Professional Documents
Culture Documents
ARCHITECT, professionally qualified person whose role is to interpret the clients project
requirements into a specific design or scheme. Responsible for design integration and plays
the leading role in the construction process. Coordinates, controls and disseminates project
information to all project participants.
As a project team leader, the architect performs various functions in all stages of
construction process, which includes:
-Ascertaining, interpreting and formulating the clients requirement into an understandable
project brief.
-Designing a building to meet the clients requirement and constraints imposed by such
factors as statutory obligations, technical feasibility, environmental standards, site conditions
and cost.
-Bringing together a team of construction professionals such as the quantity surveyor,
structural engineer and service engineer to give expert guidance on specific points of the
clients construction project.
-Assessing clients cost limit and timescale, and specifying the type and grade of
materials/components for use on the construction project.
-Preparing production information for pricing and construction and inviting tenders from
building contractors.
-Supervising the construction on sire, constantly keeping client informed of the projects
progress and issuing production instructions as and when required.
-Keeping the client informed of the status of the projects cost and advising ion when payment
should be made or withheld.
-Advising on the conduct of the project generally and resolving all contractual disputes
between client and the building contractor.
-Issuing the certificate of completion, the certificate of making good defects and the final
certificate for payment.
GENERALLY : The architect acts as an agent for all purposes relating to designing, obtaining
tenders for and superintending the construction work for which he or she has been
commissioned. To be able to perform above function efficiently, the architect must process,
among other things, the attributes of foresight, an understanding of construction materials,
communicating and coordinating abilities, essential design skills and an ability to design within
a set budget.
of
structures.
The
building
contractor
is
the
individual
who
oversees
the constructions and ensures that all necessary measures are taken to result in the
completed finished product.
The production aspects of construction projects are undertaken by building contractors
who are essentially commercial companies that contract to construct development projects.
Although many major contracting establishments are able to undertake both design and
production work, their primary function is to build and to organize their considerable resources
basically as a manufacturing organization.
Duties and responsibilities of the contractor commence upon invitation to tender and
include the following:
-Carrying out a full site investigation prior to submission of tender to ensure that the bid
includes all the cost of contractual risks and problems.
-Submitting priced bills of quantities for examination and/or correction of any errors when
required by the architect.
-Planning and programming the works and reprogramming thereafter whenever unforeseen
events frustrate the program.
-Controlling directly employed operatives, sub-contractors, suppliers, materials and plant for
the execution of the project to programme and cost.
-Coordinating efforts of all operatives and ensuring that the completed works comply with the
contract specification and are also to the satisfaction of the architect.
-Notifying the architect of information requirements, delays to the construction programme,
discrepancy between contract documents, direct loss and/or expense sustained and so on.
-Paying the wages of directly employed operatives, sub-contractors and suppliers in time to
avoid conflicts over payment.
-Supplying all the information required by the clients professional advisers for the proper
administration of the works.
-Taking steps to carry out the contractors obligations to rectify all defects on completion of the
works.
-Providing post-occupancy repair and maintenance service if so required by the client.
TRADE CONTRACTOR OR SUBCONTRACTOR, is a person who is hired by a general
contractor (or prime contractor, or main contractor) to perform a specific task as part of the
overall project and is normally paid for services provided to the project by the originating
general contractor. While the most common concept of a subcontractor is in building works
and civil engineering, the range of opportunities for subcontractor is much wider and it is
possible that the greatest number now operate in the information technology and information
sectors of business.
The separate appointment oftrade contractors should reduce the cost of contracts, as the
management element is being provided by the construction manager. It also allows the
advancement of some works (such as groundworks or piling) which might begin even
before design of the above-ground works is complete.
Characteristics of trade contracts include:
- Trade contractors may be appointed through a single-stage procurement process, or through
a two-stage process with a pre-construction services agreement for the first stage.
- Each trade contract must have its own separate practical completion certification and so
they may have different defects liability periods. Certification cannot be dependent on
completion of works outside of the scope of the contract. As trade contracts may be
completed at different times, the construction manager must ensure that measures are in
place to protect completed work from ongoing activities.
- Trade contracts (such as the Joint Contracts Tribunal (JCT) CM/TC 2011) do not include
provisions
for liquidated
damages,
instead
the trade
contractor indemnifies
- Trade contracts may allow for retention, or may include a requirement for a retention bond.
- Trade contracts should include requirements to adopt collaborative practices.
- As there is no main contractor, trade contractors should provide master programmes for their
works.
- Trade contractor's should be require to provide regular information in relation to key
performance indicators.
- Where they carry out design, trade contractors may be required to provide as-builtdrawings.
NOTES:
-On management contracts, contractors are known as 'works contractors'.
-For
detailed
description
of
the
sequence
of
tasks
necessary
on
a construction
management contract, see the work plan: construction management: outline work plan.