Selecting design-build: Public and private sector owner attitudes

Modern owners of constructed facilities are increasingly investigating a variety of alternative procurement methods. These methods include design-build, turnkey, and construction management. To effectively service this market-driven expansion of project delivery strategies in the construction community, a fundamental understanding of owner attitudes is required. This paper discusses results of research conducted to address owners' attitudes toward one specific alternative contracting method, design-build. A tremendous growth in design-build and limited existence of documented research on owner's attitudes toward design-build necessitate a focus on this particular delivery strategy. Primary design-build selection factors identified and analyzed include establishing cost, reducing cost, establishing schedule, shortening duration, reducing claims, large project size/complexity, and constructability/innovation. Additionally, a comparison of private and public owner design-build attitudes is documented.