Governance of performance of building services designers in design and build contracts

The work reported in the paper is a preliminary study for informing a conceived study that aims to enhance performance of building services design professionals in Hong Kong. The reasons for conducting such a study and for basing the study on design and build (DB) projects are explained in the paper. The preliminary findings suggest that factors that are conducive to better performance of building services designers in DB projects include: DB contractors' demand for high standards in schematic design for winning contracts by bidding; DB contractors' willingness to pay higher design fees; more stringent design-checking procedures; any design-related rework at the expense of contractor; higher level of design liability beyond reasonable skill and care; and more active participation by contractors in design management and services coordination. However, there are obstacles to wider adoption of DB in the Hong Kong construction industry, especially the regulatory control in force.