A basic tenet of a good set of construction documents is “Mention it once and in the right place.” The contract is between the owner and the contractor, and the specifications communicate to the latter what is required (without telling the contractor how to construct). This second article in a three-part series on architects, specifiers, and construction documentation focuses on language and specification format.
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This final article in a three-part series on specifications examines the divisions of MasterFormat .
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In more than one instance, this author has heard an architect tell a specifier something along the lines of “You want 250 hours for specifications? I have only budgeted 70 hours.” A project manager once told me, “We provide specifications only because the client requires us to do it—the contractor does not look at the specifications until there is a legal issue.” This is a dangerous line of thinking because it eventually has negative impact on the architectural firm and its reputation.
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English is complicated, and misinterpretation of written communication is pervasive. Without the added layer of subtleties of speech tone, body language, and context, many written sentences can be easily misinterpreted. This is especially true when it comes to specifications.
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Many specifiers have been called into an uncomfortable meeting with a request to clarify exactly what was intended by the written words in the project manual. One can often be left with the feeling the only reason he or she is there is to take the blame when a satisfactory conclusion has not otherwise come to fruition.
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When it is at its best, the architectural/engineering industry transcends geographical locations, social demographics, economics, and ideologies—it is a macrocosm of design professionals striving for excellence in the built environment. However, the evolution of technology, building practices, and globalization has created additional challenges within the industry.
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Co-ordination is the basis of specifications, an aspect of its principal functions, and one of the spec writer’s primary tasks. It manifests itself at various phases of the writing process, as well as within different parts of the project manual itself.
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