Summary: The AIA and AIA California Council introduced the Integrated Project Delivery: A Guide on November 5. The IPD Guide is intended to help define integrated project delivery as the design and construction industry continues to move toward more effective and collaborative team approaches.

Technological evolution—coupled with owners’ ongoing demand for more effective processes that result in better, faster, less costly, and less adversarial construction projects—are driving significant and rapid change in the construction industry.

In IPD World . . .
In the world on integrated project delivery:

• Facilities managers, end users, contractors, and suppliers all are involved at the start of the design process
• Processes are outcome-driven, and decisions are not made solely on a first-cost basis
• All communications throughout the process are clear, concise, open, transparent, and trusting
• Designers fully understand the ramifications of their decisions at the time the decisions are made
• Risk and reward are value-based and appropriately balanced among all team members over the life of a project
• The industry delivers a higher quality and sustainable built environment.

IPD leverages contributions of knowledge and expertise through early collaboration and utilization of new technologies, allowing all team members to realize better their highest potentials while expanding the value they provide throughout the project lifecycle. At the core of an integrated project are collaborative, integrated, and productive teams composed of key project participants. Building on early contributions of individual expertise, these teams are guided by principles of trust, transparent processes, effective collaboration, open information sharing, team success tied to project success, shared risk and reward, value-based decision making, and use of full technological capabilities and support. The outcome is the opportunity to design, build, and operate as efficiently as possible.

The following chart compares traditional project delivery and integrated project delivery.

The IPD Guide provides information and guidance on principles and techniques of integrated project delivery and explains how to use IPD methodologies in designing and constructing projects. Benefits to architects will include better communication on the critical issues facing practice today; a better process for working with clients, consultants, and builders; value-based compensation models; and appropriate sharing of risk and reward. More importantly, it has the potential to recreate a more relevant profession that frees architects truly to be designers again.

Admittedly, significant cultural change will be required to achieve these outcomes. Insurance, legal, and educational models will have to change in addition to basic practice tools and issues. The AIA is working closely with owners and contractors (including through the Construction Users Round Table, General Services Administration, and the Associated General Contractors) to meet these challenges.