The Owner's Representative: An Extension of the Client, Project, and Team
Turnstile at Columbus Circle is the first privately financed retail marketplace within the NYC subway system and is a model for public-private partnerships and transit retail. Photography by Robert Stoetzel.
By Megan Chusid
Megan Chusid is a Principal with Urban Projects Collaborative (UPC), a women-owned and led owner’s representative cooperative based in NYC with projects in the Northeast and Northern California. UPC focuses on supporting non-profit organizations, institutions and private clients with strategic and master planning, capital projects and facilities assessment and oversight. Megan began her career as an architect focused on ground up multi-use buildings in NYC and maintains her license as a Registered Architect in NYS. Prior to becoming an owner’s rep, Megan held positions at R+R construction, MetLife and the Guggenheim Museum & Foundation.
Projects delivered by the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry require a diverse team of professionals to combine their individual expertise and bring a project to life. The owner’s representative (OR) serves as a liaison between an owner or organization and their project team. The OR also supports the owner/organization in all decision-making, from initial project planning to team selection through design, construction, and final close-out. The OR ensures the mission of the project is consistent from feasibility and planning to programming, site selection, acquisition, entitlements, design, permitting, construction, closeout, and occupancy.
Typically, a capital project is the largest single expenditure a company will ever make — protecting the investment is key. As companies and non-profits do what they do best, which is typically not design and construction, bringing on an outside professional with this key expertise ensures a project is set up for success.
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There are three primary situations when a client engages an owner’s representative:
Insufficient in-house knowledge about capital planning: Small companies, non-profit organizations, private and charter schools frequently do not have the in-house staffing to carry out strategic planning and capital projects. With the support of an OR, the organization can develop the intent, goals, and initial feasibility of a project. Early-stage planning documents developed by the OR in collaboration with senior leadership are discussed with internal stakeholders, board of directors and outside entities like government agencies and officials. This support can include exploring funding options, logistic strategies, and securing Board approval to start hiring the larger design and construction project team.
Riverdale Country School, one of UPC’s first clients. Courtesy of Megan Chusid.
Augment Staffing: Large corporations, higher-education institutions, and religious organizations may have departments dedicated to maintaining facilities and even capital planning but when it comes to large scale strategic planning and construction projects, they often choose to augment their existing project management staff with an OR providing specific expertise or on-call support.
Peer Review: There are instances when a client is undergoing a capital project with a qualified design and construction team in place, potentially even an OR, and a lender or landlord may engage a third-party OR to monitor the project on their behalf. There are also instances when the engaged team is not working together successfully and part or the team asks for a third-party peer review to help them course correct.
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So, given this, how does the work of an OR differ from the expectation of the architect or contractor on a project?
Implementation Planning: In both OR engagement scenarios, the first step is implementation planning. Although most clients have a rough idea about the stages of a project, an OR guides them through steps such as engaging a real estate search firm, making a site selection, engaging a design team, bidding out to a contractor, and hiring specialty consultants. Ultimately, the OR drafts an implementation plan that defines project intent, and initial scope, budget, schedule, critical path milestones, key decision makers, and the time commitments required to effectively move the project to completion.
Governance is another key implementation planning component. Regardless of team expertise, if decisions aren’t made in a timely manner, the project can veer off schedule which inevitably impacts the budget. An OR helps the client define its internal process for decision-making at all levels and then provides the appropriate information needed to evaluate choices.
UPC Onsite with a community center client for the pencil requisition and punch list walk through. Photograph by Megan Chusid.
Request for Proposals and Bidding: Competitive bidding is a standard industry practice to fairly evaluate potential firms. Most clients have internal requirements to obtain multiple proposals before engaging an outside company. For many funding sources there are stricter guidelines for request for proposals (RFP) and bid invitation processes. On behalf of clients, an OR develops a bidding strategy, guides the client through the options and risks associated with the different bid processes, navigates any lender or funder requirements, and prepares the RFPs. ORs typically receive the bids on behalf of clients, handle all related communication, level the bids, coordinate interviews, and conduct reference checks. The bidding process is thoroughly documented to allow the client’s leadership to make an informed selection. The bidding process reports are also intended to provide sufficient documentation to meet requirements by any funding or oversight entities.
Design Phase Oversight: During the design phase, we continually monitor progress of design, budget, schedule, and constructability issues, confirming that the design is in alignment with the project’s goals. Many ORs have a background in design, engineering and/or construction that helps provide feedback during design phases that highlight gaps that could result in delays in the field.
Construction Delivery Method: There are multiple ways a project can proceed from design to construction. Early in the project, an OR will discuss project delivery methods with the client and determine which method best complements the project goals. Typically, clients decide between a general contractor and a construction manager first, then confirm the most appropriate more of agreement (cost plus, GMP, or stipulated sum). More and more, the design-bid-build versus design-build conversation is also addressed.
Usdan Summer Camp for the Arts. Photograph by Megan Chusid
Construction Administration: Alongside the design and construction team, an OR can bring added field experience to a project while it is under construction. The right amount of time onsite during construction can ensure potential issues are anticipated and averted. Having an OR onsite during construction means communication is seamless to the owner from the onsite team to keep the project on schedule. The OR also provides consistent status updates to the client for the duration of construction. The OR is an active participant in team meetings, submittals, and schedule reviews with the client.
Additionally, items that fall outside of the standard design or construction agreements (specialty equipment, IT/AV/Security, Furniture, Fixtures & Equipment) are frequently directly coordinated by the OR for purchasing and oversight for delivery and installation. Efficient and successful installation of these systems requires careful and continued coordination with the contractor.
Project Close-out: After the project has met all the requirements for substantial completion, the close out process begins. The OR works with the client’s facility team to ensure all commissioning, as-built drawings, manuals, warranties, and financial reports are transferred to the client before the final turnover.
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In conclusion, ORs join a client’s team to help them understand and manage the intricate details of significant capital projects. They offer a client the process and technical expertise to facilitate the thousands of decisions required in a timely manner.
While an OR may have a background in construction project management, general contracting, architecture, finance, or engineering, it is important to remember an OR does not perform these services. Qualified ORs draw on their diverse backgrounds to manage and monitor the work of the respective professionals to ensure the best outcome for an owner.