JE Dunn Construction’s Oklahoma offices know that design-build is a collective effort and these teams have years of experience bringing this value and success to a variety of projects.
When you look at Oklahoma’s construction growth today, it’s heavily influenced by demand for complex work in hospitals, public buildings, education facilities, and highway infrastructure. It all points to the rise of population growth and the need to build essential places that support vibrant cities and communities.
That need to build and the demand to have these places sooner than later is more apparent today than ever.
There is no room to look at construction projects as fractured teams, deadlines, and budgets that are working around each other. No matter a project’s size, or cost, or scope, it just won’t do.
“Collective. Shared. Related. That’s how we have to look at every project we build. There is no, ‘this is yours and this is mine and stay on your side.’ That kind of mindset damages a construction project. It’s what causes issues with schedule and cost. And especially when you’re trying to build trust.”
Collaborative Project Delivery. That’s the term JE Dunn uses to frame this collective effort. In the industry, it’s better known as Design-Build or Integrated Project Delivery (IPD). Whether a project is design-build, design-bid-build, or construction management-at-risk (CMAR), Oklahoma City and Tulsa projects are managed with Collaborate Project Delivery at the helm using behaviors based in lean principles and transparent work processes. Over the years that focus has allowed the offices to build a management culture influenced by the fundamental nature of these integrated delivery methods.
“Construction projects that are particularly complex and multi-phased need to be managed with the highest level of communication and alignment between design and construction activities so project teams can identify challenges immediately so they are corrected early. That one team approach brings all the best talent and resources to overcome the challenges that every project goes through.”
Design-build delivery seems to be gaining more traction in the Oklahoma market. Over the last two years the leadership team in Oklahoma City have identified more and more strategic design-build opportunities to pursue. They range in scope, size, and cost, and most are in the public sector– a significant jump from recent years.
What the team is seeing is what the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) has been reporting since 2021. Design-build has become the fastest growing construction method in the United States. Also, the West South Central United States – Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana – will represent the largest volume of design-build spending through 2025.
“Reduced schedule, faster delivery, better opportunity for cost control and savings – you’re going to hear people talk about that all the time with alternative deliveries, such as design-build,” said the Oklahoma leadership team. “We want to deliver that for our clients no matter the method. But when the owner chooses design-build, we know the partnership is already defined as a collective effort. Our Oklahoma teams have years of experience and success leading these types of projects with our owner, design team, and trade partners.”
