Join our team at the upcoming Lean in Design Forum in Chicago. Senior Associate and Healthcare Leader, Ned McKnight, AIA, NCARB, will present a session titled “Big Room Magic: Choosing by Advantages in Design.”

Ned will be accompanied by Fernando Rivas, Senior VDC Manager at McCarthy and Scott Carfi, Project Director at McCarthy.

In this session, they will share a design process story where Lean thinking and collaborative teamwork intersect to overcome a complex exterior skin selection challenge. Using the Choosing by Advantages tool, the team methodically evaluated exterior skin systems and finish materials to ensure every decision maximized value while staying within budget constraints.

At the same time, they will highlight a moment of Big Room Magic – an “aha” moment in Integrated Project Delivery – where the design and construction estimating teams worked side by side in the Big Room. This dynamic, real-time collaboration enabled rapid design adjustments, cost alignment with design intent, and ultimately, the seamless production of shop drawings and a well-coordinated field installation.

Learning objectives include:

• Applying the CBA tool to drive objective, value-driven design decisions.
• Harnessing real-time cross-disciplinary collaboration to accelerate decision-making, lock in costs, and mitigate project risks.
• Leveraging BIM software for rapid iterations, improved communication, and confidence in design performance.

Their session will be held on the last day of the conference, Thursday, May 1 from 3:00–3:45 PM.