Chris Lanzisera
Vice president, Suffolk Illuminate
Age: 46
Industry experience: 22 years
Suffolk Construction is expanding its in-house team of architects and engineers to bring design expertise to its Suffolk Illuminate design-build division, which provides architectural services to clients that are using Suffolk as construction manager. The division has participated in approximately 60 projects since its founding in late 2020 and is expanding to nearly 20 employees. Suffolk Illuminate Vice President Chris Lanzisera’s career has bridged the worlds of architecture and development. A graduate of Princeton University’s master of architecture program, Lanzisera worked as a regional vice president of design services for Hyatt Hotels Corp. and oversaw design and development for The Irvine Co. before joining Suffolk Illuminate in 2020.
Q: What were the perceived needs in the construction industry that Suffolk Illuminate was founded to address?
A: Today’s design and construction industry is really pretty fragmented. Often design teams produce truly wonderful designs, but they don’t have the benefit of direct access to builders’ information on things like cost, construction best practices, schedule and procurement insights. And when that happens, the result can be over-budget design and drawings that don’t have the right information to build their buildings efficiently. That’s why [Suffolk CEO] John Fish founded Suffolk Illuminate to bridge that gap between design and construction. We have a way to touch the entire building cycle all the way from design and preconstruction to construction and even helping owners as they own and manage the properties. We really work on projects that are complex and those that have constraints on schedule and budget. The earlier you can be part of the decision-making, the more opportunities you’re going to have to drive successful results. The configuration and geometry of the building are decisions you make early in the design process, but they have a cascading impact on your ability to manage costs.
Q: When you talk about projects with constraints on schedule, that would include higher ed projects that take place during breaks?
A: Exactly. One of the big advantages of a design-build arrangement is that we can plan together as a builder and think through the sequencing. We can work closely with the designer to procure the right material systems early in the design phase, so we can hit key milestones and get equipment at just the right times.
Q: How does the design-build arrangement reallocate risk?
A: One of the unique differences between design-build and more traditional project delivery is that the team is contracted by the builder instead of by the owner entity. So with an integrated builder and design team, we can offer significant predictability by committing to costs and schedules and scope early on. It generally does shift risk onto the builder, but if projects are set up properly and the entire team is on board, it’s a win-win for all. Another big advantage is you really set up a single point of contact for the client and that makes the decision process really quick.
Q: What are the key technology roles in the design-build platform?
A: Suffolk has made large investments in our data platforms internally, and we have built for ourselves as a company an incredible pool of data surrounding our construction practices. This has enabled us to make better forecasts where they may likely be issues on a particular project. We can get ahead of it before it becomes a value engineering problem.
Q: How did the designs evolve at one of Suffolk Illuminates’ current projects for Cape Cod Healthcare?
A: The project is an oncology center and surgery center expansion and addition. It is a super special project for us, in part because the hospital has been such a participant in the design process. The hospital started with a great project vision that was unfortunately out of reach financially. As a project team, we rolled up our sleeves and evaluated options for the best fit, program costs and constructability issues. You’re looking at some tough decisions and it wasn’t possible to deliver every component within the available funds, but when you have a design team that’s able to rapidly iterate the solutions with the construction team, you are able to deliver projects that are meaningful.
Lanzisera’s Five Favorite Buildings:
- Boston Public Library – Charles Follen McKim (McKim Meade and White)
- Lever House, New York – Gordon Bunshaft (SOM)
- Milam Residence, Florida – Paul Rudolph
- Kimball Museum, Texas – Louis Kahn
- Hollyhock House, California – Frank Lloyd Wright
