The contract between the _____ and the ______ _____ should address the _____ aspects of the DB process, including expected standards of care for design services.

The contract between the _____ and the ______ _____ should address the _____ aspects of the DB process, including expected standards of care for design services.

• A. Owner, Design-Builder, unique
• B. Owner, Team Members, unique
• C. DB Team, Design-Builder, shared
• D. Design-Builder, Owner, essential

Answer: (A)

In design-build, the key relationship is a single contract between the owner and the design-builder. This contract must address the unique aspects of the design-build process, including how design decisions are integrated with construction and how risk, responsibilities, and workflows are aligned under one team. It also specifies the standards of care expected for design services, tying professional obligations directly to the owner’s expectations within this integrated delivery method. Using a contract that doesn’t reflect this owner–design-builder relationship or that uses generic or shared/essential language would fail to capture the distinctive integration and accountability that design-build relies on.

In design-build, the key relationship is a single contract between the owner and the design-builder. This contract must address the unique aspects of the design-build process, including how design decisions are integrated with construction and how risk, responsibilities, and workflows are aligned under one team. It also specifies the standards of care expected for design services, tying professional obligations directly to the owner’s expectations within this integrated delivery method. Using a contract that doesn’t reflect this owner–design-builder relationship or that uses generic or shared/essential language would fail to capture the distinctive integration and accountability that design-build relies on.