ver the past several years, increased pressure from communities, environmental groups, politicians, and regulators has changed the environmental service game. In most cases, it is no longer good enough to deal with environmental challenges by applying traditional approaches – Forcing project owners to look for alternatives, like more collaborative approaches.

Albert Einstein is widely credited with saying, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results.”

Despite labeling that choice as insane, most of the phrase still holds true for environmental services.

If you want different results than what you’re getting, you must try different approaches.

Project owners, even with capable management teams, have relied on traditional environmental project delivery methods like DBB to fill in knowledge gaps. Most often, an owner, or designer will decide on how to approach each of these important elements.

To some degree, there has always been collaboration involved in this delivery method. However, these elements are often completed in a linear fashion, limiting collaboration amongst the owner and designer.

This is the most traditional and commonly used delivery method. This approach, design and construction are split – separate entities, separate contracts, separate work.

The CMAR delivery method supports the project owner not only during construction, but also during pre-development, fostering collaboration throughout the preconstruction phase. This method requires partnering with a construction manager that brings the technical capabilities appropriate for the project. By integrating the construction team and engaging the designers and contractor early on, the project benefits from better constructability insights and more effective decision making.

As an alternative to design-bid-build, CMAR reduces the time to completion of a construction project by collaborating with industry experts early in the process. They not only provide design analysis, cost analysis, and builder recommendations to the project owner, but they also work with the design and construction team to ensure the owner’s vision and approved design are effectively being implemented.

This procurement simplifies the process for the owner by sourcing a contract with a single point of responsibility, the design-builder. While the schedule and budget are determined during the pre-development phases, increased collaboration amongst the design and construction team members results in saving time and increased cost-control.

As an alternative to design-bid-build, DB is a method of project delivery in which one entity – the design-build team – works under a single contract with the project owner to provide design and construction services. One entity, one contract, one unified flow of work from initial concept through completion.