September 14, 2007
  BEST PRACTICE
A Fistful of Dollars
Surviving project buyout
Risk management gurus Jim Atkins, FAIA, and Grant A. Simpson, FAIA, note that almost everyone wants to build projects at the lowest cost, while maintaining relative quality. Owners generally want the most building for their money, either to buy more scope or to sell the project at a higher margin. The period between the time the cost is fixed, either through an accepted bid or an established guaranteed maximum cost, and the time all of the labor and materials for construction of the building are purchased, is called project buyout. During this time the contractor can generally increase their profits if they can find a better deal on the specified products and get the architect and owner to accept them. Better yet, if there is a shared savings with the owner on reduced project costs, both the owner and contractor stand to gain. What’s an architect to do?

Revamping the Lindo: Breathing New Life into an Old Theater
Willis Johnson has been buying historic movie theaters and restoring them to their former luster in northern Illinois for nearly 30 years. Starting with a renovation of the Tivoli Theatre in Downers Grove, Ill., Johnson is currently expanding the 85-year-old historic Lindo Theatre in Freeport, Ill. He now operates 12 theaters encompassing modern and historic venues in 11 towns across the state.

SWBR Architects Raises $25,000 for University of Rochester Cancer Center
Rochester-based SWBR Architects recently held its 17th annual Tom Wurzer Memorial Golf Tournament in Rochester, N.Y. Tom Wurzer was an AIA member, the founder and president of SWBR Architects who passed away in 1990 but left an indelible memory on those he knew. They come together each year for a fundraising golf tournament in his memory, and this year raised $25,000 for cancer research for the University of Rochester James P. Wilmot Cancer Center. More than 140 people attended.

 

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This is the home of the weekly Best Practices column, news of tips and tools that you can use in your day-to-day practice and case studies illustrating “how-tos” and “lessons learned” for all stages of practice. The Practice Zone also features reports of research in architecture and related fields.