Value-adding collaborative design and construct sustainability work practices on increasingly complex AEC projects

There is a good amount of research on how collaborative design and
delivery practices, such as design & build, integrated project delivery and
alliances can help in achieving project goals, sustainability among other things.
Although the understanding of these collaborative practices and their advantages
has increased, a large part of construction projects are still conventional, design-
bid-build projects. The industry is fragmented not only when it comes to
separating the design stage from construction, but also when it comes to the
number of subcontractors and suppliers in projects. This situation is not going to
change any time soon, rather it looks the opposite. Construction projects are
becoming more and more complex requiring companies to specify their expertise
to a certain design, manufacturing or installation aspect. This is a discovery and
theory-led case study that explores key problems and opportunities, and
illustrates how theories are applied and adapted, or adopted, in a real-life setting.
The focus is on how a top tier main contracting company in New Zealand is
changing its practices to be more collaborative by involving the design and
construct teams, the client and stakeholders, on a regular workshop basis at the
pre-construction design stages in particular. The research question is “How to
use collaborative design and delivery practices at the preconstruction and
construction stages to achieve a circular economy?” The vision and aim is to
explore-with project examples-alternative insightful design strategies, reduce
waste to land�ill, associated costs, as well as enhancing the environmental
impacts on the community. One of the introduced tools so far is an Environment
in Design (EiD) register, in conjunction with resource sorter training, and
recording all waste data, to achieve the main contractor and key stakeholders’
sustainability goals.