The History of Design-Build - Design-Build for Water and Wastewater Projects - page 3

performance. Fortunately, DB allows for positive motivators and incentives that foster
success.
The Code of Hammurabi: Laws Governing Construction
The Code of Hammurabi is a set of laws carved into stone that codified the governance of
the Babylonian Empire under King Hammurabi. The stone is beautifully embossed with
a carving of the God of Justice, Shamash, granting Hammurabi authority to issue laws.
To a great extent, Hammurabi's laws were oriented toward taxation and control of
fractious populations; however, one section specifically addresses design and construction
and deals with topics that still cause concern today—fair prices and quality of work. For
example, one part of the law establishes fair prices: “If a builder builds a house for some-
one and completes it, he shall give him a fee of two shekels in money for each sar (unit) of
surface.” Another part establishes quality in performance: “If a builder builds a house for
someone, and does not construct it properly, and the house which he built falls in and kills
its owner, then that builder shall be put to death.” Although these were only a few laws
for design and construction, they represent the first attempt at developing an enforceable
legal code for the industry.
Interestingly, the code presumes the use of DB for design and construction in that
it does not distinguish between the responsibilities of the designer and the construc-
tor, assuming them to be the same person. It is likely that the designs of the day had
been developed over time through trial and error, which resulted in generally accepted
standards.
The Middle Ages: Qualifications and Teams
During Roman times, the architect and engineer, Vitruvius, wrote a collection of ten
topics that served as the standard for design and construction for centuries. As with Ham-
murabi, the assumption was made that the designer and the constructor were one and the
same person. For an extended period of time after the fall of Rome, there was limited
experimentation with new design methods or means of construction. Over time, however,
new designs began to develop as well as new construction methods. In addition, during
the Middle Ages, growth of the guild system fostered collaborative design and construc-
tion activities, as well as reward systems in the workplace.
There were dozens of guild associations of craftsmen organized into something that
is a cross between a modern trade union, a cartel, and a secret society. They were typically
granted “letters of patent” by their government, which gave them authority to control the
flow of trade to their members, to retain ownership of tools, and to manipulate the sup-
ply of materials. Operating together, these guilds were powerful organizations that con-
trolled the quality of their products and services and ensured that work flowed smoothly
between the various guilds working on a project.
Filippo Brunelleschi of Florence, Italy, was the foremost architect and engineer of
the early Renaissance; he was also the archetypical design-builder of the time. He was a
leader in the movement away from Gothic architecture and back to more classical Roman-
esque forms and is most famous for his construction of the church dome for Santa Maria
del Fiore, beginning in 1420. He worked from a previously prepared conceptual design