Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) is a powerful delivery model because it upends the often adversarial relationship between the project owner, general contractor, and architect. In most contracts the financial goals between these parties conflict and what’s good for the owner hurts the architect’s bottom line and bigger architectural profits leave the general contractor in danger of coming out in the red. Competition can bring out the best in people but it makes little sense to compete over the same resources needed to deliver a great project.
IPD addresses this by synchronizing everyone’s goals. The contract increases profit margins for everyone when the owner saves money and decreases them when the owner loses money. The delivery model’s system of goal-sharing also encourages everyone to take a seat at the development, construction, and post-construction table. The whole team wins by using their combined expertise to save time and money while also building a project that surpasses the client’s original goals.