Leadership Matters Summer 2015

District architects and construction delivery methods

Many Administrators can spend their tenure without ever embarking on a significant construction project in their district- so it’s understandable that the role played by the District Architect is unclear to many. A successful construction project can be a highpoint of an administrator’s career, or can turn into a major headache. Ideally your District Architect can serve as a trusted advisor leading you through the

Contractor with the lowest price. In this method a District retains an Architectural firm to work with them to program and design a project to suit the needs, and then the Architect prepares Construction Documents that form the core of the bidding documents. The Architect takes responsibility for not only designing the project, but also administering the bidding and construction administration of the project, and serving as the primary interface between the District and the General Contractor hired by the District. This delivery method is probably the most common, but has some drawbacks- the emphasis on low bid as the primary selection method can lead to conflict during construction since the Contractors sometimes take liberties with the Construction Document requirements in an effort to gain an edge over their competitors. In the public sector where taxpayer money is being spent it is important that no particular vendor or contractor is given an unfair advantage. For this reason the Architect develops open specifications that allow a minimum of three different products for virtually all building components. As part of their lump sum bid, the General Contractor assumes responsibility for coordinating all of the selected building components during a submittal process consisting of shop drawings, samples and mockups reviewed by the Architect and the District. Understanding the process will help you better understand how the Architect works to help Districts deal with day-to-day issues

John F. Ochoa, AIA President, CEO FGM Architects

process, just as your Attorney or Accountant assists in negotiations or audits. Most are familiar with the School Code requirements to use an Architect to perform 10 year Health Life Safety surveys, or to seal Permit drawings for projects exceeding $50,000, but beyond that details can be hazy. We will briefly summarize the most common construction delivery methods, and the Architect’s role in each. Design/ Bid/ Build This construction delivery method, also commonly referred to as Public Bid or General Contractor, is the traditional method that has been relied upon for decades. Many believe that publicly bidding to receive a single lump sum bid from a General Contractor results in the lowest possible price since the “winner” in this process is the responsive

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