Owner’s Project Requirements Document: How Commissioning Can Clarify Owner Vision and Drive Project Quality

Abstract:

The Owner’s Project Requirement Document (OPR) is a critical document in construction and renovation projects. It serves as a foundation for the design and construction process, and provides a clear understanding of the project goals, objectives and requirements. Despite its importance, the OPR is often overlooked or confused with other design documents, and owners may question its value.

However, there are benefits to be gained in taking the time to assemble the relevant design information into the OPR as an expression of the owner’s vision of the project. The goal of the presentation is to lay out a path for distilling the essential project design information into a comprehensive document that helps the owner share their vision with the design team and commissioning team to bring clarity, reduce rework, and drive better project outcomes.

Learning Outcomes:

·     Recognize the role of an Owner’s Project Requirements (OPR) document in organizing essential project design information

·     Describe what information an OPR needs to contain and how it differs from related design documents such as the Architectural Design Program, Basis of Design, and Engineering Design Narrative

·     List common sources and strategies for gathering the required information

·     Demonstrate how to organize and assemble information into the OPR to clearly express the  owner’s design intent