Message from the President: Design intent integrity

by Katie Daniel | April 21, 2017 11:45 am

[1]By Peter Hiebert, CTR
Recently, CSC’s Calgary Chapter held a student design competition. Both Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) and Mount Royal University (MRU) were eager to participate—in this example of industry collaboration, the two schools found the initiative was an extraordinary learning experience for their students.

One of the competition’s most exciting features was the fact design parameters were based on an actual need. This was not a fictitious design, but rather something in which the owner was actually interested. The event was made even more educational and collaborative because at the awards ceremony the owner talked about his vision and intent of the facility. As he spoke, it became evident the students had hit the mark and fulfilled the owner’s vision.

Achieving design intent integrity requires good documentation. Without it, all the effort and hard work on the design could completely miss the goal. The design could be severely altered by lack of clarity in the bid/construction documents, value engineering, or the ‘faster-and-cheaper’ mindset I’ve discussed in past articles. Key components might be compromised to the point the design intent is no longer what the owner envisioned or requires.

In the end, if the owner does not see the design intent achieved, everyone in the industry loses. Owners lose confidence in consultants who created the design, disputes arise with constructors who built the projects, and concerns emerge over products provided by manufacturers that may not fulfil their roles. Achieving design intent is crucial.

This month, my year as CSC president ends. With this farewell message, I will refer to my first article: Don’t be like a dog sitting on a nail, waiting until the pain is too much before moving. Ensure your project has the best people on the team now. Industry professionals with specific training in specifications, contract administration, and product knowledge can bring the required skill. Make sure your next project has CSC members on the team, especially those registered or certified experts who understand how to achieve design intent and performance requirements.

I am CSC.

Source URL: https://www.constructioncanada.net/message-from-the-president-design-intent-integrity/

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