Glossary

Design-Build (DB)

Also known as: Design-Build Delivery, DB

Design-build is a project delivery method in which the owner contracts with a single entity that holds responsibility for both design and construction, eliminating the traditional separation between the architect/engineer and the contractor.

Because one entity controls both the design and the means to build it, design-build allows design and construction phases to overlap—early trade packages and site work can proceed while later design details are still being finalized—which typically compresses overall delivery time relative to a fully sequential process. It also concentrates responsibility for design errors and constructability problems with a single party, reducing the finger-pointing between architect and contractor common under design-bid-build. The tradeoff is that the owner exercises less granular control over design details once the design-builder is selected, so owners typically convey their requirements through a detailed performance specification or bridging documents prepared by an owner's design consultant before soliciting design-build proposals. The method is especially common for industrial, warehouse, and build-to-suit projects where the program is well defined and speed to delivery is a priority.