Colorado Real Estate Journal - April 5, 2017
Value comes in many forms and it isn’t all about saving a dollar, especially in the design of private or public-sector facilities. Some companies, agencies and organizations select design firms on fee alone. Unfortunately, as they look to reduce their initial project costs, they miss the added value that comes from selecting firms based upon their qualifications. What gets lost as they search for the lowest price for a facility that must serve its users and owner for years to come? According to TJ Carvis, principal of 4240 Architecture, “When design firms are selected based on lowest fee, it often leads to buildings that are seemingly designed by zoning mass diagrams and with the lowest-cost façade materials. This process is taking its toll on our cities by creating nondescript skylines of buildings that would be just as well suited if they had been built in Austin, Atlanta or Anchorage.” He added that selecting firms by fee alone inevitably leaves the consumer with less choice as these projects are governed simply by their “firstcost” finances and design firms often are unable to provide valueadded design with their limited fee. Cathy Rosset, executive vice president and CEO of AIA Colorado said, “Selecting service providers based on qualifications leads to better outcomes, and typically fewer misunderstandings and requests for change orders than simply selecting firms based on price bids alone. It’s a better return on investment. The old adage that ‘you get what you pay for’ rings true.” Rosset continued, “With the increasing availability of digital imagery, design software, and DIY information, there’s a lot of misinformation out there making people think design should be packaged off-the-shelf or generated by a computer algorithm. This makes people feel falsely empowered without fully understanding the implications and impact architecture has on our environment and our quality of life. “In reality, each building has a unique set of occupants and visitors, a unique purpose, a unique site, placement and visual or cultural context within a community and the adjacent landscape or buildings. Each design problem has its own set of complexities that only a trained and experienced professional has the theoretical training and skills to address appropriately.” • What is the value-add for selecting design firms based upon qualifications? When using qualifications-based selection, the project owner/developer gains insight and technical expertise from the design professionals who can step beyond “adequate” and move the project to “outstanding.” It’s about adding creativity so a project best serves its users and differentiates it in the market. It’s about adding collaboration among team members so that all goals and needs are met. It’s the added value of aesthetically pleasing design that creates a place where users and visitors want to be. “Savvy developers, those who choose value over price, use QBS in their design team selection,” said Carvis. “It just makes sense to them.” • How can clients ensure they obtain the best value when retaining a design professional? Interview. Ask questions about the research, planning and thinking process for both design and documentation. Get to know her qualifications and what she’s done before. Find out who will be involved in the design of the project. Is it a mass-production type of approach to the design of your project or are you receiving experienced input and collaboration with your architect and engineer? Check references. What was the architect or engineer like to work with? Did he collaborate? Did he listen? Was he receptive to client questions and suggestions? Or, did he merely push a design in your direction because there wasn’t sufficient fee to provide a project that would be differentiated in the market? Did he fully understand the scope of the problem and the available budget and define a solution that met the client’s needs? The next time, in selecting a design firm, pause for a moment. Ask what the outcome is that you desire: an off-the-shelf building that costs less to design? Or will it be a well-considered and thoughtfully designed facility that reflects its environment as well as your organization’s goals and aspirations? The qualifications-based selection of design firms is fully supported by the Society for Marketing Professional Services, the American Institute of Architects and the American Council of Engineering Companies. The QBS Colorado Coalition was founded to promote quality and value in professional design services and the American Council of Engineering Companies is continuing to lead the organization and maintain the industry’s focus on QBS