Innovation in Project Delivery

Project delivery—the organizational, legal and economic arrangements by which society produces its built environment—has undergone a radical transformation over the past half century. From a stable set of business practices there has been a proliferation of project delivery methods, each responding to changing circumstances in the industry. With that rate of change accelerating, leadership in the field will require anticipating change and capitalizing on it with project delivery innovation.

The pedagogical intent of the course is to (a.) provide an understanding of contemporary project delivery methods, (b.) recognize those methods resulted from innovation in response to changes in the industry, (c.) identify current industry evolution and disruption, and (d.) conceive of new project delivery methods or changed roles within existing ones in response to these disruptions.

The first half of the course is devoted to contemporary project delivery methods, with an emphasis on how each was the product of adaptation from previous modes of practice. Each method will be examined in terms of the contractual roles, relationships and duties of the architect and other parties, including how each creates value, assumes risk and earns compensation.

The second half of the course is devoted to disruptive forces and project delivery adaptation. Selection of a delivery method will be critically examined in the context of project goals. How parties are retained and adapt their roles will be explored. A comparative survey of delivery methods utilized outside the United States will inform the discussions.