In which DB approach is performance-based technical requirements emphasized with limited prescriptive specifications?

In which DB approach is performance-based technical requirements emphasized with limited prescriptive specifications?

• A. Traditional
• B. Progressive
• C. Construction Manager at Risk
• D. Design-Build

Answer: (A)

Focusing on outcomes rather than exact methods is the hallmark here. In a design-build arrangement, the owner defines what performance the project must meet (for example, energy use, durability, safety, schedule) and relies on the design-build team to determine the best way to achieve those results. Because the contract covers both design and construction with a single accountable entity, there’s strong incentive to optimize solutions and collaborate early, which naturally leads to using performance-based requirements with fewer prescriptive specifications. Traditional design-bid-build tends to be more prescriptive, with detailed drawings and specifications laid out by the owner and designer up front, leaving less room for alternative, innovative approaches to meet the same outcomes. That makes performance-based language with limited prescriptive detail a better fit for design-build, where the integrated team can innovate while still guaranteeing the required performance.

Focusing on outcomes rather than exact methods is the hallmark here. In a design-build arrangement, the owner defines what performance the project must meet (for example, energy use, durability, safety, schedule) and relies on the design-build team to determine the best way to achieve those results. Because the contract covers both design and construction with a single accountable entity, there’s strong incentive to optimize solutions and collaborate early, which naturally leads to using performance-based requirements with fewer prescriptive specifications.

Traditional design-bid-build tends to be more prescriptive, with detailed drawings and specifications laid out by the owner and designer up front, leaving less room for alternative, innovative approaches to meet the same outcomes. That makes performance-based language with limited prescriptive detail a better fit for design-build, where the integrated team can innovate while still guaranteeing the required performance.