In my recent post, When Specifiers Engage in Magical Thinking, I described what happens when aspecifier believes that putting more instructions into a specification willmake for a better outcome. Never mindwhether or not those instructions were..
Magical Thinking in Specifications - Part 2
by Elias Saltz | May 20, 2019 | Bad Specs, Drawings, Professional Practice, Architecture, Specifications
Construction Document Quality Crisis
by David Stutzman | Apr 20, 2018 | contract documents, Drawings, QA review, Quality Assurance, Specifications
This paper was first presented by Louis Medcalf, FCSI, CCS, SCIP and David Stutzman, AIA, CSI, CCS, SCIP at the National Institute of Building Sciences BEST 5 triennial national conference in Philadelphia, PA April 16, 2018.
PPDs Can Enhance Renderings' Utility
by Elias Saltz | Mar 20, 2018 | BIM, Drawings, PPD, Preliminary Project Descriptions (PPD), Professional Practice, Architect, Specifications
Image courtesy FXCollaborative Architects LLP
Evaluating Information Sources
by Elias Saltz | Mar 8, 2018 | Code Requirements, contract documents, CSI, Drawings, information sources, Professional Practice, publications, Specifications
Architects and specifiers alike face significant and continuous challenges when it comes to identifying and validating reliable information about construction products. Using an incorrect product for an application can lead to significant failure, and..
Properly Written Specs Can Help You Avoid Awkward Conversations
by Elias Saltz | Jan 29, 2018 | contract documents, Coordination, Drawings, Professional Practice, Quality Assurance, Specifications
Imagine you're a project architect and you're nearing completion of CD's. For half a year, you've been neck-deep in the project meetings, made myriad decisions large and small, and are intimately knowledgeable of the design intention and you know all of..
Linking BIM and Specs with Keynotes
by David Stutzman | Sep 13, 2015 | BIM, Construction Administration, contract documents, Coordination, Design Considerations, Drawings, keynote, Quality Assurance, Specifications
Coordination, coordination, coordination! The better construction documents are coordinated, the better the outcome for the owner - not to mention the design and construction teams. Imagine the perfect set of construction documents: no bidder's..
Front Line Quality Assurance
by David Stutzman | Jul 6, 2015 | contract documents, Design Considerations, Drawings, Professional Practice, QA review, Quality Assurance, Specifications
When does quality assurance begin during the design process for a construction project? Often formal document review may be planned for those last few weeks before the construction documents are completed. Sometimes reviews are planned before each design..
Aren't Specs Contract Documents?
by David Stutzman | Jun 8, 2015 | Budget, contract documents, Drawings, Professional Practice, Quality Assurance, Architect, Specifications
What statements below do you believe to be true?
Specifying Design-Assist - How?
by David Stutzman | Sep 15, 2014 | B2010, bidding, contract documents, Design Considerations, Division 08, Drawings, MasterFormat, PPD, Preliminary Project Descriptions (PPD), Professional Practice, Specifications, UniFormat
It's a process, not just technical requirements. During design-assist, the architect of record, asks the contractor (usually a specialty subcontractor) to help develop system details and confirm system performance to meet project requirements. Typically..
Construction Documents - a Development Dichotomy
by David Stutzman | May 5, 2014 | BIM, contract documents, Drawings, Professional Practice, Specifications
Architects and engineers are required to produce drawings and specifications as construction documents. The documents are developed throughout the design process - Schematic Design, Design Development, and Construction Documents. But the process for..
