A NEW BEGINNING

Today I wrote Field Report #1 for another project. My observations were limited to walking the property lines and ascertaining that the corners were properly marked and that the wetlands on the property were still flagged.  While this isn’t a lot of progress, what it represents is a new project has reached the Construction Phase.  The beginning of a project carries with it a special sort of excitement.  This occurs with each new project, road trip, another year at Construct, and the list goes on.

I also experienced this feeling when I left my first architectural position after three and one half years of working for a difficult boss who happened to be a great mentor. In spite of distancing myself from my mentor, I found myself looking forward to the next step, a four year term running construction operations for a local general contractor.  My time spent as a member of the constructor team became a large part of who I am as an architect and contributed heavily to my technical expertise.

So as I contemplate my new project, I can’t help but think about our younger colleagues whose careers collectively constitute new projects. I feel an obligation to give back to the profession as a mentor to these folks.  After all, there were many people who did the same for me.  So as I observe the beginnings of people’s careers, I share their excitement as they submit Field Report #1 on their careers.  I look forward to intentionally sharing knowledge for years to come.

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AWARD WINNING PROJECT?

I was disappointed to read a recent local newspaper article about the settlement of a lawsuit surrounding a local project that is the winner of multiple awards.  According to the article, there were more than 400 RFIs (requests for information) submitted by the contractor.  The article also states that there were several design features that were poorly executed or simply didn’t work as intended.

I have to say that the building in question is quite beautiful and has been honored as a green structure, but 400 RFIs?  In my mind, 400 RFIs on a project this size is an inexcusable number and makes me question the adequacy of the construction documents (which I haven’t seen, by the way) to convey the design intent.

“Successful, timely, and cost-effective construction relies on appropriate communication of a project design by the design team to the contractor and supplier team on behalf of the owner.  From project conception through design and construction to facility management, effective communication of the project requirements depends largely on having complete and coordinated construction documents.”

The quote above begins the introduction to Chapter 11 of The CSI Project Delivery Practice Guide (PDPG).  The PDPG is the primary source document for the CDT exam.  The CDT is the gateway credential into the CSI Certification Program.  All CSI certified professionals (CCS, CCPR, and CDT) hold the CDT credential, as it is a prerequisite to the certification exams.

Holders of the CDT have a working knowledge of construction documents and procedures.  They are aware of steps in the facility life cycle, have some knowledge of the legal issues associated with construction, and can assist an owner with the construction procurement process.  As holders of the credential, they know what information should be included in a set of construction documents and, more importantly, can recognize when it is missing.  Including pertinent and appropriate information in the CDs will minimize the number of RFIs on a project.

Registration will be opening soon for the spring certification exams.  Because of the time necessary to absorb the material, candidates should begin studying now.  Study materials are available from www.csinet.org/certification .

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