Delegating Design: Aligning Expectations and Managing Risk with Delegated-Design Delivery Strategy

Resilience, energy and carbon goals being developed for buildings and urban habitat demand massive innovation at all levels of building and facade system implementation—in design, fabrication and installation, of course, but also in areas less recognized as opportunities for innovation: procurement, supply-chain management, site logistics and, perhaps most of all, project delivery process. As facade design escalates in complexity to meet increasingly stringent energy codes and demanding performance and aesthetic requirements, the old model of design/bid/build becomes increasingly dysfunctional. New strategies of project delivery are emerging in response, among them a facade system delivery process referred to as delegated-design. With a select group of industry stakeholders, we will talk through the pros and cons of delegating the design and engineering of the facade system to the contractors who fabricate and install them.

• Why does project delivery strategy matter?
• What is delegated-design and how does it work?
• What are the advantages, disadvantages and special considerations of delegated-design strategy?
• How does delegated-design compare to conventional design/bid/build, and to collaborative delivery strategies like design-assist and integrated project delivery (IPD)?
• How does delegated-design work to optimize facade system delivery and mitigate the risk associated with innovative and complex facade system programs?
• Who are the primary stakeholders in a delegated-design facade delivery program?