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Design-Build Institute of America
Your source for information and resources related to design-build
About DBIA

About DBIA

We are moving!
On March 1, 2012, DBIA will move to its new headquarters:
1331 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, 4th Floor
Washington, D.C. 20004

“Integration is our Foundation”

The Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) is an association of leaders in the design and construction industry utilizing design-build and integrated project delivery methods to achieve high performance projects. (Click here for DBIA's vision, mission and values.)

Founded in 1993, and headquartered in Washington, D.C., DBIA proudly stands as the only membership organization bringing together thousands of organizations and individuals representing architects, engineers, public and private owners, general and specialty contractors, manufacturer and suppliers, students, college and university faculty, legal and finance professionals and many more.  In summary, DBIA is the design and construction industry’s hub -- the only organization that makes whole the industry’s many parts.

The Designated Design-Build Professional™ program is intended to establish an accepted and recognized standard of design-build knowledge and experience. DBIA certifies design and construction practitioners as well as other professionals working in the design-build arena. Through coursework and testing, these individuals demonstrate an understanding of best-practices in every phase of design-build project delivery, from proposal preparation to substantial completion. DBIA certification is aimed at all members of the project team — from owner’s representatives and legal professionals to designers, contractors, and sub-contractors.

The program has been developed for and by professionals commissioning and contributing to public, commercial, civil and process projects. DBIA’s Certification Board endorses the program.

DBIA focuses its efforts on increasing the successful use of innovative design-build teams on non-residential building, civil infrastructure and process industry projects. Best practices are disseminated through educational programs and conferences, publications such as the IQ: Integration Quarterly  journal and the Design-Build Manual of Practice, and legislative efforts at the federal and state level. The prestigious annual National Design-Build Awards competition highlights successful design-build projects across all sectors. DBIA's 14 regions  provide membership benefits at the local level, while also reaching out to owners to promote increased awareness, understanding and use of successful design-build project delivery.

Bridging the Divide between Designers and Builders
Fall 2011

 Lisa Washington, CAE

At DBIA we keep our ear to the ground. We listen to both owners and design and construction practitioners in order to learn what issues and challenges they confront when undertaking a project. You may have noticed that we often promote best practices under the tag line, “Design-Build Done Right.” But we are equally committed to “Design-Build Done Better.”

Fortunately, we have partners in our efforts to constantly improve the delivery method. Additions to our education program and the Design-Build Manual of Practice (MOP) are based on what we hear from active practitioners. Nonprofit organizations, such as the Claremont, Calif.-based Charles Pankow Foundation (CPF), are also committed to improving the A/E/C industry and they provide valuable input as well as assistance when it comes to filling a knowledge gap or providing a needed product or service.

In recent years, we have become aware that managing the design process is one of the most challenging aspects of design-build delivery. The root of the problem is this: Many architects do not fully understand the design-build business model, including schedule and cost control issues, quality assurance methods, team building, contracts and ethics. Many design-builders charged with managing a team of designers do not fully understand the design process and the tools required to effectively achieve desired project outcomes.

To address this issue and provide tools and training to bridge the divide, DBIA supported the CPF in facilitating in-depth think-tank discussions on the important role of design management. The result of these knowledge-gathering workshops is The Design Management Guide, which was released at the Design-Build Conference and Expo in Orlando, Fla., in October. You can purchase it after the show for $19.95 through the DBIA bookstore.

CPF and DBIA are working collaboratively to widely disseminate the important information contained in this guide. The CPF is contributing a chapter to the MOP that distills the information contained in the guide. Our shared goal is to help design professionals contribute more effectively within a collaborative delivery scenario.
 
What is the next challenge DBIA should address? Let us know at iq@dbia.org. As always, we are listening.

Lisa Washington, CAE
Executive Director
1100 H Street, NW, Suite 500 Washington, DC 20005-5476
Phone 202-682-0110 - Toll Free 866-692-0110 - Fax 202-682-5877