Recently, I had the pleasure and honor of delivering a 1-hour HSW continuing education presentation on “Learning from Building Envelope Failures” to the Vermont 2014 ACX, a collaborative event organized by Vermont Chapter CSI and AIA Vermont. The presentation included…
Blog Archives
The Devil in the Details: Installation of Vinyl Composition Tile
When we think of the “Devil in the Details”, we may think mostly of drawing details, but there are other types of details that can affect a project. The following situation illustrates the importance of installation details to the quality…
Posted in Construction Administration, Specifications
In-House Design Project Management and Communication
Many years ago I was part of the 11th hour construction documents staff that was added to a hospital renovation design team to meet an out-to-bid deadline. The project, then internally behind schedule, had not been well organized or adequately…
Constructability Reviews: From The Ground Up
The Whole Building Design Guide (a program of the National Institute of Building Sciences) has published an informative guide to constructability reviews: Performing Efficient and Effective Constructability Reviews by Jason G. Smith. Smith’s Top Five Rules for constructability reviews include…
Design-Build Risks for Architects
When an architect is a sub to a contractor leading a Design-Build team, the architect’s primary allegiance is typically to the contractor and not to the owner. The Design-Build contractor is likely to control the architect’s scope of services and…
SIP Building Performance Depends on Effective Moisture Management
Structural Insulated Panels (SIP) have enjoyed growing popularity as interest in building energy conservation has increased. With its large, prefabricated, factory insulated panels, SIP construction offers nearly continuous insulation, fewer joints than conventional frame construction with stud-cavity insulation, and possibly…
QA and QC inform each other
Until I recently studied for the CDT exam*, I had considered QA (Quality Assurance) and QC (Quality Control) as synonymous – the same thing with different names. They are different, but they are closely related. Considering construction, QA establishes the…
Using Continuous Rigid Insulation to Solve a Roof Ice Problem
This Vermont church roof (top photo) suffered from ice build-up, leaks, and giant icicles below the eaves of the relatively new sanctuary roof. The original intent for construction of the sanctuary roof was a ‘dropped’ cathedral ceiling with fiberglass…
Designing a Low-Slope Roof to Drain
Low slope roofs or “flat” roofs, as they are sometimes called, typically have single-ply membrane or multi-layer “built-up” roof systems. Although one or more manufacturers offer warrantees for membranes installed with no slope (dead level), the 2009 IBC (International Building…
Posted in Construction Documents
Who Should Answer This Question?
Architects are faced with questions all the time. Clients ask questions. Consultants ask questions. Contractors and subcontractors ask questions. The list goes on. Architects generally want to be helpful, they like to be asked questions, and they want to have…
