There are several reasons for is an increasing emphasis on collaboration between design professionals and builders:

• The benefits when aspects of a project’s design are informed by builder input.
• The complexity and proprietary of building materials and systems.
• The valuable technical contributions specialty contractors and product manufacturers provide to the most complicated parts of a project’s design.

These paradigm shifts have spurred strategies to connect design professionals with contractors, specialty contractors, and product manufacturers during the project’s design stages for a more successful outcome.

In this program, we examine the distinctions between design assist and delegated design; describe the roles and responsibilities of project team members; discuss problems that can arise; and offer definitions and guidelines that design professionals, and the construction industry can adopt for their use.