Collaborative Project Delivery Model: The Materials Science Building at NTNU Campus

Collaborative delivery models are increasingly used to address persistent challenges in construction projects. This paper examines how a collaborative delivery model functioned in practice within the P2 “Materials Technology” project, part of a major campus development in Trondheim, Norway. The study asks: (1) What were the advantages and challenges of the model in the case project? and (2) How can lessons inform improvements for future projects? Using a qualitative case study approach based on observations, interviews, and document analysis, the findings show that mechanisms such as early contractor involvement, shared target price with risk-sharing, open-book principles, co-location, and ICE sessions supported collaboration. However, vulnerabilities emerged from a lean client organisation, tensions around target price, ambiguities in open-book practice, demanding user involvement, and limited cultural tools. The paper offers practical implications, emphasising the need for sufficient client capacity, clearer roles, robust target price processes, calibrated open-book arrangements, and cultural mechanisms adapted to organisational capacities.