I look forward to welcoming you to DBIA’s annual Design-Build Conference and EXPO in Washington, DC, November 5-7. Despite the economic downturn, DBIA has never been better positioned. Owners continue to look to design-build as a means of constructing high quality projects more cost-effectively and quickly. In June, Engineering News-Record put numbers to what we suspected all along: Between 2004 and 2008, domestic design-build sales doubled from $30.5 billion to $64.4 billion.
Over just the past year, we’ve seen owner interest in design-build surge, particularly in the public sector. With federal and state agencies charged with distributing stimulus funds wisely and putting people back to work quickly, more and more owners are turning to DBIA for information on best practices, as well as the education, training, tools and professionals they need to deliver high quality projects on time and within budget.
Appropriately, this year owners, designers and builders will meet in our nation’s capital to recognize the significance of our conference theme, Confronting a New Reality. DBIA members understand the benefits of a collaborative approach: We have experienced a watershed year and — together — we will strategize about how design-build can help us best meet the challenges our industries and our country face ahead.
As you read the conference guide that arrived with this issue of Design-Build DATELINE, note the public sector case-study track of education, as well as the federal owner panel discussion. You should also be aware that DBIA contract documents between the owner and design-builder have been revised to reflect the evolution of design-build and our industry. The 2009 Conference provides attendees with a unique opportunity to review the changes with DBIA experts. Look for the “Ask the Experts” pavilion on the EXPO floor. New exhibits, including those on sustainability and BIM, have been added. In addition, be the first to see the updated design-builder/subconsultants contracts to be previewed during the Conference.
Record-breaking attendance at last year’s annual and the 2009 Water/Wastewater and Transportation Conferences shows that we can respond to current events while keeping abreast of groundbreaking trends and practices in all sectors. We anticipate record-breaking attendance again this November! Poster sessions will highlight award-winning projects of every size, from both the public and private realms. Rehabilitation/renovation award winners demonstrate that design-build isn’t just for complex, ground-up construction. Whatever your area of practice or expertise, the 2009 Design-Build Conference and EXPO will provide an opportunity for you to learn from and be inspired by other design-build teams and their projects.
Bob Nartonis is a member of DBIA’s board of directors. He chairs the 2009 Annual Conference Committee.