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Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners Resource Guide Collection

2023-2024 Grant Round: Planning & Design Phase: Design Team

Design Team

The Players
Your Design Team should be lean and mean. It should include:

The Library Director
The director is the only one on the team with solid working knowledge of library operations in your community.

Two Key Members of the Building Committee
When choosing members from the Building Committee, look for people who are experienced with building projects and who have plenty of time and flexibility. People with construction, legal or financial knowledge can be very helpful.

The Owner's Project Manager
The OPM is required by state law for any project over $1.5 million and must be selected according to state procurement regulations. The OPM's job is to represent the library's interests in all facets of the project, including:

  • Managing meetings
  • Helping to evaluate architectural firms
  • Negotiating contracts
  • Monitoring timelines
  • Handling invoices & payments
  • Resolving site and design issues
  • Coordinating communication

For more information about the role of an OPM, listen to "The Role of an OPM," an episode from our Building Literacy podcast.

The Architect
The architect must be selected according to state Designer Selection Laws & Regulations. You will start off with the Principal Architect. Usually a partner in the firm, s/he will be heavily involved in the design and the beginning stages of design development. Once Design Development begins, a different architect in the firm -- the Project Architect -- will often take over the day-to-day work on the project.