House Doctors: Repurposing the public procurement model to maintain campus infrastructure

Last Wednesday, LDa Principals Treffle LaFleche and Douglas Dick, along with Michael Kim, AIA, Principal of MK Architecture + Design, Steven Karan, PE, Principal at BER Engineering, and Naomi Cottrell, Design Director at Michelle Crowley Landscape Architecture presented a panel discussion on the “House Doctor” model of procurement for design services. Modeled on the State model of pre-qualifying architects, engineers and design teams for small public projects, selecting “House Doctors” for private schools can offer similar benefits; minimizing risk, maximizing value and increasing efficiency in delivery of small capital projects, renovations or deferred maintenance projects. Pre-selected, qualified design teams are able to offer quick-response, cost effective solutions benefiting from long-term knowledge of a school’s facilities and goals. Attendees learned the history of the State house doctor program, the benefits and types of projects it would be most applicable to on independent school campuses and buildings, and how to get started implementing their own programs.