The Architect's Role with Means and Methods

The activities of the contractor during construction are often referred to as the means and methods. 

Scenario: The architect comes to the site for construction observation and notices that there are subcontractors that are working in a dangerous area without protection. The architect tells the subcontractors that they should remedy the situation and tells them how. 

What may seem like a situation of common courtesy can actually have dire consequences with the contractual structure of the relationships during a construction project. 

Only the contractor is responsible for the means and methods of the construction project, including the safety of those on site. In this scenario, the architect crossed a line. Dangerous situations occur all the time on construction projects, but the architect cannot make that determination or suggest a remedy. That is the sole responsibility of the contractor. The architect, in doing so, assumes risk. The issue is not so much about taking a chance and saying something so people don't get hurt; the issue comes with the correlation of risk and insurance. The architect, contractually, is not required to carry the insurance for the workers on the construction site. That is the responsibility of the contractor. If the architect starts to control the means and methods, he/she assumes that risk. If something goes wrong, the architect does not have the insurance to cover that liability. Therefore, the architect should avoid saying anything that would be misconstrued as controlling the means and methods or giving direction. That does not mean the architect must remain silent. The line is situated between saying something that sounds like giving an order and saying something that sounds like communicating a concern. The architect should be concerned with staying contractually compliant or risks getting into trouble.

Architect's Role in the Bidding Process

Per the AIA B101, the architect supplies certain basic services. Bidding and negotiation are two of those services.

During bidding and negotiation, it is important to remember that the architect is not the one who is responsible for contracting with a contractor for building a project-that is the owner's responsibility. The architect simply assists the owner in the process.

An owner is not expected to be well versed in the process of construction, as well as in bidding and negotiating. Owners are typically not up to date on pricing and the like because they are not as exposed to it, which is why the architect assists them in the process.

The architect assists in issuing documents for bid, soliciting bids, holding pre-bid conferences, providing clarifications, and so on.

Through all of these services, it is important to have a mindset of fairness. In conducting the process of bidding and negotiating, the architect should be fair to all parties and all prospective contractors regardless of their relationship and/or prior work history. 

If one prospective contractor asks a question (usually through a request for information, or RFI), that question should be answered with a reply to all prospective contractors (without identifying who raised the question). If there is an approved substitution request, that should be circulated to all prospective contractors through the issuance of addenda. 

While the bids received back from prospective contractors may not be equal, it is important that each bidder is treated equally during the bidding process. It not only makes for a fairer process, but it keeps liability at bay for the owner.

Integrated Project Delivery

The project delivery method determines the relationships, risks, and roles parties take in the contractual structure of how a project is going to be built. There is not one way to construct a building; it can be done through many different models. What determines those models is a set of factors typically in relation to budget, schedule, and roles of the parties involved. What has happened throughout time is the want for those parties to come together in collaboration as opposed to acrimony. This has been the reason for developing the design-build (DB) project delivery method where the architect and contractor are on a team as a single entity to be contracted with the owner. Where DB has started that relationship, the development of integrated project delivery (IPD) is taking it further. 

At its core, the modus operandi for IPD is for everyone involved in the project to share in the successes and failures. This is set up through some incentive (typically financial). However, IPD pushes these relationships beyond owner, architect, and contractor to include banks, citizens, municipalities, businesses and business structures, insurance, and so on. The benefits of IPD are reducing waste by maximizing the relationships and efficiencies of those involved, optimizing results, increasing value to the owner (and possibly community), and creating a more seamless process through collaboration. This process necessitates that team members be aware of the process and roles of other members. 

This process has many benefits, but it has been slow to take root with the process of allocating risk-and thus, insurance coverage. This remains the largest roadblock, currently, in attaining pure IPD. Where pure IPD models remain to be seen, IPD-like or IPD-lite are becoming much more common within the building industry; there is a supporting push within educational communities to explore this process through interdisciplinary design.

Holy Guacamole: 5 Brain Foods That Will Help You Study for NCEES Exams

Are you studying for an NCEES exam? Are you the type of person that eats tons of junk food while studying? We get it - salty snacks such as chips or sweet snacks such as gummy bears may seem like a great studying snacks, but they don't necessarily benefit you whilst preparing for the FE, PE, or SE exam. That's why it's important to understand what kinds of food help your brain while you study for exams. 

Eating specific food while studying can enhance brain functionality and promote better memory consolidation. Below are our top five favorite brain foods that we recommend to eat while studying for NCEES exams: 

Table of Contents

1. Carrots

2. Avocados

3. Garlic

4. Oatmeal

5. Dark Chocolate

1. Carrots: It's common knowledge that eyes can help improve eyesight. But did you know that carrots can help boost brain functionality? Carrots are rich in luteolin, a chemical compound that can help prevent memory degeneration. 

2. Avocados: Holy guacamole! Avocados are a great study food as they help promote blood flow in your brain. Avocados also have a large amount of potassium in them, which helps in the oxidation process of the brain. 

3. Garlic: Garlic is very yummy, but could easily ruin a romantic date night. No date? Eat as much garlic as your heart desires! Similar to avocados, eating garlic can help promote blood flow in the brain. 

4. Oatmeal: Making oatmeal is a great idea for early-morning studying during breakfast time. Oats have been found to decrease cholesterol which helps overall brain functionality. Oats are also thought to help promote alertness - which is great for both studying and exam taking. If you're wondering how oats can help with alertness, it's because the carbohydrates in oats. These carbs are broken down at a much slower rate than other kinds of carbs - therefore providing a consistent level of energy during digestion. 

We of course recommend eating a well-balanced breakfast prior to taking an NCEES exam, so consider eating oatmeal as part of your pre-exam meal. 

5. Dark Chocolate: Who doesn't love chocolate? Even though we did mention earlier in this article that one should avoid sweet foods, dark chocolate in moderate amounts can actually help your brain. 

Dark chocolate is the healthiest of the 3 main chocolates (Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, and white chocolate). Dark chocolate has been found to have antioxidants in it - therefore promoting brain functionality by increasing blood flow.