The Importance of collaboration in project success
Collaborative contracts, essential for project success, rely on good cooperation and shared responsibility, as highlighted by Partner Bjørn Olav Susæg in this interview. Despite their benefits, these projects can face challenges if trust and openness are lacking within the project organization. “All projects, regardless of the type of contract, depend on good collaboration to succeed,” states Bjørn Olav Susæg, Partner and Head of Infrastructure at Nordic Office of Architecture, in this interview with ITBA Aktuelt.
The Unique Nature of Collaborative Contracts
Collaborative contracts differ from traditional advisory and execution contracts in that they are often based on total contracts but include mechanisms for cooperation and sharing of responsibility and risk. Some of Nordic’s largest projects, such as the Government Quarter and Oslo Emergency Hospital, are collaborative projects.
Successful collaboration requires clients who can early on set a common direction and ambition and make good decisions along the way. It also demands a balanced organization with skilled and trustworthy leaders and professionals who can work together. Strong teams with people who know each other and work closely together are crucial success factors. Fundamentally, all good collaborations depend on projects having conditions that allow for good processes and ensuring enough time in the critical early phase.
Experiences with Collaborative Projects
Collaborative projects are experienced differently depending on one’s role in the project. For the architectural firm Nordic Office of Architecture (Nordic), collaborative projects make up a significant part of their portfolio. However, despite the many advantages these projects offer architects, lack of cooperation and openness can present challenges.
“We have seen instances where good intentions for collaboration disappear in a project organization that does not trust each other,” says Susæg.
The Role of Architects in Collaborative Projects
At Nordic, we have extensive experience with collaborative projects. We know that all projects, regardless of the type of contract, depend on good collaboration to succeed. What sets collaborative contracts apart from traditional advisory and execution contracts is that they are often based on total contracts but include mechanisms for cooperation and sharing of responsibility and risk.
Essentially, it is a two-party contract between the contractor and the client. Fundamentally, our job as architects remains the same: we design and build “virtually” and provide good advice to those we work for.
