This paper explores the tension between global design practices and local construction challenges in transnational architectural projects, with a focus on Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) developments in selected countries. Over the past two decades, research on “nomadic expertise” and “global experts” has expanded contemporary architectural theory, emphasizing the growing separation of architectural design from its construction due to industrialization and globalization. In this context, managing the design and construction process throughout collaborative practices poses multifaceted challenges. Limited transferability of skills, especially in resource-limited environments, arises from the scale and complexity of contemporary construction projects and the non-site-specific nature of global supply chains. In addressing this complexity, the study employs in-depth case studies investigation of construction projects within the frame of the BRI. It investigates how the global circulation of technologies, expertise, and standards, along-side the evaluation of local conditions, influences design choices in collaborative practices between Chinese architectural and construction firms and their foreign counterparts. In this manner, the study challenges discussions on technological universalism, offering insights into how design firms can navigate the construction of the built environment with pragmatic design and construction practices in complex transnational projects.