Taking Care of Business

Summary: There are many ways to conduct business in the complex arena of planning, design, construction, and operation of facilities. So, if you read something in AIArchitect you’d like to refine or correct, this is the feature for you. If you get the urge to respond, act on it. Make a point to send your thoughts to AIArchitect today. In this issue, Steven Shapiro, a lawyer and architecture-educated project manager and AIA allied member weighs in on two past AIArchitect Best Practices articles related to observation/inspection liability and continuing education for developing architects.

Observation/Inspection Liability
In their article “Absolute or Absolution? Observations, Inspections, and the Contractor’s Warranty,” James B. Atkins, FAIA, and Grant A. Simpson, FAIA, examine the obligations of the architect to examine and inspect their design work as it is being completed by contractors. In making their arguments, the authors cite the AIA Contract Documents™, The Architect’s Handbook of Professional Practice, court pleadings, and lay dictionaries. These are good theoretical starting points, Shapiro says, but need to be supplemented with the actual wording of the contract negotiated for the project and the precedent-setting holdings of the courts on specific points of contention. He also highlights the benefits of architect-contractor teamwork.

Continuing Education for Developing Architects
In “Some (Not-So) Secrets of Establishing an Architecture Practice,” Jack Train, FAIA, addresses the daunting tasks of hiring, training, and promoting young architects. In this considered response, Shapiro offers a range of other ways to support the professional growth of employees to get them involved in the community and in direct contact with people who procure and use the firm’s work. “The first years of practice can be a fundamental investment for later returns,” Shapiro encourages.