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What is THE CSI® Format?
I was negotiating the scope of work for writing landscape specifications. Our client sent a comment from the architect...
Uniformat
Uniformat describes a project in terms of the systems and assemblies that perform critical functions — substructure, shell, interiors, and services for example — enabling exploration and assessment of the cost and functionality of design options early in a project.
MasterFormat
MasterFormat organizes data about construction requirements, products, and activities by “work results” and enables communication among designers, specifiers, contractors, and suppliers as they work to meet owner’s requirements, timelines, and budgets.
Design Narrative
The design narrative tells the story of how a particular design will meet the owner’s requirements. It describes a building’s purpose and functionality, often offering insight about finishes, materials, and systems that will be required.
Outline Specification
An outline specification is an itemized list, using brief, concise statements, of significant materials, systems, and equipment and their criteria and levels of quality.
(Source: AIA and CSI)
Construction Specification
A part of the contract documents, construction specifications consist of “the written requirements for materials, equipment, systems, standards, and workmanship for the work and performance of related services.”
(Source: AIA)
Closing the Gaps
The disjointed traditional process approach is riddled with risk-prone information gaps. The Conspectus approach, a seamless continuum of documentation, closes these gaps. The following are the gaps with greatest risk.
(Source: AIA)
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Design Process Gaps
Without a continuously updated record of the who, what, and why of design decisions, the design documentation becomes obsolete and disjointed. As a result, the team often duplicates effort and revisits decisions already made.
(Source: AIA)
Documentation Gaps
Serious information gaps result when outline specs differ from the design narrative and construction specs can differ from outline specs with no record of the rationale for the differences. This can result in scope and cost creep, value engineering, and continuous cost escalation.
Owner Operations Gaps
An owner’s ability to manage and maintain a completed building efficiently can be seriously compromised when errors or disconnects in documentation, which can occur at any project phase, result in incomplete or inaccurate design data, performance data, construction records, and operating information.
Construction Specifications and Documentation
Our Solution
Making this dynamic information resource accessible to all stakeholders — owners, architects, design-builders, and construction managers — gives them a clear, consistent, and continuously updated understanding of the impact of design decisions and enables them to contribute to the decision-making process.
This transparent, collaborative approach results in more fully informed decisions during design and construction and provides critical guidance to owners for operating and maintaining their assets.
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Conspectus Resources
At Conspectus, we help our clients and colleagues stay up to date on developments and trends that impact construction specifications by providing relevant, expert resources such as the Published Articles, Podcasts, Tech Tips, and more.
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