ABSTRACT
This chapter describes traditional delivery methods and emerging collaborative modes and their potential to redefine the industry. It depends on the circumstances of the project, consulting engineers and construction experts late in the design process can be costly, and quite possibly an adversarial process. The hierarchical organization guiding project delivery has remained fairly stagnant since the turn of the twentieth century: traditionally, owners hire architects who manage the design, development and construction of the project. Recently, however, the industry has developed alternatives to normative project delivery methods with the goals of improving design, communication, schedules and costs through increased collaboration. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) developed its first contract in 1888, the precursor to the project delivery mode and contract type that has dominated the industry for over a hundred years, Design-Bid-Build. Using this conventional family of contract documents, the owner/client signs two contracts: one with the architects and, after the design is completed, one with the contractors.
