Architects are obligated to protect the public as a primary duty, but not the only duty. We wrote about architects having a fiduciary duty to the owner and the owners' right to have trust and confidence in their specifiers. All these duties exist..
Protecting the Public via Fiduciary Duty
by David Stutzman | Nov 19, 2018 | Design, Fiduciary Duty, Informed Consent, Professional Conduct, Professional Practice, Specifications
What Is Conspectus's Approach to Fiduciary Duty?
by David Stutzman | Nov 13, 2018 | contract documents, Design, Fiduciary Duty, Architect, Specifications
New and Different
The industry is changing. The emerging revolution is that licensed architects and engineers owe a fiduciary duty to owners. This change will have dramatic effect on communications and documentation between design teams (including..
Architecture Degree - What is it good for?
by Elias Saltz | May 10, 2018 | AIA, Design, Education, Professional Practice, Architect, Specifications, Specifier, specifying
A Twitter discussion broke out recently after Paul Gerber posted this tweet in response to AIA tweeting a November, 2016 article by Ariana Zilliacus on ArchDaily entitled, "21 Careers You Can Pursue With a Degree in Architecture."
Feeding Your Specifier (and Project Team)
by David Stutzman | Oct 6, 2014 | contract documents, Design, Design Considerations, Professional Practice, Progress Documents, Specifications
What is it that your specifier really needs? There was, once upon a time, an easy explanation. Just give me a set of drawings that you would turn in for your architectural licensing exam. For anyone that took the exam when it included a 12-hour design..
Before Design Begins
by David Stutzman | Apr 1, 2013 | Budget, CSI, Design, Design Considerations, Envelope, OPR, PPD, PPDFormat, Preliminary Project Descriptions (PPD), Professional Practice
An idea is formed. A new product or service is required. A need for a building emerges. What is the next step - a napkin concept sketch of a building form?
Solar Arrays and Net Zero Buildings
by David Stutzman | Mar 25, 2013 | AC power, DC power, Design, Design Considerations, Division 13, Photovoltaics, Product Applications, Net Zero, Specifications, Sustainable Design
I attended a presentation on an office building designed to meet the Living Building Challenge. One of the design concepts was to achieve net zero energy (metered) for the completed design. This means that the metered power sent to the utility grid from..
Practical Learning You Can Put to Use Today
by David Stutzman | Feb 18, 2013 | BIM, Construction, Construction Administration, CSI, CSI Academies, Design, IPD, PPDFormat, Preliminary Project Descriptions (PPD), Professional Practice, Rosetta Stone, Specifications, Specifier
The CSI Academies brought expert instructors and students together, a total of about 140 individuals, for 13 hours of advanced education and learning over 3 days. The program was arranged in three tracks: Construction Specifier, Product Representative,..
Why are Preliminary Project Descriptions (PPDs) Important?
by David Stutzman | Dec 31, 2012 | Construction, Design, Design Considerations, Designer, Drawings, Estimate, Estimator, PPD, Preliminary Project Descriptions (PPD), Professional Practice, Architect, VE
Short Answer: PPDs document the architect's intended project quality.
Multipurpose Design Documents
by David Stutzman | Oct 15, 2012 | agreement, AIA, contract documents, CSI, Design, Design Considerations, Drawings, outline spec, Outline Specs, Specifications, SpecText
What documents are architects obligated to produce? The obvious answer may be drawings, of course, to show what design must be constructed. Under AIA Owner-Architect Agreement documents, in addition to drawings, the architect must produce outline..
Specifying the Architect's Intent
by David Stutzman | Sep 24, 2012 | CONSTRUCT, Construction Administration, CSI, Design, Design Considerations, Presentations, Professional Practice, Architect, Specifications, work results
Can it be done? Should we even try? Absolutely!