Design Build Institute of America
Great Lakes Region

Welcome to the DBIA Great Lakes Region website!

Serving Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin

Who We Are

The Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) was founded in 1993 as a non-profit membership-based organization dedicated to single-source design and construction contracting. DBIA's members perform design and construction work in all non-residential market sectors, including buildings, industrial process facilities and civil infrastructure projects.

Organizations like DBIA accomplish what no single company or individual can reasonably obtain on their own. By joining forces, owners, architects, engineers, contractors and allied professionals advance and guide the industry.

To that end, the Great Lakes Region endeavors to regionally shape the design-build process by active involvement in the construction community. This involvement includes promotion of design-build through continuing educational workshops and the recruitment of industry leaders to facilitate the organization.

What We Stand For

DBIA is dedicated to making design-build the most successful and broadly practiced project delivery system. To achieve this goal, DBIA develops best practices which allow our members and the industry at large to produce quality-focused, cost effective, dispute-free projects under the guiding hand of a seasoned professional who is "at-risk."

A professional design-builder is at-risk for the cost, schedule, quality and management of a design-build project. (By contrast, other project delivery systems have parties with only partial risk for the project, depending upon the disciplinary role that is assumed.) Knowledgeable owners are recognizing that design-build couples professional advice with at-risk performance - a formidable combination for project success.

Total project accountability is the hallmark of innovative design-builders. They are able to successfully plan, design, construct, finance, operate and maintain projects while delivering time and cost savings. Across all market segments - public and private sectors, buildings, civil infrastructure and process industries - today's design-builders are providing essential services to owners under a single point of responsibility.

What We Provide

• Regional commitment to the on-going education and development of the design-build process;

• Design-build courses that focus on timely issues concerning all industry-related topics, including finance, contracts, project delivery, programming, cost management and risk analysis;

• Opportunity to earn AIA/CES continuing education units through the regionally sponsored conferences;

• Networking opportunities with other members of the Great Lakes Region through chapter committees and conferences;

• Regional legislative leadership that helps shape policies for procurement, licensing and other legal issues at the State and Municipal levels;

• Focused committees that address key concerns in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin.