Specifications occasionally include unintended contradictions, and in some instances they are related to schedule. Not long ago, I reviewed a specification for roofing that included a requirement for a particular “ice and water shield” product and allowed no substitutions. The…
Blog Archives
Interdisciplinary Coordination of Construction Documents
Gaps between design disciplines are a common cause of construction change orders. In some cases, the consulting disciplines’ standard practices may generate a gap. For example, the electrical engineer may establish an electrical scope of work that “stops” 10 feet…
Bidders Trust Bid Documents for Take-off
Estimating quantities from a set of plans prepared by another architect reminds me that bidders are likely to rely on the accuracy of the drawings when preparing a take-off for a bid. If the drawings are inconsistent or include discrepancies,…
Noisy Lessons
Reading an article on acoustics in the July 2012 issue of The Construction Specifier reminded me of a number of useful lessons learned in the process of designing and administering public school construction projects. Here is one: Basic Acoustical Treatment…
Breaking Ground with New Consultants
It can take a few projects to work out the communication kinks with a team of consultants. Consultants who have worked together and with the same team are likely to develop a good understanding of what to expect from other…
Posted in Practice Management, Project Management
Code Talk: Challenges for Architects
Most of the architects I have known are not comfortable with codes. They want to comply with applicable codes, but they find them confusing, tedious, contradictory, or even frightening. Codes are always being revised or superseded. It takes time to…
Planning a Phased School Renovation and Expansion
School renovation and expansion projects are commonly related to overcrowding and/or obsolete facilities. Construction in phases may be the only choice when school operations must continue in the same building or on the same site during renovations and expansion. Phasing…
A Few Predictors of Building Failure in New Construction
The following suggested predictors of building failure in new construction are based on years of experience tracing building failures to their causes. While the failures may express themselves as discrete detail flaws, underlying causes are often found in contractual decision…
Planning for Concealed Site Conditions
Discovery of concealed site conditions can raise havoc with a project, possibly disrupting the construction schedule and adversely impacting the project budget. Here’s a link to an article I wrote a few years ago to share some of my experience…
Delegating for Architects
Project results are directly related to the effectiveness of project communications. Successful delegation of responsibilities and tasks depends on effective communication. Download “Delegating for Architects” to read more about this. Copyright Albert R. Russell 2009
