flexiblefullpage -
billboard - default
interstitial1 - interstitial
catfish1 - bottom
Currently Reading

Research finds continued growth of design-build throughout United States

Research finds continued growth of design-build throughout United States

RSMeans analyzed detailed data on nearly a million construction projects.


By Design-Build Institute of America | June 30, 2014
Photo credit: Rob Young, Wikimedia Commons
Photo credit: Rob Young, Wikimedia Commons

The Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA), the only organization that defines, teaches and promotes best practices in design-build, has released new research findings indicating that for the first time more than half of projects above $10 million are being completed through design-build project delivery.

The newly released study confirms that the use of design-build has remained steady since its growth spurt at the end of the last decade, and also that Oregon and the Military sector are leading with the most dollars being spent on design-build projects.

“The growing use of design-build is not surprising,” says Lisa Washington, CAE, CEO/Executive Director of DBIA. “Throughout the last five years, and even through the recession, we’ve seen a large increase in demand for information and training on design-build best practices. Owners from all sectors have been turning to design-build delivery because they recognize the inherent value it brings to any project in any sector of any size.”

Shortly before the economic downturn a little over five years ago, the use of design-build spiked from 29% of the nonresidential market in 2005 to 36% in 2008. Throughout the recession period, design-build use continued to grow, and now with the economy stable and slowly recovering, the use of design-build has held steady at around 40% for the last three years.

RSMeans analyzed detailed data on nearly a million construction projects, state by state, and found that the West Coast is where design-build is the most prevalent. In fact, 70% of construction dollars being spent in Oregon are on design-build projects. California is the second highest at 59% and Washington the third highest state at 56%.

When looking at specific sectors, the military uses design-build on 81% of projects. However, even when military projects are taken out of the equation, Oregon is still the top state due to multifamily residential and industrial sectors’ preference for design-build. Those two industries also lift Michigan to the second place spot in the list of states doing the most non-military design-build.

“The Reed/RSMeans segmentation analysis now includes nine complete years of actual history, statistically supporting observation of trends at the state and industry sector segment levels,” says Tim Duggan, Director of Custom Solutions, Reed/RS Means, one of North America’s largest information providers to the design and construction industry.

RSMeans’ proprietary database of historical and planning construction projects data served as the basis for the study in addition to the incorporation of other publicly and privately available data sources. A copy of the full report, “Design-Build Project Delivery Market Share and Market Size Report,” is available on DBIA’s web site.

Related Stories

| Mar 20, 2012

Stanford’s Knight Management Center Awarded LEED Platinum

The 360,000-sf facility underscores what is taught in many of the school’s electives such as Environmental Entrepreneurship and Environmental Science for Managers and Policy Makers, as well as in core classes covering sustainability across the functions of business.

| Mar 20, 2012

New office designs at San Diego’s Sunroad Corporate Center

Traditional office space being transformed into a modern work environment, complete with private offices, high-tech conference rooms, a break room, and an art gallery, as well as standard facilities and amenities.

| Mar 19, 2012

Obama’s positioned to out-regulate Bush in second term

Proposed ozone rule would cost $19 billion to $90 billion in 2020, according to the White House.

| Mar 19, 2012

Skanska promotes Saunders to VP/GM of Bayshore Concrete Products

During his more than 13 years with Bayshore, Saunders has provided products for Victory Bridge in New Jersey, Route 52 Causeway in Ocean City, N.J., and for numerous piers at Naval Station Norfolk and the Norfolk Naval Shipyard. 

| Mar 19, 2012

Smith Carter joins forces with Genivar

Smith Carter has a workforce of some 190 employees and designs complex buildings in challenging environments.

| Mar 19, 2012

HKS Selected for Baylor Medical Center at Waxahachie

Baylor Medical Center at Waxahachiewill incorporate advanced technology including telemedicine, digital imaging, remote patient monitoring, electronic medical records and computer patient records. 

| Mar 19, 2012

Mixed-use project redefines Midtown District in Plantation, Fla.

Stiles Construction is building the residential complex, which is one of Broward County’s first multifamily rental communities designed to achieve LEED certification from the USGBC. 

| Mar 16, 2012

Temporary fix to CityCenter's Harmon would cost $2 million, contractor says

By contrast, CityCenter half-owner and developer MGM Resorts International determined last year that the Harmon would collapse in a strong quake and can't be fixed in an economical way. It favors implosion at a cost of $30 million.

| Mar 16, 2012

Work on Oxnard, Calif. shopping center resumes after a three-year hiatus

Stalled since 2009, developers of the Collection at RiverPark decided to restart construction on the outdoor mall. 

boombox1 - default
boombox2 -
native1 -

More In Category




halfpage1 -

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021