Back-to-School Symposium:

Construction Administration for Design Professionals

“Design Professional Duties During Construction Contract Administration”

Learning Objectives

After attendance at this Program, the Participant will know and understand:

     1. The importance of the Architect’s Construction Contract Administration to the Design Process

     2. The difference between Construction Contract Administration and Construction Management and the importance of the client’s recognition of the difference in scope of service.

     3. Striking the proper balance in Design-Bid-Build Delivery during Construction Administration.

     4. Best Practices in Conducting the Architect’s Construction Administration Observation Visits and other Construction Phase services.

     5. The Importance of Communications, Record Keeping and use of same to minimize claims in CA.

 Course Description

This program of instruction is designed to provide a new and fresh perspective of the Architects’ Construction Administration (CA) services. For many years, the architect has been all too willing to acquiesce in their role as the person best in a position to understand the design and take active steps to see that it is brought to reality by the contractor. Often this role is handed off to a construction manager or the Owner’s project representative thereby losing for the architect the opportunity to have a more direct role in interpreting and enforcing the design it created.

The program starts with an examination of the contractual requirements of Construction Administration and a comparison of CA to other forms of Construction Phase services such as Construction Management, Project Representation in the context of various Building Delivery systems. It also examines the key contractual description of such services to ensure that the architect avoids overstepping his professional responsibilities while demanding quality adherence to the design by the Contractor.

Before delving into specific CA techniques and services, the program identifies the sound foundational requirements necessary for their delivery including fair and balanced contract language to describe the architects scope of work, the importance of quality control and constructability assessments to the Construction Documents, developing effective communications among the Project Participants and finally, recognizing the availability of the Architect’s Team including its Insurance professionals and legal counsel in supporting its efforts to provide quality CA.

The Architect‘s role on the Project is then examined for the specific services typically required for CA including Pre-construction meetings and communications, Job site visits (including conducting the Job Meeting and Completion Inspections), managing and responding to Submittals and Requests for Information, handling Pay Applications and, the evolving role of the Architect as Interpreter and Initial Decider. For each CA service examined, effective communication and record-keeping is stressed.

The Program concludes with a summary as to how the Architect, through effective construction administration, is permitted to interpret and, as necessary, refine the design to minimize delays and deficiencies in construction by contractor’s non-adherence to the design concepts. Throughout the program, the Presenters will be using real-world examples from litigated cases resulting in lessons learned by Architects delivering CA services.

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I. Introduction and Welcome

II. Changing Perspectives.

     A. Your Contract

     B. Your Team

     C. The Construction Documents

     D. Communications

III. Construction Administration Activities

      A. Pre-Construction

      B. Site Visits

      C. Submittals

      D. Requests for Information

      E. Payment Applications

      F. Completion Inspections

      G. Interpretations and Decisions

IV. Conclusion

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