Wednesday, November 18, 2026 from 7:30 AM to 9:30 AM PST
Location: Bell Harbor Conference Center, Harbor Room
2211 Alaskan Wy, Seattle, WA 98121
How the first phase of Progressive Design-Build sets the ceiling for everything that follows This session examines the validation phase and why the work completed here determines the trajectory of a Progressive Design-Build project. Validation confirms that program, budget, schedule, and risk align before the team commits to full design. Influence over cost and function peaks during this window while the cost of change remains at its lowest, which makes validation the most efficient place on the project to make or revisit a decision.
Drawing on owner, design-builder, and architect perspectives, the panel walks through what they do first when validation begins, what they wish they had known earlier, what teams routinely overlook, and what happens when the program exceeds available funding. Attendees will gain practical guidance on establishing a defensible scope, budget, and schedule baseline, documenting assumptions that hold up later, and producing a Validation Report the owner and the team can rely on through design and construction.
Join us for a candid discussion of the practices, lessons learned, and decisions that make validation the foundation of a successful project.