DBIA Releases New VDC Primer Defining the Project Leader's Role in Design-Build

Resource defines the VDC Project Leader role to improve collaboration, accountability and performance on design-build projects

Too often, firms treat VDC like an internal service or technical add-on when it’s really a leadership role. This primer outlines how a dedicated VDC Leader can elevate performance across the team.”

— Brian Skripac, CM-BIM, CDT, LEED AP, DBIA

WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, October 17, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) has released the VDC Project Leader’s Role & Responsibilities on Design-Build Projects Primer, a resource that defines the VDC Project Leader as a core member of the design-build team. It outlines the knowledge and leadership needed to guide collaborative VDC efforts aligned with project goals from procurement through turnover.

The primer goes beyond traditional definitions of

VDC by recognizing it as a leadership discipline rather than a technical service. While many firms have internal VDC or BIM departments, DBIA’s guidance emphasizes the need for project-specific leadership that connects technology with outcomes. By formalizing the VDC Project Leader role, this publication reinforces the importance of strategic, accountable leadership that drives collaboration, innovation and project performance.

“Too often, firms treat VDC like an internal service or technical add-on when it’s really a leadership role,” said Brian Skripac, CM-BIM, LEED AP, DBIA, Director of Virtual Design & Construction at DBIA. "This primer outlines how a dedicated VDC Leader can elevate performance across the team and support true collaboration from pursuit through turnover."

The primer outlines how VDC leadership supports the design-build delivery process:
•Establishing project-aligned VDC goals
•Leading model-based collaboration to reduce risk and improve decision making
•Connecting design and construction workflows across teams
•Supporting cost, schedule and performance objectives through data use
•Ensuring VDC strategies reflect Design-Build Done Right® principles

Inside the Primer:
•Defined roles and responsibilities of the VDC Project Leader
•16 VDC implementation techniques across People, Process and Technology
•Examples of how VDC leadership improves project delivery
•Alignment with DBIA’s Design-Build Done Right® Best Practices

The VDC Project Leader’s Role & Responsibilities on Design-Build Projects Primer builds on DBIA’s foundational Virtual Design & Construction Primer and complements DBIA’s VDC Position Statement and other guidance developed for the design-build industry.

The resource is available to download for free in the DBIA Bookstore.

Members of the DBIA VDC Committee, who authored the primer, will present the new publication at the 2025 Design-Build Conference & Expo in Las Vegas on Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025, at 9:45 a.m. PT.