Programming and budgeting.
The program describes the scope (how much of what) and quality (the levels
of performance and amenity) to be accommodated. Scope and quality, as well
as the site and the schedule, are key factors in establishing cost. Thus,
programming and budgeting should be seen as both simultaneous - occurring
at the same time - and reciprocal - each working to inform the other.
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Building Surveys / ADA / Existing facilities
surveys. Increasingly, design and building projects involve existing
structures - structures that may be razed, or more likely renovated, to meet
the program requirements.
The decision to tear down or reuse an existing structure starts with the facility
itself: What kind of shape is it in? Is it compatible with the intended use?
What will it take to modify the structure to house the program? Can this be
done within the project's cost constraints? To answer these questions, it
may be necessary to undertake a careful survey and evaluation of existing
facilities - including their spatial possibilities and their structural, mechanical,
and electrical systems - as part of the predesign work. Architects may also
be asked to provide these services as part of real estate resale decisions;
as an example, many home buyers are now including, as a contingency item in
a purchase proposal, a requirement for inspection by a licensed design professional.
Often major decisions and many dollars hang in the balance. The architect
will require complete and perhaps prolonged access to the facilities themselves,
and if significant problems are uncovered, it may be necessary to add specialist
consultants to the survey team. If the survey also calls for estimates of
construction cost to rectify problems or to make suitable modifications, a
contractor or cost consultant may be required as well.
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Measured Drawings / Documentation of Existing
Conditions. Since many building design problems must work with or
include existing structures in the solution, it is essential to establish
clear, accurate documentation of existing conditions either by converting
existing drawings into base sheets for use in design or by creating new measured
base drawings. In addition to providing basic dimensional data for design,
this step typically identifies existing physical and code problems.
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Design. Almost every project has a unique
set of factors that combine to make each problem different. For their part,
individual architects approach design in different ways and with different
values and attitudes. While design has a certain linear quality (it involves
analysis, synthesis, and evaluation), it is widely acknowledged to have nonlinear
qualities as well. The latter are sometimes described as "flashes of
insight" and "creative leaps."
Increasingly we recognize that the design process works with information and
ideas simultaneously on many levels. Thus the architect can be thinking
about the overall geometry of the building, the ways in which a wheelchair-bound
person might experience the spaces in the building, and the materials of which
the building will be constructed all at the same time.
At the same time, we view designing as reciprocal action and reflection.
Architects process requirements, issues, and variables and produce tentative
design proposals. Examination and criticism of these proposals lead to new
proposals. Each proposal reveals more about the problem and suggests an appropriate
solution.
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Construction Documents. Once a design
has been developed and approved, the architect prepares the drawings and specifications
that set forth the requirements for construction of the project and assists
the owner in preparing the necessary bidding and contractual information for
construction. The construction documents are an extension of the design process.
Decisions on design details, materials, products, finishes, and the many fine
points of bidding and construction contracts all serve to reinforce the design-and
begin the process of translating it into reality.
The construction documents are the written and graphic documentation prepared
or assembled by the architect for communicating the design and administering
the project. Their organization and content reflect the needs of the project.
Typically, the construction documents include:
During the bidding or negotiation process, the architect may issue addenda
to any of these documents. Once the owner-contractor agreement is signed, there
may be contract modifications in the form of construction change directives
and change orders. These, too, become part of the contract documents.
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CAD Productions. Effective use of computer-aided
design (CAD) in architecture, engineering, and facility management depends on
sharing graphic information. Floor plan drawings developed by architects need
to be available as backgrounds for mechanical and electrical plans. Symbols
and details developed for one project need to be reusable for future projects.
Increasingly, architects must respond to client requests for copies of drawings
in electronic form for ongoing facility management.
Almost all CAD systems support the concept of layers, a method for grouping
graphic information for display, editing, and plotting purposes. By accommodating
the reuse of information, layers reduce drafting time and improve project coordination.
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Specifications. The specifications
present written requirements for materials, equipment, and construction systems
as well as standards for products, workmanship, and the construction services
required to produce the work. The specifications are often presented in the
project manual, along with the bidding requirements, contract forms, and conditions
of the contract.
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Permit Procurement / Services During the Permitting
Process. As communities become more assertive in planning and controlling
development and design, the process of gaining the necessary approvals to build
- often called permitting because of the multiple permits involved -
has become much more complex.
Owners and developers find they must initiate and define their projects "in
partnership" with multiple public agencies. Increasingly, this partnership
includes the public, as represented by neighborhood associations, advocacy groups,
and other organizations interested in development in general or a specific issue
(perhaps the environment, or schools, or "good government"). If the
project is large or captures attention in other ways, ad hoc groups may organize
to stop or at least "redesign" it. The media, of course, are happy
to join the fray.
For architects, there are opportunities for involvement in the project definition
process:
Involvement in the project definition process may be long and tortuous, with
many twists and turns, submissions and resubmissions. One set of approvals may
be gained only to be the project must be redesigned to meet the needs of a subsequent
set of approvals. Some projects become "footballs" as special interests
are played out through the permitting process.
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Value Engineering. Value engineering is
a disciplined method of identifying areas for potential cost optimization, considering
alternatives, analyzing them, and assisting in the selection of preferred options.
While terms like value analysis and value management may have
shades of meaning, we consider them synonymous to value engineering in this
discussion.
There is, of course, a lot of emphasis on "value," and the value engineering
process is helpful in defining just what this term means for the project under
consideration. It helps identify where the conflicting criteria of minimum cost,
maximum quality and performance, largest possible scope, and minimum time for
delivery can be addressed and balanced.
Sometimes, value engineering appears later in the project, particularly when
the contractor or construction manager (CM) is brought on board. Some owners
have value engineering programs that encourage builders to propose more economical
approaches to achieving the specified performance and then to share in the "savings"
that result. Or a construction organization may market its ability to squeeze
costs out of already-designed projects as they head into construction.
Value engineering at this stage usually produces limited advantages for the
owner. Value engineering proposals may have substantial impacts on design and
may unintentionally affect other areas of building performance. Because savings
in one area may increase costs in another, it is important that the architect
be engaged to evaluate these proposals carefully.
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Record Documents. The basic objective
is to record changes to the original construction contract documents so they
can be used for building operation, maintenance, and changes in the future.
In large projects, detailed record drawings of all systems might be developed.
In small projects, including residential facilities, record drawings will probably
show only significant changes, especially the location of outside utilities.
To improve the usefulness of record drawings, the owner may contract with the
architect to review them as they are submitted. When there are many field changes
and when the owner expects to make significant continuing modifications to the
facility, it may make sense to engage the architect to incorporate construction
changes into a comprehensive set of record documents.
The information provided herein are excerpts from "The Architect's Handbook of Professional Practice"; Twelfth Edition.