4 min read
Communication - The Heart of Specifications
Just who are specifications written for? The Architect? The Owner? Neither! In order of importance, I profess that specifications are written for the...
Architect (4)
3 min read
Why are Specs So Long?
It seems a relatively simple building. There are only 50 drawings. So why are the specifications 800 pages? It does seem absurd. Let's take a...
3 min read
Why are Preliminary Project Descriptions (PPDs) Important?
Short Answer: PPDs document the architect's intended project quality.
2 min read
Architect - What's in a title?
Several discussions about architectural licensing and use of the term "Architect" started recently on blog posts (See Liz O'Sullivan's blog) and on...
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2 min read
How Can Owners Protect Their Interests?
Building owners contract with architects, contractors, design-builders, or integrated project delivery (IPD) teams to create the owners' facilities....
2 min read
What Should I Look for During Submittal Review?
An architect recently asked that I give an opinion about a shop drawing and what was actually installed on a project site. The installation was...
2 min read
Whose intent is this anyway?
David Bishton, RA, CSI, CCS, CCCA, as Southwest Region CSI Editor, asks: "But how the heck does a contractor or supplier or installer of materials...
1 min read
Delegated Design, Concept of Delegated Design: Where is the architect?
The concept of delegated design is not new. Architects have passed some design responsibility to contractors for a long time. A classic example is...
1 min read
Order of Precedence or Interpretation Request
Consultant specifications delivered to architects for inclusion in project manuals can produce some interesting coordination issues, especially when...