Applied Research Building DBIA Awards

Design-Build Institute  of America (DBIA), members are architects, engineers, construction professionals, building owners, academics and students whose mission is to “promote the value of design-build project delivery and teach the effective integration of design and construction services to ensure success for Owners and design and construction practitioners”.  The design-build process is a collaboration in which the owners, designers, builders, and other stakeholders work tightly together through the complete design and construction phases of a building project to ensure timely construction that meets the needs of the building's owners and occupants while minimizing wasted time, effort, and materials.  In addition to the economic benefits, design-build facilitates innovation and creative problem solving between stakeholders at all levels.

The Applied Research Building (ARB) design-build team took top honors at the Western Pacific Region of DBIA (DBIA-WPR) meeting May 21-24.  ARB was named “Project of the Year” within WPR and recognized for  excellence in the “Lean in Design” and “VDC (Virtual Design and Construction)” categories.

Lean design focuses on four key concepts: team collaboration, problem solving, decision making skills and sharing information  to eliminate waste and maximize value by encouraging all stakeholders to offer design input up front.

VDC is an important component of that process involving construction of a detailed building-information model (BIM) on the computer that allows designers and builders to spot potential conflicts and opportunities for improvements at an early stage to prevent them from causing delays, rework, or material waste.

ARB has also recently been nationally recognized by DBIA with a National Award of Merit in their Educational Facilities Category.

Noting that the project was completed during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, they stated that though it faced significant supply-chain challenges, it was finished on time and within budget.  Because of the continual interaction between the customer and contractors that is characteristic of “Design-Build Done Right®”, those challenges were met in innovative ways that did not increase project costs or diminish the quality of the finished product. 

They also noted that 60% of the trade partners were local with outreach to underrepresented communities including the Pascua Yaqui Tribe.  In their words,

“The team’s focus on teaming and integrated partnership fostered a culture of trust, transparency and mutual respect which allowed them to navigate the complexities of the pandemic and ultimately deliver a world-class facility that exceeded expectations.”

Brian Brandis was the Project Manager and Dana Sylvester was the Construction Project Manager.