Co-Location during Design and Construction of Design-Build Projects: The General Contractor’s Perspective

Co-location of designers and contractors during the design and construction phases of projects, sometimes referred to as the “big room”, is becoming more prevalent. This surge relates to a proven increase in project success tied to having more integrated and collaborative project teams, which co-location fosters. To date, the literature lacks detailed information on general contractor-specific perceptions of co-location on design-build projects. This paper describes a survey developed and administered by the authors to discern the perceptions of Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) members regarding co-location. The survey was completed by 112 practitioners working for general contractors in a variety of roles (project managers, estimators, virtual design, and construction managers, etc.) across the United States. Eighty-five percent of the survey respondents felt that co-location adds value to design-build projects. Also, 85 percent of respondents felt that the rate of co-location on projects should be higher than it currently is, as co-location makes both design and construction more effective and efficient, but the determination regarding whether or not to co-locate should be based on the size (related to cost) and complexity of the project. Approximately 80 percent of respondents felt that co-location improves the overall quality and schedule of construction projects, yet only 54 percent felt that co-location reduces project cost. Lastly, the respondents provided substantial commentary concerning barriers to co-location, such as the feasibility of having full-time availability of all project team members (due to some key team members having responsibilities outside of the project at hand, and a lack of desire to be away from their workplaces and families), along with how technology can be leveraged to promote team integration without all team members physically being in the same location. Future research includes comparing the general contractor perceptions to those of trade contractors, owners, and designers.