Bridging is a variation of the design-build approach in which which of the following occurs?

• A. The owner appoints a project manager from the design-builder's staff.
• B. The owner hires an architect or engineer to be the project manager, and the AE acts as adviser who works with the owner to develop the project requirements that will be used by the selected design-build firm.
• C. The owner develops all project criteria unaided.
• D. IPD requires bridging.

Answer: (B)

Bridging involves the owner engaging an architect or engineer to act as an adviser who works with the owner to develop the project requirements and a bridging design package that will be used by the selected design-build firm to complete the project. This arrangement gives the owner professional guidance to shape a clear program and initial design concepts while keeping the design-build team responsible for final design and construction after selection. It also ensures that proposals from design-build firms are priced against well-defined criteria, reducing ambiguity and risk.

This setup best matches the concept because the architect/engineer serves as an independent adviser to help translate needs into workable requirements, rather than the owner relying on a project manager from the design-build firm or trying to develop all criteria entirely without professional input. The other options describe scenarios that don’t align with bridging: one shifts control to a design-build manager, another assumes the owner can and should develop everything unaided, and IPD is a separate delivery approach, not a requirement of bridging.