"Half the promises broken were never made"

Design-Build is like "getting married"
I can't remember who said this quote, but I think it applies to many projects. I notice many folks in the Integrated Delivery World speak of "trust"; an unnatural state for strangers, I think.

A delivery-model that prefers objectivity over trust is more likely to succeed. Why…if a design-builder can verify that their decisions are compliant with the contract, independent of the owner's opinion, then they are secure and not dependent on the owner for their 'contractual' success (only perceived perfection).


Likewise, if the owner has established criteria, not subject to opinion but measurable through 'substantiation', the owner will "follow the leader"…not because the owner trusts the design-builder, but because the owner does not trust the design-builder…the owner is protected by a 'measurable' contract for performance...always keeping in mind the owner's job is to create a successful project outcome.

"Faith" is probably a better word. The owner must have faith in their Owner-Team, their leadership, their definition of needs, their project due diligence, their Evaluation & Selection process, their selected contractor, their clarity of contract, their dependability and follow through. If the owner has faith that they have done all of this…then following the lead of the contractor (design-builder) does not require 'trust', it requires execution. Trust is what comes over time, hopefully at some point in the execution of the project.

When it comes down to it, most folks only trust a handful of people…and that trust has taken years to build. Let's be honest…members of our industry do not trust, we dis-trust…go ask the lawyers. Dis-trust is not a 'bad thing', its a 'survival thing'. The good news is our industry can deliver superior projects, built using knowledge, skill, respect and understanding...trust me
1980-Builder 1990-Architect 2000-DesignBuilder Today-Experienced and well-worn

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