Integrated project delivery (IPD), which is gaining traction in the healthcare AEC industry, often includes operating a “collocation” office, according to an article on the Healthcare Construction + Operation website.

In a collocation office, a team of contractors, architects and owners occupy a dedicated space during the design and construction of a project. 

For instance, during the re-use project of the North General Hospital site in Harlem, N.Y., the design team and construction manager allocated staff full-time in a dedicated office together.

It was clear that the collocation strategy was critical for the team to meet the schedule for a project of this complexity and occupancy date, according to the article.

Tips for an effective colocation office include:

• Personalities of team members are just as important as respect. Anyone holding onto the “us versus them” thought would be out of place.

• Having part of the design team off-site was beneficial. It protected those back in the office from distractions at the colocation site.

• Understand how you’re going to document conversations and decisions. When meetings occur quickly and often, you still need to record “why” you did what you did. 

Read the article.