Commissioner Thomas Foley of the NYC Department of Design and Construction (DDC) announced that DDC is seeking the architecture and engineering firms that will craft New York City’s next generation of libraries, firehouses, and other public buildings as part of the agency’s Design and Construction Excellence Program. Details of three Requests for Qualifications (RFQs) that the agency plans to issue this summer for architectural, technical and engineering design services are contained in a Notice of Intent (NOI) issued on April 16. Now in its 21st year, the Design and Construction Excellence Program allows DDC to partner with some of the world’s top design firms to deliver extraordinary public buildings on behalf of New Yorkers, emphasizing a holistic approach that pairs quality design with efficient, effective project delivery. DDC’s Design and Construction Excellence program was featured in a discussion at the Center for Architecture on April 21 and with members of nycoba|NOMA at Tonab Architecture on April 28. In partnership with AIANY and nycoba|NOMA, Commissioner Foley and team discussed the program’s legacy and impact, the industry discussions and feedback that have led the agency to continuously improve its program and the changes that will be incorporated into DDC’s upcoming design solicitations. “This is a remarkable opportunity for design firms to shape the landscape of New York City, creating public projects that impact the daily lives of New Yorkers across the five boroughs,” said DDC Commissioner Thomas Foley. “With a $34 billion portfolio of public works, DDC’s projects offer unmatched opportunities for designers, engineers, and others to literally build the city, and we rely on an incredible community of both established and emerging firms to partner with us to deliver this important work.” Far Rockaway Library by Snøhetta (Courtesy NYC DDC) “Since the last round of Design and Construction Excellence solicitations were released in 2020, we’ve collaborated with architects, engineers, and other industry partners to make it easier to work with DDC. We’re reducing delays in the design process, easing the requirements for getting paid, streamlining the process of responding to our solicitations, and using alternate project delivery methods to make partnering with us even more rewarding,” Commissioner Foley continued. “We especially encourage M/WBE firms to respond to our RFQs so we can continue to be responsive to the communities where we build.” “AIA New York applauds DDC for their commitment to meaningful industry engagement this past year, incorporating a number of changes to make working with their team a more streamlined process,” said Jesse Lazar, executive director of American Institute of Architects New York. “We look forward to seeing what the next 20 years of the Design and Construction Excellence Program has in store, shaping the quality of our city’s built environment and public realm.” “Engineers are experts at reimagining and reshaping the built environment, and the Design and Construction Excellence program will enlist some of our industry’s most innovative leaders in designing the public buildings that millions of New Yorkers depend on each and every day, moving us into the future,” said John T. Evers, president and CEO of the American Council of Engineering Companies of New York (ACEC New York). “Public-private partnerships like this one are also critical to creating new economic opportunities for New Yorkers, streamlining the design and construction process and enhancing quality, and we applaud DDC Commissioner Tom Foley and his team for bringing together both industry and government leaders to accomplish one common goal—to make New York City a better place to live, work and build.” East Flatbush Library by LEVENBETTS (Courtesy NYC DDC) History of Design and Construction Excellence Since 2004, DDC has contracted with more than 100 firms and completed more than 300 projects in the Design and Construction Excellence Program. DDC awards professional services contracts through a competitive process using quality-based selection, selecting a pool of vendors who hold contracts for a set period in which they are eligible to receive project assignments. This approach allows DDC to quickly initiate needed projects, saving at least six months of procurement time on each project. In 2016, 26 firms were selected for the program. In March 2022, DDC announced that 20 firms had been contracted for architectural design services in the current round of the Program, including ten M/WBEs. Recent projects completed under Design and Construction Excellence include the 40th Precinct in the South Bronx, the Far Rockaway Library in Queens, East Flatbush Library in Brooklyn, Snug Harbor Cultural Center Music Hall in Staten Island, and the Manhattan Pet Adoption Center. Participating in Design and Construction Excellence The upcoming solicitation will include three separate design services requirements contracts: one for architectural design, one for technical design and another for engineering design. Firms’ eligibility is further subdivided into three categories based on the size of the firm, with larger firms receiving larger projects based on estimated construction cost. For each contract opportunity, DDC will use a two-step, quality-based selection process that prioritizes design, quality, qualifications and experience: In July, DDC will release a Request for Qualifications (RFQ); Firms are encouraged to respond to the agency’s RFQs with a Statement of Qualifications (SOQ). SOQs will be due by mid-August for the Architectural Design Requirements Contract, September for the Technical Design Requirements Contract and October for the Engineering Design Requirements Contracts. To access the RFQs, firms must register in advance through The Mayor’s Office of Contract Services, Procurement and Sourcing Solutions Portal (PASSport); Following evaluation, shortlisted firms will move onto the next stage of the process by responding to a Request for Proposal (RFP). RFPs will be delivered to short-listed proposers by the end of 2025; Firms receiving contracts will receive project assignments on a non-competitive, rotational basis except for projects deemed complex. This two-step process, which is being incorporated for the first time into DDC’s design solicitations, aims to make it easier and less burdensome for firms to apply. In addition, DDC has made several other changes based on feedback from the industry. These include redefining the firm size categories to align with AIA definitions, expanding the project opportunities for which each firm size is eligible, and using simple forms to ease the process of submitting SOQs and proposals. As DDC expands its Alternative Delivery program under new State authorization, selected firms will participate in both design-bid-build projects and Construction Manager-Build (CM-Build). DDC’s Design-Build opportunities are solicited separately on a project-by-project basis. These opportunities are described in further detail on DDC’s website under “Work with DDC.” Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (M/WBEs) DDC is one of the leading agencies for contract awards to M/WBE firms, and a major goal of the agency is to partner with qualified firms that have a demonstrated history of hiring, training, developing, promoting and retaining minority and women staff, and to encourage participation by City- and State-certified M/WBE firms. Eligible firms are encouraged to become certified, and/or to get their eligible trade partners certified, well in advance of SOQ submission. To learn more about how eligible firms can become certified as an M/WBE, please visit: https://www.nyc.gov/assets/mwbe. How to Work With DDC To work with DDC, vendors are encouraged to review and register with the Citywide systems linked below. All solicitations are conducted via a centralized, Citywide system managed by the Mayor’s Office of Contract Services (MOCS). PASSPort: All DDC solicitations are released through New York City’s online procurement platform, PASSPort. Registration in PASSPort is required to search and respond to solicitations. City Record: All solicitations and notice of contract awards are also published online in the City Record. Vendors can register with the City Record to receive email notifications. Checkbook NYC: A public record of existing DDC and City contracts is available on Checkbook NYC, which is hosted by the New York City Comptroller’s Office. DDC Anywhere: Current contract holders and those anticipating a contract award are encouraged to register for DDC Anywhere to access the agency’s centralized online resource for the design and construction process.