Planning, Design & Construction

Capital project management from master planning through construction — including design, budgeting, delivery methods, sustainability, and commissioning.

Building Information Modeling Building Information Modeling (BIM) is a high-technology process transformational method to address project complexity and rapid development. A BIM-based project produces digital assets that transform how supply chain partners work together to improve the design and construction process, enabling...
Campus Master Planning
Capital Budgeting The institutional treasurer or chief financial officer holds responsibility for financing capital acquisitions, renovations, and maintenance; ensuring that assets are managed within sound financial guidelines and protected from unnecessary risk of loss or depletion; and working wi...
Construction Project Management Construction Management Basics In the 1970s, many large general contractors and architectural/engineering firms recognized the growing need for professional construction managers (CMs), and the market for construction management services has grown since. Universities establish their own CM depart...
Design Management Project design and development run from conceptual phase through construction documents. Professional services contracts, design guidance, cost estimation, project budget management, building committee involvement, and project design review and approval by the institution are all considered in th...
In-House Design and Construction Many institutions choose to operate their own in-house design groups rather than navigating the design-bid- build, design-build, or construction manager process. These in-house groups are often in the facilities maintenance department and work best when empowered with the authority to deliver pro...
Infrastructure Planning Functional and non-architectural campus design elements and the architecture of individual buildings are both important. This chapter does not cite best solutions in each area and is not a design handbook for working professionals; as there is no one right solution because campuses vary. Th...
Organization and Management of Capital Projects Introduction Building at universities needs technical knowledge, management expertise, and political skill to manage inherent issues (e.g., increased expectations, resource competition, risks, technological advances, cash flows, limited land area, physical and cultural landscape preservation, cam...
Programming Introduction Once a university decides to build or remodel facility space, facility programming (a process to identify and document potential facility space needs) is the most important pre design aspect. Higher education literature is almost devoid of facility programming materials, so reference...
Project Delivery The traditional, low-bid Design-Bid-Build (DBB) process favored for most of the 20th century became increasingly problematic; in the 1990s, owners implemented partnering programs (quite successful in some cases but not universally effective). New proposed methods to increase project team collabor...
Real Estate The tremendous growth in higher education has created a need for more land and buildings. The acquisition of real estate must be integrated with university master planning, and include input from the facilities department regarding property condition and maintenance requirements. Institutions vie...
Renovations Renovating an existing building entails complex issues and factors (e.g., building condition, construction type, codes and zoning, location, swing space, budget, accessibility, sustainability, historic attributes). Types of Renovation Renovation scope can vary widely but implies more than a s...
Site Development Definition and Introduction The campus atmosphere as a whole is a function of both buildings and connecting spaces. Continuity, unity, and coherence of spatial relations are the ultimate aim in developing the campus landscape. Site development plans bring the master plan to life and address the...
Space Planning and Administration Introduction U.S. higher education is more than three centuries old, but space planning and management have emerged only in the last 20 to 25 years, with processes in place to inventory, classify, and create databases. The new focus is on managing space, preparing for new structures, and using ex...
Sustainable Design and Construction Sustainable design and construction techniques seek to make institutions climate neutral. LEED Overview LEED is an internationally recognized certification program that trains institutional managers to measure and ensure sustainability in commercial construction and renovation projects. B...
The Building Commissioning Process Introduction The building commissioning process bridges the gap between heightened expectations for more complex and sophisticated facilities and meeting such expectations. Many facilities managers recognize that commissioning improves facilities operations, but it is unclear what the commissioni...
Value Management Value management is a concept that embraces facilities design while balancing appropriate but sometimes competing program, quality, performance, and cost requirements, while considering the total cost of ownership (TCO) throughout the design process. Although many needs compete for inclusion in ...