What Is the List of Services of an Architect?

Architects provide a List of Services of an Architect that can add value to your project. They help you navigate the process of planning permission, building regulations, obtaining permits, and choosing a builder.

List of Services of an Architect

They can save you money on construction through value engineering by recommending materials and systems that fit your budget. www.osgoodeproperties.com also helps you avoid wasting time on design issues that could lead to delays or higher costs later.

Schematic Design

Based on discussions with the client, the schematic design phase is used to produce conceptual ideas for a building. This is an important step in the overall design process because it allows architects to explore various options and approaches.

During this stage, an architecture team uses schematic diagrams and sketching tools to convey spatial concepts to the client quickly. These tools permit iterations and prevent team members from prematurely settling on an idea.

Design Development

Design development is the process of taking a conceptual design and refining it into more detailed, technical designs, ready for construction. This is a crucial step in the architecture process, as it determines how a building will look and feel and ensures that it can be built as intended.

During design development, architects and engineers work together to create plans, sections and elevations at various scales. They also contribute to civil and structural drawings, as well as mechanical and piping systems.

Construction Documents

Construction Documents are a set of drawings and specifications that graphically communicate how an architect’s design will be built. They describe every aspect of the building design, big and small.

During the construction phase, good construction documents ensure that everyone involved understands what’s going on and how to get it done.

Typically, these documents follow a standard order (United States National CAD Standard), helping readers locate what they need. This standard also helps keep information consistent throughout the entire project.

Bidding & Negotiation

Bidding & Negotiation involves organizing a bidding process, making a contractor selection and negotiating a construction contract. This is an important part of the construction process and should be done judiciously.

The competitive “hard bid” process is a common method for selecting suppliers and contractors. This process allows a project owner to select the lowest price among competing contractors.

However, this approach can often lead to sticker shock for the project owner and may cause delays in the overall construction process. Using the negotiated procedure can ensure that all parties are on the same page and construction costs do not escalate.

Contract Documents

Contract documents are the standard form of communication between the architect and client. They are used to establish the terms of a contract and outline each party’s duties, rights, and responsibilities.

The document should be free from structural, orthographic, grammatical and syntactic errors. It should also be consistent across drawings sheets and sets, technical specifications sections, or other contract documents. Those defects can cause confusion and disagreements, which can lead to problems during construction. Ensure your architect prepares these documents correctly for your project.

Construction Administration

Architects often oversee the construction process, making site visits and keeping track of any problems that may arise during building. This is called construction administration, and it is an essential part of any design project.

A construction administrator keeps a thorough record of all the information related to the project, such as who is on the team, what materials they are working with and what equipment is being used. This helps keep everyone on the same page and ensures that everything is done according to plan.

Construction Supervision

Construction supervision is the process of monitoring and controlling a construction project to ensure it meets quality, safety, schedule and budget objectives. It involves coordinating the activities of contractors and architects as well as overseeing the use of equipment.

Effective supervisors monitor the productivity of workers and the usage of equipment to minimize idle time. Studies have shown that as much as 50% of a construction day is nonproductive.

On-Call Management

On-Call Management is a process that designates staff members to respond to issues that arise. This can be an effective way to reduce downtime and improve site reliability.

Incidents can happen at any time of day or night, and decisions must be made quickly. For this reason, it is important to have a set of on-call rotas for different teams that may be required during an incident.