ABSTRACT
This chapter considers how to balance a consulting firm with a design firm and a projects-oriented firm. As the firm aspires to undertake a greater level of strategic and technical advisory services, it provides an overview of the risk aspects compared to the traditional design functions. Architectural and specialist design firms range from highly creative artistic practices to firms that intimately understand the user's requirements in their specialist market sector such as rail, aviation, education, health, justice, defence, entertainment, commercial and residential. The chapter describes the role of the consultant as a major projects designer. The most common forms of project delivery for these design consultants are: design for the project Owner, design for a contractor, design with the owner and the contractor. A projects-services firm generally provides project management and technical services to the Owner throughout the project lifecycle.
