Guide Provides Construction and Design Industry with Outline for Working in a Collaborative Model SACRAMENTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The American Institute of Architects (AIA) in conjunction with the AIA California Council (AIACC) announced the availability of Integrated Project Delivery: A Guide (The Guide), a briefing for working in an integrated team model that includes the owner, architect and contractor, and extends beyond the major stakeholders including subcontractors, engineers and major systems suppliers, in addition to others. The Guide, which is a resource available at no cost, provides direction on transitioning existing project delivery models to a collaborative, integrated team model. The resulting model leverages the early contribution of individual expertise and allows all team members to better realize their potential while expanding the value they provide throughout the project lifecycle. Recently, a number of studies have been conducted which show increasing inefficiencies and waste in the construction industry. An Economist article from 2000 identifies 30 percent waste in the U.S. construction industry; a National Institute Standards and Technology (NIST) study from 2004 targets lack of interoperability as costing the industry $15.8 billion annually; and a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics study shows construction alone, out of all non-farm industry as decreasing in productivity since 1964, while all other industry has increased productivity by over 200 percent. These inefficiencies, coupled with new technologies such as building information modeling (BIM) and owner demand for better quality and cost controls, have created a need for a collaborative approach to construction and design. Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) provides an industry-wide solution. As defined by the AIA, IPD is a project delivery approach that integrates people, systems, business structures and practices into a process that collaboratively harnesses the talents and insights of all participants to optimize project results, increase value to the owner, reduce waste and maximize efficiency through all phases of design, fabrication, construction, and occupancy. Developed jointly by the AIA’s Contract Documents Committee and The AIACC, The Guide was drafted in response to the shifting landscape of the industry.
