First published at Young Architects Forum Connection 16.01.

Technology provides a means to connect data. Standards provide the organizations that make the data connections meaningful.

Construction specifications contain data, lots of data. These data must be easily found by the hundreds of individuals involved in any construction project - not just the architect and contractor, but the subcontractors, materials distributors,..

It's linear - just like design! Start at the beginning and finish at the end. Straight line. No sidesteps. No circling back. No changed minds. Smooth sailing start to finish.

As a consultant to architects, primarily, we must react to schedules set by someone else. It may be the owner, architect, construction manager, or contractor. We never have any say in the project schedule, but are responsible for meeting all the..

Building design starts with a concept, a sketch at a macro scale. At the first stroke of the designer's hand, there is no concern for concrete strength, nor concrete as a building material. The initial sketch may be a simple massing study to determine..

A very good question. By searches on this blog, it is one question that definitely wants to be answered. Something must be necessary, but is it really an outline specification?

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..

I received the specification shown below from a friend, an independent manufacturer's representative today. Yes this is the total expansion control spec. And a Construction Manager is soliciting budgets from subcontractors and materials suppliers for the..

What do you use to describe your design projects? Will owners, lenders, estimators and others understand the design intent? Traditional methods rely on design narratives and outline specs to supplement drawings. Each design team develops their own method..