What are the most effective ways to collaborate with architects and engineers in a real estate project?

Alternatively, hire consultants well before project ideation to ensure a project is truly viable. A good consultant (architect) will tell you if your idea actually makes sense from a budget, code, zoning, and construct-ability standpoint, and or offer ideas that better fit the project’s overall goals. We call this service a Feasibility Study.

After defining the project goals, Include architects and engineers from the early stages of the project. This ensures that their expertise is utilized in the initial planning and design phases.

Ensure 'choosing the right team' goes deeper than choosing the right companies. Large firms have a wide range of expertise from novice to expert. Ensure that the staff that will be allocated to your project are suitable for the scale and complexity of your development. I would also recommend that you ensure that all teams are comfortable working with one another. You can have the best team on paper but if they do not interact well socially, you will have a difficult time being highly efficient with deliverables.

Choose local and never choose the lowest bidder. A local team may understand the project better than a “fancier” firm. The lowest bidders probably won’t give the project their primary attention.

Not to forget getting these teams talking from the outset, to discover obstacles ahead of time and create the opportunity for honest comms

Clearly define the roles and responsibilities of each team member. This helps in avoiding confusion and ensures that everyone understands their contribution to the project.

Software production teams offer valuable lessons in communication, processes, and culture. In this comparison, engineers and designers function as the tech team, while the project manager serves as the product manager. Others, like the jobsite team, investors, and buyers, act as stakeholders. Adopting a feedback-driven culture, akin to software teams, benefits real estate projects. By actively seeking input from design and engineering teams and embracing ongoing improvements, these projects better adapt to evolving needs.

Establish open and transparent communication channels. Regular meetings and updates help in keeping everyone on the same page.

A great tool for collaborative communication is a platform like Bluebeam, where you can view the drawings remotely and multiple users can update them live.

Colaboração em tempo real e tomadas de decisões com base em dados são ações imperativas em projetos contemporâneos. Considerando minha trajetória como arquiteto e a atual formação em TI, vejo que é fundamental que os gerentes de projetos se debrucem nas soluções tecnológicas disponíveis para trabalho em equipe e o compartilhamento de dados numa arquitetura de nuvem, com acesso para os distintos tipos de público, com rapidez e segurança das informações. Além disso, a colaboração deve considerar o fator humano e a sensibilidade dos indivíduos. É importante que cada um possa ser agente de colaboração e seja motivado a trazer ganhos nos seus processos, visando eliminar ruídos e desperdício de recursos humanos e tempo.

In this case, we can also draw inspiration from other industries. A plethora of research in the construction industry workforce indicates a greater inclination among younger individuals to pursue careers in tech, marketing, and finance rather than solely opting for engineering roles. This trend serves as a valuable source of inspiration for the property industry to integrate traits such as innovation, adaptability, and efficient use of technology. By leveraging insights from these industries, the property sector can blueprint a workplace culture that fosters respect, diversity across all dimensions, and an environment conducive to creativity and advancement.

Avoid micromanaging; trust in the expertise and judgment of your consultants. Choose consultants who have a deep understanding of your target buyers, not just the technical aspects. Ensure that your team fully grasps the needs and preferences of the end users to create a superior product. Allow these professionals to exercise their expertise, giving them the space to innovate and problem-solve. Maintain clear and consistent communication about the project's goals and expectations to align all efforts.

Understanding that engineers and architects are wired differently is key. We see the world through a different lens. Creating the collaboration between these two perspectives is important to project success. The creativity of the architectural perspective brings image, texture , color and shape to an owner’s concept. This is an exciting and intoxicating element of project development but the boundaries of budget, schedule and quality cannot be ignored. Typically this is the balance the engineer or construction manager brings. I’ve had great experiences with architects where in their words I was “the anchor to their sail” or “the black and white to their technicolor “! This balance of glitz and reality is key to project success.

If you are part of the ownership team there is no one that understands your development thesis better than you. Make sure that you are working with the development team along the way to ensure that the decisions they make align with your expectations. This will save reworking of plans and details out of sequence.

The best client is an educated client. Designers need a knowledgeable and active project manager to maximize their time and energy, and keep everyone pointed in a consistent direction. 1. Read and understand codes and ordinances as well as your designers. Their first attempt at a code compliant design is rarely the most economical. 2. Set schedule expectations and build in time for owner review and plan revisions prior to submittal. Never let designers say "It's not 100% right, but I'll correct it on the next submittal." EVERY submittal to an AHJ should be made with the intent that this is the FINAL submittal. 3. Drive design team communication between weekly design meetings. They need to be coordinating daily, not weekly.

I also recommend bringing the right people in early. I have seen too many projects that try to overdevelop sites or miss a need like lack of adequate utilities. They end up maximizing their cash flow instead of maximizing profit.