High-Profile publisher, Anastasia Barnes, recently caught up with David H. Barkin, FAIA, chief architect for the State of Connecticut, director of operational and process planning, and senior sustainability officer for the Department of Administrative Services, to discuss the funding, planning, and delivery of state projects, as well as the sustainability initiatives shaping Connecticut’s public-sector facilities.
David H. Barkin
Anastasia Barnes: How do you decide which projects move forward first across Connecticut’s state facilities, whether it’s repairs, upgrades, or new construction?
David Barkin: The State of Connecticut, Department of Administrative Services, Real Estate and Construction Services (DAS/RECS) is the construction office for the Executive Branch and for the Judicial Branch. We do not pick the projects; it is the responsibility of the State Agency to secure funding. We collaborate with the agency to develop budget and scope for a given project and then lead in the selection of the consultant team and the construction team.
AB: When planning state-level projects, where do things tend to get most complex early on, whether that’s scope, funding, or coordination?
DB: I am not sure “complex” is the right term. Funding can be the biggest challenge as Connecticut has a statewide bonding cap per year and many agencies as well as other entities are competing for the same bond funds. Funding is essentially a two step process. First, the agency has to get the needed project appropriated within a Public Act. The second step is for the funding to be allocated through the Bond Commission. The second step is the one where the annual bonding cap comes into play. From appropriation to allocation can take years and requires coordination between the Executive Branch and the Legislature.
AB: From your perspective, what are the biggest factors that determine whether a project stays on track once it moves into design and construction?
DB: There are many factors that can potentially slow or temporarily derail a project. If the scope or budget changes beyond built-in contingencies, and will require additional allocation of funding, this can seriously delay a project. In the worst case it may require adding funds via supplemental appropriation. Such delays will, by nature, further drive up costs. For this reason it is critical to establish scope and budget accurately at the initiation of a project. Other, less frequent, issues could be a change of ownership of the prime consultant which results in an assignment of contract. That will delay a project. Such changes in ownership happen with some frequency from mergers and acquisitions; consultants should consider maintaining the legacy business entity or avoid the need for assignment while transitioning to the new entity, if possible.
AB: Can you discuss how sustainability is being integrated into state projects today beyond just meeting baseline requirements?
DB: DAS/RECS projects meet the Connecticut High Performance Building Standards (HPBS) which are authored by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP). Currently those regulations are being updated by DEEP. While DAS/RECS waits for the revised HPBS, we have adopted the IgCC for Executive Branch administered projects. In addition we follow executive orders that address building sustainability and decarbonization requirements. Currently, DAS/RECS is developing a decarbonization plan for over 3,000 state owned facilities.
AB: For any AEC firms looking to work on Connecticut state projects, what should they better understand about how your team approaches capital planning and project delivery?
DB: DAS/RECS regularly presents at local industry gatherings to provide the AEC community with insights into future planned work. While we do not prioritize projects as described previously, we actively execute the projects once in hand. Project delivery methodologies are determined on a case by case basis. Typically, we use the design-bid-build method or the construction manager-at risk methodology but occasionally use a design-build approach. For certain solar projects we can execute through the Connecticut GreenBank and the state can take advantage of on-bill financing which will not require project bonding as the construction cost is spread out on the utility bill over time. We encourage the AEC industry to sign up and follow the Connecticut Bid Board (CT Source) to stay abreast of RFQ and RFP solicitations. All of our projects are advertised and open to any qualified respondent.
