Government Office Center - An Analysis of the Importance of an Engaged Owner
Open Access
- Author:
- Ward, Alexander Wells
- Area of Honors:
- Architectural Engineering
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Architectural Engineering
- Document Type:
- Thesis
- Thesis Supervisors:
- Dr. Robert Michael Leicht, Thesis Supervisor
Richard George Mistrick, Thesis Honors Advisor
M Kevin Parfitt, Thesis Supervisor - Keywords:
- construction management
engaged owner
IPD
SIPS
BIPV
BIM
progressive collapse - Abstract:
- This report is designed to present the four analyses that were conducted as part of the final thesis report on the Government Office Center renovation and modernization project. In combination, the analysis topics offer insight into a fundamental theme of the importance of active owner involvement to the success of a construction project. A positively engaged owner provides direct benefits to a construction project, including faster and more refined decision making, reduced frequency and magnitude of design changes, schedule acceleration, and relationship building. In the case of the Government Office Center renovation, a more actively engaged owner may have facilitated a production management strategy that would allow the project to be completed 25 weeks early, a feat worth $1.65 million to the owner. Additionally, a building integrated photovoltaic curtain wall system could have been incorporated at a cost that would be returned in less than two years. Finally, building information modeling strategies could have been implemented in order to support the needs of facilities management staff in the future, which ultimately will save time and money. By focusing on the optimization of the whole project, rather than simply the optimization of its individual parts, a construction project can generate significant added value. A cost savings, such as the $1.65 million savings discussed in this report, can be reinvested into the project to add value without expanding the original budget. Active owner involvement, along with well-planned incentives, is key to achieving this level of optimization.