DBIA Progressive Design-Build Process 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In Progressive Design-Build, what role does the owner's representative typically play during the design development phase?
- The owner's representative has no involvement until construction begins
- They actively collaborate with the design-build team, reviewing design decisions and cost data in real time (Correct answer)
- They solely focus on contract administration and change order processing
- They replace the architect of record as the primary design decision-maker
Correct answer: They actively collaborate with the design-build team, reviewing design decisions and cost data in real time
In PDB, the owner's representative is an active collaborator during design, reviewing progress and cost data to ensure alignment with project goals.
Question 2: How are subcontractors typically engaged in a Progressive Design-Build project compared to a traditional project?
- Subcontractors are competitively bid after 100% construction documents are complete
- Key trade contractors may be brought on early during design to provide pricing and constructability input (Correct answer)
- Subcontractors are selected by the owner directly, bypassing the design-build team
- All subcontracting is prohibited; the design-build team self-performs all work
Correct answer: Key trade contractors may be brought on early during design to provide pricing and constructability input
PDB encourages early engagement of key trade contractors for design assist, improving constructability and cost reliability before the GMP is set.
Question 3: Which DBIA principle is most closely reflected in the Progressive Design-Build model's emphasis on early team integration?
- Competitive bidding to achieve lowest first cost
- Single point of responsibility through separation of design and construction contracts
- Collaboration and integration of design and construction expertise from project inception (Correct answer)
- Minimal owner involvement to reduce project management burden
Correct answer: Collaboration and integration of design and construction expertise from project inception
DBIA's core principle of integrating design and construction expertise early is directly embodied in PDB's collaborative, front-loaded team structure.
Question 4: What is a 'bridging' approach, and how does it relate to Progressive Design-Build?
- Bridging is a method where the owner develops partial design documents before engaging a design-build team, which differs from PDB's approach (Correct answer)
- Bridging is another term for the GMP negotiation phase in PDB
- Bridging refers to the physical connection between project phases in PDB schedules
- Bridging is the same as Progressive Design-Build and uses identical contracts
Correct answer: Bridging is a method where the owner develops partial design documents before engaging a design-build team, which differs from PDB's approach
Bridging involves owner-developed design criteria documents used to solicit design-build proposals, which contrasts with PDB's approach of selecting the team first and developing design collaboratively.
Question 5: In a Progressive Design-Build contract, what typically triggers the formal transition from Phase 1 (preconstruction) to Phase 2 (construction)?
- Issuance of a certificate of occupancy by the local authority
- Mutual agreement on and execution of the Guaranteed Maximum Price amendment (Correct answer)
- Completion of 50% of construction documents by the architect of record
- Owner's unilateral decision to proceed without GMP agreement
Correct answer: Mutual agreement on and execution of the Guaranteed Maximum Price amendment
The GMP amendment, mutually agreed upon and executed by both parties, formally transitions the project from preconstruction collaboration to construction execution.
Question 6: Which of the following is a common challenge owners face when implementing Progressive Design-Build for the first time?
- Lack of any legal framework or contract templates for PDB
- Difficulty engaging the owner's internal team in ongoing collaborative design decisions (Correct answer)
- Too many fixed-price bids from competing design-build teams
- Excessive design-build team control over the final GMP without owner input
Correct answer: Difficulty engaging the owner's internal team in ongoing collaborative design decisions
First-time PDB owners often struggle to sustain the active internal engagement required during design development, since PDB demands more owner participation than traditional delivery.
Question 7: How does Progressive Design-Build support innovation in building systems and materials?
- By locking in specifications before the design-build team is selected, preventing substitutions
- By allowing the design-build team to propose innovative systems early, with owner review before cost commitment (Correct answer)
- By requiring all materials to match the owner's previous project specifications
- Innovation is discouraged in PDB to maintain cost certainty from day one
Correct answer: By allowing the design-build team to propose innovative systems early, with owner review before cost commitment
PDB's collaborative preconstruction phase creates an environment where the team can propose and evaluate innovative solutions before the GMP fixes the design.
DBIA Progressive Design-Build Process 4
In Progressive Design-Build, what role does the owner's representative typically play during the design development phase?