First, for comparison with other professions per se, here is a definition from Business Dictionary that is applicable to professional disciplines: “Ethical or legal duty of a professional to exercise the level of care, diligence, and skill prescribed in the code of practice…
Blog Archives
The Challenges of In-House QC Review of Construction Documents
According to a recent insurance publication, approximately half of the claims brought against architects are triggered by design errors and are related to a lack of procedures to identify conflicts, errors, and omissions in design documents. In other words, QC…
The Purpose of Construction Documents
It may seem silly to suggest there could be any doubt about the purpose of construction documents, for surely they are supposed to document what is to be constructed. However, the underlying purpose is to document and convey design intent…
The Importance of Coordination in Architecture and Engineering Work
Professional liability insurance companies repeatedly report that coordination issues are a major cause of legal claims against design professionals. A Merriam-Webster definition of coordination includes the following: 1) the process of organizing people or groups so that they work together…
Planning Construction Site Visits
Construction activities and materials change with stages of construction, so it is useful to consider the activities and products you should expect to see on a given site visit before you go. If, like most construction administrators, your job is…
Spec Writer = Information Manager
A comment from Sheldon Wolfe RA, FCSI, CCS, CCCA, CSC on The Role of the Spec Writer got me thinking about how, in today’s world of design and construction, the spec writer really is an information manager. Although spec writers…
The Rise of Manufactured Systems in Architectural Design
One of the many things that have changed in the practice of architecture during the last 50 years is our dependence on manufactured building systems. Architectural education and training 50 years ago included the detailed design of components like windows,…
The Role of the Spec Writer
Reading recent grumblings by specifications (spec) consultants, I started thinking back over the roles of the spec writers at firms where I have worked since I began my architectural career in the 1960s. Spec writing and related technologies have changed…
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…
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…
