Using Contracting to Improve Building Project Delivery and Achieve Sustainability Goals

The document identifies systemic failures in traditional building project delivery—such as linear design sequences, risk-aversion leading to oversized equipment, and a lack of whole-systems thinking—that undermine energy efficiency and productivity. It proposes a shift toward Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) and specific contract mechanisms, including shared risk, multi-party contracts, and early stakeholder involvement, to align incentives and enable design integration. The report cites a case study of the Autodesk AEC Solutions Division Headquarters as a successful application of IPD that achieved LEED Platinum certification and reduced costs.

• Traditional building project delivery is characterized by several systemic problems that hinder sustainability: a linear design sequence that prevents integration, a lack of whole-systems design view, and a culture of risk-aversion that leads to the oversizing of equipment to avoid liability.
• Inefficiencies in the construction industry are evidenced by a 20 percent decrease in the construction industry productivity index over the last 40 years, while other economic sectors have seen productivity double. Additionally, 37 percent of construction materials become waste and 60 percent of fan systems are oversized by an average of 60 percent.
• Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) and specific contracting stipulations—such as early involvement of stakeholders, shared risk, multi-party contracts, collaborative decision-making, liability waivers, and financial rewards for joint goals—can address the failures of traditional delivery.
• The Autodesk AEC Solutions Division Headquarters project serves as a case study for the success of IPD, resulting in design and construction costs below target, profits exceeding targets, and the achievement of LEED Platinum certification.

APA

RMI (n.d.). Using Contracting to Improve Building Project Delivery and Achieve Sustainability Goals. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_2013-15_IMFContractingRpt.pdf

Chicago

RMI. Using Contracting to Improve Building Project Delivery and Achieve Sustainability Goals. n.d. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_2013-15_IMFContractingRpt.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=RMI |title=Using Contracting to Improve Building Project Delivery and Achieve Sustainability Goals |url=https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_2013-15_IMFContractingRpt.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rmindusing, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{Using Contracting to Improve Building Project Delivery and Achieve Sustainability Goals}}, institution = {RMI}, url = {https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_2013-15_IMFContractingRpt.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }