Construction Leaders Podcast

Episode: Beyond Tradition: Why Progressive Design-Build is Gaining Ground
Date: September 1, 2025
Host: Construction Management Association of America
Guests:

• Daphne Bryant, Executive Director, ACEC Research Institute
• Dr. Keith Moliner, Dean, College of Engineering & Applied Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder

Episode Overview

This episode explores the burgeoning rise of Progressive Design-Build (PDB) in the construction industry. Focusing on research from the ACEC Research Institute, the panel analyzes what differentiates PDB from traditional delivery methods, current industry perceptions, risk allocation, market trends, and what makes this methodology attractive to owners and design professionals alike.

1. What is Progressive Design-Build?

[02:35–07:12]

Key Insights

• Progressive Design-Build (PDB) is a project delivery method involving a single contract between the owner and an integrated design-builder.
• Unlike “lump sum” or "best value" design-build (often called "traditional"), PDB employs a qualifications-based selection (not lowest cost), negotiating the final price and scope after design validation is underway.
• Two-Phase Process:
  • Phase 1: Select a design-builder and develop a preliminary design (validation phase: 30–60% design), validate scope and agree on price.
  • Phase 2: Complete final design and construction, often overlapping the two for efficiency.
• PDB sits between best value design-build and Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) in terms of collaboration, with PDB involving more risk-sharing and negotiation.

Notable Quote

“When we talk about progressive design build, it is different...it is really a spectrum of project delivery methods...Progressive design build uses a qualifications based approach to selecting a design builder and then works on a negotiated process to get to a design build price.”
—Dr. Keith Moliner [03:12]

2. The ACEC Research Institute Study: Origins and Objectives

[07:12–10:09]

Key Insights

• Dr. Moliner has studied design-build delivery for nearly 30 years, typically from the owner’s perspective regarding cost and schedule.
• This research shifts the focus: How do innovative delivery methods affect design professionals?
  • Particularly, the effect on risk, insurance, profitability, and team dynamics for non-integrated or joint venture design professionals.
• The study’s motivation was to see if Progressive DB improves the project environment for the design community.
• Strong industry interest: 439 respondents to the survey reflecting keen engagement and broad adoption.

Notable Quote

"We're just shifting an onerous amount of risk onto the design professionals...The motivation for [the] current study was really to explore Progressive Design Build as a way to mitigate those risks and help with those insurance aspects."
—Dr. Keith Moliner [08:10]

3. Surprising Findings from the Study

[10:09–12:46]

Key Insights

• Rapid Growth: Over 80% of firms report increasing PDB project volume and dollar value—remarkably fast adoption.
• Risk Allocation: PDB rated highest in risk allocation out of five delivery methods examined (including best value, low bid, CM at risk, and Integrated Project Delivery).
• The perceived equity of PDB risk allocation even surpassed Integrated Project Delivery because, in practice, PDB’s negotiation period allows for tailored, workable risk divisions.

Notable Quote

“Progressive Design Build was ranked highest in risk allocation of five different delivery methods that we looked at...Meaning...over 400 responses felt that Progressive Design Build was the best for allocating risks across the team.”
—Dr. Keith Moliner [10:38]

4. Why Owners and Teams are Shifting to Progressive Design-Build

[13:50–16:19]

Key Insights

• PDB addresses issues of lengthy and redundant procurement seen in best value or lump sum design-build (where RFPs can take 18–24 months to develop).
• PDB’s early collaboration, shorter procurement, and flexible “validation period” allow for more innovation and faster project delivery.
• The industry has learned from both best value DB and CM at risk—PDB borrows the best of both for integration and collaborative validation.

Notable Quote

“I think owners are seeing the value of integration of design build, but also wanting to get that advantage of the two phase work and the validation work that you see from construction manager at risk.”
—Dr. Keith Moliner [15:25]

5. The “Off Ramp” Mechanism in PDB

[16:19–19:24]

Key Insights

• The owner retains the option to “off-ramp”: If, after Phase 1, parties cannot agree on price, risk, or scope, the project can proceed via another design-builder, or convert to another delivery method.
• Off-ramps are rarely used but provide critical flexibility—protecting owner interests if the PDB process isn’t achieving value.
• Examples were shared of both outcomes (cost increases after re-procurement, but sometimes savings from changing teams were realized).

Notable Quote

“That off ramp before you get into the second phase can...take that original design and negotiate with another progressive design builder. You can take that out, use just the design team and go ahead and take it all the way to a bid project if you would like. There’s opportunities there...it’s not used frequently, but...there is also one other option...the project’s not a project anymore. But better to know at that phase...”
—Dr. Keith Moliner [17:18]

6. Where is PDB Used Most? Market Sectors and Project Sizes

[19:24–22:09]

Key Insights

• Early PDB adoption: Water/wastewater sector, technology-driven industrial/food processing, and, most recently, very large infrastructure projects (often $1 billion+).
• Smaller projects (under $10–20 million): Best value/lump sum methods may remain more practical, unless complexity warrants PDB’s collaborative benefits.
• No “one-size-fits-all”—choice depends on owner, project, and market characteristics.

Notable Quote

“Progressive design build really got its footing and I think its early success in the water wastewater sector...Where we’ve seen a really big move is towards these very large infrastructure projects where the owner wants to get together early on these billion dollar plus projects…”
—Dr. Keith Moliner [20:08]

7. Keys to PDB Collaboration Success

[22:09–24:08]

Key Insights

• The owner’s engagement and capability during Phase 1 is fundamental; projects move fast and need decisive leadership.
• Construction Managers add value as independent estimators and risk advisors.
• Poor team dynamics often arise when the owner or CM is slow or unwilling to make timely decisions.
• Case studies are forthcoming to identify the differentiators between best- and worst-performing PDB projects.

Notable Quote

“You certainly have to have an owner who’s knowledgeable and willing to be engaged in that first phase. And I can tell you what’s very frustrating for progressive design builders is when you have an owner who’s not adept at making decisions, because these projects move very quickly…”
—Dr. Keith Moliner [22:33]

8. Looking Ahead

• The ACEC Research Institute will continue its PDB research, diving deeper into case studies to surface best practices and lessons learned.
• For the study discussed, visit: www.acec.org/resource — “Progressive Design Build Practice Perceptions and Potential”

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• On industry shift:
  “I’m surprised it’s happened so quickly in the last five years or so—a big shift towards progressive design build.”
  —Dr. Keith Moliner [06:13]
• On owner responsibility:
  “It’s really the owner who puts them in that place for success or not…that ability for the owner to be very involved early in that validation phase…”
  —Dr. Keith Moliner [23:31]
• On the collaborative spirit:
  “Integration of teams gets you better solutions quicker and at a better cost with higher innovation than trying to create so many checks and balances that you lose that.”
  —Dr. Keith Moliner [14:25]

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Time | Segment | |----------|-----------------------------------------------------| | 02:35 | What is Progressive Design-Build? | | 07:12 | Study Purpose and Motivation | | 10:09 | Surprising Findings | | 13:50 | Why is PDB Gaining Ground? | | 16:19 | The “Off Ramp” Explained | | 19:24 | Where is PDB Used Most? | | 22:09 | Collaboration Keys and Owner Attributes |

Conclusion

This episode offers a comprehensive look at a major industry trend—the rise of Progressive Design-Build. Listeners learn how PDB’s collaborative, phased approach shifts risk, improves outcomes for all parties (especially design professionals), and why large, complex projects are increasingly turning to this method. The panel underscores the importance of owner engagement, flexible risk-sharing, and continued research into how PDB methods can advance the industry’s project delivery mindset.

For further reading: Visit www.acec.org/resource
Next episode preview: Standardized construction contracts—improving risk and efficiency in CMS.