Build!
