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Architects, engineers and contractors are all in the same industry. The construction industry provides a valuable service and employs a significant number of people.

Over the years, designers have complained about contractors, and contractors have complained about designers. A variety of efforts have been made to bridge this gap with initiatives, including partnerships and integrated project delivery systems.

It may be, however, that this natural friction is a fundamental part of the industry. Several explanations come to mind from those who have worked in all phases of this industry.

The friction might partially be the result of the different kinds of personalities that our industry’s various sectors attract.

Contractors seem to be highly kinesthetic individuals. They’re physical and achieve their job satisfaction through the creation of the three-dimensional. Contractors are responsible for managing resources and moving those resources to locations where work is taking place.

That’s the challenge of construction – moving manpower, materials, equipment and supplies to the point of installation; a point that perpetually changes as projects are built. No two projects are ever identical. They might be similar, but all are in different locations or are exposed to different environmental influences.

Designers, on the other hand, have a completely different challenge. They must create a project on paper (today it might be virtual paper) and convey that information to others who are responsible for its actual construction.

This is a very different kind of an effort. It requires the ability to visualize and anticipate issues long before pieces actually go into the ground. Most designers know that a small mistake on a piece of paper can become a very big and expensive mistake in the field. Therefore, by nature, they are cautious because each individual decision may have a broad impact on a project.

The business of construction is different than the business of designing. The business of construction is a production-oriented enterprise requiring close attention to productivity rates and understanding of field conditions in order to remain profitable. The business of designing is focused on the production of intellectual property, a very different proposition than the production of concrete, lumber or steel.

The proportions devoted for these efforts in a project are approximately 80/20 – that is, 80 percent of the time, 20 percent of the money is spent on design; and 20 percent of the time, 80 percent of the money is spent on construction.

It is not likely that these differences will ever be completely brooked. However, it is important that we as an industry understand that our clients have little patience for or comprehension of these differences. They are interested in a final product that achieves its stated purpose for the economic goals that they have set.

We do ourselves and the industry a favor by recognizing these differences and making allowances for our colleagues on the various sides of the table.

Christian Steinbrecher is president of Ukiah Engineering Inc., a senior consultant at Capital Project Consultants and president of the American Society of Civil Engineers’ Oregon section. Contact him at [email protected].