When preliminary isn't preliminary.
In this episode of What a Week, Dave Stutzman, Elias Saltz, and Steve Gantner dive deep into the power of Uniformat-based System and Performance Descriptions (SPDs)—what CSI calls Preliminary Project Descriptions (PPDs). The team reflects on a recent conversation with Chicago-based Solomon Cordwell Buenz (SCB), who have been using PPDs since 2014, and compare SCB’s “master document” approach with Conspectus’ method of building each SPD from a clean slate.
They unpack how adding elements like basis of design, references, history, and alternatives strengthens decision-making, avoids costly rework, and preserves the project record across rotating teams. The conversation highlights the benefits of tying Uniformat systems to MasterFormat sections, the risks of pushing specs too early, and how SPDs can streamline pricing, coordination, and owner approvals.
The episode closes with a provocative idea: what if a Uniformat-based SPD became the single project document, start to finish? With fewer RFIs, slimmer spec sets, and a clearer trail of decisions, the team makes the case for embracing SPDs as more than “preliminary”—they can be the backbone of an entire project.
Elias Saltz, Steve Gantner, David Stutzman
