MasterFormat.Com
The Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) and Construction Specifications Canada (CSC) have their new website for everything MasterFormat up and working. The intent is to allow users to make comments on future updates of the document right online and streamline the process for review by the MasterFormat Maintenance Task Team. I know that I have a few suggested changes, so give it a try at http://www.MasterFormat.com

AIA Contract Documents to be Released in Late 2007
The American Institute of Architect (AIA) plans to release the next edition of their flagship documents in late fall of next year. The new documents will include some new documents such as a data transfer agreement, digital protocol document, architect’s scope of services for BIM, and a renumbering of many of your favorite other documents such as B- 141 and B- 151. Don’t worry, A-20 1 General Conditions of the Contract will retain it number and title.

Uniform Location of Subject Matter
Speaking of the AIA, they and EJCDC are working on an update of the Uniform Location of Subject matter document also expected out next year. This document has been out of date since the expansion of MasterFormat in 2004 and is finally being updated. Where is CSI in this process? More on this subject in future issues of SFA.

CSI Enters Agreement with ICC
The Construction Specifications Institute has entered into an agreement with the International Code Council to include the definitions in the International Building Code in their new construction industry terminology. This document is not intended as a dictionary but as an organizational structure or framework for construction dictionaries and will be linked with the international initiative. According to sources, Jeff Wix from the UK has been hired as the consultant on this project through a grant from the National Electrical Management Institute and the document will have definitions for some construction terms taken from the IBC and a few other documents.

ARCOM to Introduce new Website
Architectural Computer Services, Inc. better known as ARCOM, producers of MASTESPEC is introducing its new website later this fall. Expected to debut in October, the new site will be more user friendly and enable MASTERSPEC subscribers to have greater access to information. I anticipate MASTERSPEC to make some major changes in the way it is produced over the next several years. One of the changes I predict is a move to minor changes of all or most sections rather than their current 5-year major update cycle for sections.

High Praises for New Draft of SectionFormat
On August 9, the CSI SectionFormat PageFormat Update Task Team (SPUTT) released Draft 2 of the update of SectionFormat for public review and comment and on August 10 they released Draft 2A. Okay, sometimes stuff happens. CSI has received high marks from industry observers for their latest version, which retreated from the proposal for a Part 4. To review and comment on the current and future drafts go to CSINet.org and check out the new CSI Forums.
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Editorial Section
Standard of Care of the Architect (Part 1 of 2)
by Dennis J. Hall, FAIA, FCSI, SCIP

A couple of months ago, I was asked by an attorney to write two briefs representing two opposites points of view on the standard of care of architects, based upon a case we were working on together, where his client (the architect) was being sued by a condominium homeowner’s association as a part of a construction defects case. Below is Part 1 of a two-part article providing a synopsis of those points of view.

POINT
Negligence is defined as the failure to provide professional services in accordance with the normal standard of care of other design professionals providing similar services, on similar project types, at the same time, and in the same community. In order to determine professional negligence of the architect, we can’t look at only one facet of professional services, but must examine the professional services in context of all the project
conditions. Below are some of the conditions that may dictate the architect’s professional services.

Contractual Professional Services: An architect may be contracted to provide only design services or limited services on a project. These limited services may only include minimum construction documents to convey design intent, or no construction administration services. The architect may not have control over or coordination of the other project design professionals and some design services may be provided through delegated design on the part of the contractor.

Project Type: Different project types have different levels of complexity of design and construction. Residential contractors that specialize in this project type often work in partnership with developers and have their own standards for construction. Many developer projects are also designed and constructed to very tight budgets and the architect may be limited to a palette of inexpensive construction materials and building types, for example, low-rise multi-family residential condominiums projects are often constructed using Type V construction, where the level of construction skill of the subcontractors may vary substantially.

Project Location: The design requirements for buildings verify depending upon location. Buildings designed for the harsh conditions of a costal environment, an urban environment, or that of a northern climate with severe winter conditions have different requirements than those in moderate climates or in rural locations. The selection of materials, building design, and detailing must also take into consideration the specific site conditions of the project and budget constraints.

Project Delivery: Critical to any project is the project delivery method. The architect may be contracted directly by the owner, contractor, or project developer and the scope of services can vary. In some design-build projects the architect may only be contracted to provide a “builder set” of documents. A builder set is typically less complete than a set of documents used for competitive bidding, since the contract is primarily based upon a set of agreed conditions between the owner and the contractor and there may not be any specifications. The purpose of the builder set is to convey the design intent and achieve a building permit.

Professional Knowledge: When determining professional negligence, one of the first questions that is always asked is “what did the architect know and when did they know it?” To determine the standard of professional knowledge we need to understand the time frame in which the project was designed and constructed. Today’s knowledge of designing building envelopes is far greater that that of ten years ago and any claim of negligence must be viewed with the common knowledge of architects at the time of design.

Conclusions: As stated earlier, one can’t judge professional negligence solely by the instruments of services provided by the architect, but by viewing them in context with the other major factors of the project. And while the instruments of service of the a rchitect are never perfect, the law does not require perfection of the architect.