Copenhagen

17 November at 8.00 - 18 November at 16.00

Ambitious Architecture within budget

Modern buildings such as museums, foundation-funded new constructions, and stadiums are expected to do everything at once – and still be iconic. In this event, we share our experience with how early involvement of the contractor – what we call Integrated Construction – can help align ambitious visions with tight budgets. You will gain practical insights, concrete advice, and background material that you can start using right away, whether you are working on complex building projects or preparing for the specially invited masterclass linked to this event.

Integrated Construction Masterclass: Why Early Involvement Works – and What It Demands

Ambitious cultural and experience-focused buildings often hinge on a few bold ideas: a signature façade, a dramatic exhibition or assembly space, a complex roof structure. These are also the elements that are hardest to price, design and build. In a traditional tender, the project is designed first and only then sent to contractors. Too often, this is when you discover that the iconic idea does not fit the budget – at a point where the design is already locked in and costly to change.

This masterclass explores a different approach: early contractor involvement and integrated construction. When you bring the contractor into the process early, the most challenging design moves can be developed in step with the rest of the project. The contractor’s insight into cost and buildability helps shape the design before the budget is committed. Research, including several McKinsey studies, shows that collaborative contracting can on average improve both time and cost by 15–20% compared to traditional contract models (see links below). There are, of course, also challenges – no roses without thorns. This course is about understanding both the potential and the pitfalls, and how to handle them in practice. [0]

Who Is This Masterclass For?

This two-day programme is designed for clients, project owners and decision-makers in organisations that work with complex, experience-driven construction – for example institutions, foundations or project organisations established specifically for a single build. These are organisations that may build infrequently, where major decisions often need to pass a board or steering committee, and where unclear mandates can turn small issues into big problems.

If you are preparing for your first project using an integrated construction model, or you are considering early contractor involvement but are unsure how to structure agreements and collaboration, this masterclass will give you a solid foundation and concrete tools to move forward with confidence. [0]

What You Will Learn

Across two intensive days, we create time and space to go in depth with what truly determines whether collaboration between client, contractor and consultants succeeds. You will work with:

Why early involvement works – and the mechanisms that create better outcomes for time, cost and quality in integrated construction. [0]
The special type of decisiveness required from the client – how to make robust decisions about issues that may only materialise later, for example when the contractor finds the budget too tight while the consultant insists it will hold. Who do you trust, and how do you act? [0]
Governance in organisations that build rarely – how to handle situations where every major decision needs board approval, and how to avoid paralysis when mandates are unclear. [0]
Keeping it simple – why complexity in contracts and collaboration structures costs focus and energy, and how to start from clear project success criteria rather than legal fine print. You will learn to add complexity only where you can clearly articulate what it gives, what it costs, and what it demands of you. Sometimes a few simple mechanisms are enough. [0]
What integrated work demands of your organisation – roles, responsibilities and internal capabilities needed to work effectively with integrated construction and early contractor involvement. [0]
Managing the economy without a fixed contract sum – principles, methods and practical approaches to steering finances when you enter into agreements before the final price is known. [0]
Methods that work – and those that do not – based on extensive experience from real projects, you will see which approaches to collaboration and contract design actually deliver value in practice. [0]

Format: Two Days of Teaching, Dialogue and Real Cases

The masterclass combines focused teaching with structured dialogue and peer exchange. The aim is not only to give you knowledge, but also to connect it directly to your own challenges and decisions. [0]

Blended format: A mix of presentations and thematic discussions, so you can share experiences with other participants and see how different organisations approach similar issues. [0]
Daily Q&A sessions: Each day includes a dedicated question session. We collect your questions in advance to ensure that the issues most important to you are addressed thoroughly. [0]
Concrete cases from real projects: You will work with selected elements from actual agreements and tender documents from completed projects, so you can see how principles are translated into practice. [0]

By the end of the masterclass, you will have enough insight and practical tools to assess which of your upcoming projects are suitable for integrated construction – and how to design agreements and frameworks that do not make collaboration unnecessarily complicated for the parties involved. [0]

Your Instructors

The masterclass is taught by two of Molt Wengel’s own specialists – not external guest lecturers. This is deliberate: you learn directly from people who have themselves stood in the projects and helped develop the model. [0]

Anders Jost Buch – lawyer and PhD, who has been part of developing Molt Wengel’s Integrated Construction model. [0]
Camilla Faber Klausen – Master of Laws and Head of Procurement and Collaboration Design. Tendering and collaboration design are at the core of Integrated Construction. [0]

Together, they have advised on more than 100 projects with early contractor involvement. This accumulated experience is the foundation of the masterclass. [0]

Practical Information

Format: Two-day in-person masterclass. [0]
Dates: 17–18 November. [0]
Location: Molt Wengel, Dampfærgevej 27–29, 4th floor, 2100 Copenhagen Ø. [0]
Group size: 12–15 participants, to ensure space for dialogue and individual input. If interest is high, an additional class will be scheduled. [0]
Price: No participation fee. [0]

Want to Dive Deeper?

If you would like to explore the topic further – whether or not you join the masterclass – you can find more background material here: [0]

McKinsey on the benefits of collaborative contracting – read more here and here. [0]
Værdibyg’s guide “Projektudvikling med tidlig entreprenørinddragelse”, with concrete appendices and examples of contract frameworks – available (in Danish) here. [0]
Molt Wengel’s page on Integrated Construction (in Danish) – read more here. [0]