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Abdicating Responsibility, part 3 |
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Giving Away The StoreArchitects have, over the last few decades, given up many of the services they used to perform. This is partly due to the enormously increased complexity of construction and building systems - it is no longer possible for an architect to be familiar with all products - but there has also been a conscious effort to avoid responsibility, to just do the fun stuff. Many schools do not prepare future architects for their jobs; they encourage students in their belief that they will all one day be famous architects. The reality is that few architects do "real design", and the majority of the job for most architects is grunt work. What is it that architects have given up? EstimatingOne of the owner's most important concerns is the budget, and the owner relies on the architect to come up with a design that can be built with the available funds. Shouldn't an architect know enough about costs to design a building that is within the owner's budget? Unfortunately, many design professionals have little knowledge of construction costs, and owners find that bids vary substantially from estimates. Independent estimating firms now offer their services to owners and architects alike. Complete DesignDesign must be completely and thoroughly predictive. The design professional must know in advance that the completed building - and all of its systems - will satisfy all of the owner's needs. Architects spend a great deal of time working on space planning and circulation, but the physical space of a building is only part of the total design. The building must also be able to provide a suitable environment for its occupants; systems should be easily operated and maintained; finishes should be durable, easily maintained, and easily replaceable; and the energy consumption must be within limits established as part of the program. The architect who concentrates only on spatial and aesthetic qualities, paying little attention to building systems, does the owner a disservice. The result? Unhappy owners. The new buildings look nice, and they may win awards - for the architect. But they don't work. Mechanical systems are noisy and can't be balanced, lights are needlessly bright in some areas but too dark at work surfaces, and security systems can't tell the good guys from the bad guys. The consequences of the decline of complete design are evident in the growing demand for commissioning. A separate professional is now called on to analyze building systems, project operating costs, and verify correct operation of those building systems before the owner accepts the building as complete. Next month: Site services, construction management © 2002 Sheldon Wolfe, RA, FCSI, CCS, CCCA |
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