Project Management Flashcards

ARE Project Management Flash Cards

What is the overall building efficiency ratio and what areas define it?

Overall Building Efficiency Ratio = Net Assignable Area ÷ Gross Floor Area (less than 1.0). Net assignable area is the client’s programmable space; gross floor area includes structure, building systems, circulation, and common areas.

What is the R/U Ratio?

R/U = Rentable Area ÷ Usable Area (greater than 1.0). Rentable area adds the tenant’s pro-rata share of shared building spaces to the usable area within the tenant’s suite.

What's the difference between a Gross-up factor and a Grossing factor?

Gross-up factor (R/U) allocates shared common space to tenants to determine rentable area. Grossing factor (Gross/Net) estimates the additional building area needed beyond programmed/net area for circulation and building systems.

For commercial space square footages, how can you remember Gross — Rentable — Usable — Net?

“Go RUN”: Gross → Rentable → Usable → Net, from most inclusive to least inclusive. For code and occupant-load calculations, gross floor area is measured to the inside face of exterior walls.

If the owner-architect contract stipulates that the architect’s fee will be 7% of construction costs, are the contractor’s overhead costs part of the basis of that fee?

Yes, the architect’s 7% fee will also be based on the contractor’s overhead. The Owner’s budget for construction cost — the Cost of the Work — includes construction costs like labor and materials, as well as the contractor's general conditions, profit and overhead. (See AIA B101, Article 6.1 for the Cost of the Work; & A201, Article 1.1.3 for a definition of the Work)

What is the business entity concept?

A business is a separate legal and financial entity. Keep business transactions and records separate from personal finances.

What are accessory occupancies?

An accessory occupancy serves the main occupancy and is less than 10% of the area on a given floor. Under the cited IBC provision, it generally does not require a fire separation from the main occupancy unless another code provision does.

If the Owner suspends the project, what can the Architect do?

The architect may suspend work, require payment for work completed and delay-related expenses, submit a revised schedule when work resumes, and terminate after a suspension exceeding 90 days with seven days’ written notice.

What is AIA Document E204?

AIA E204 is the Sustainable Projects Exhibit supplementing A101 and B101. It defines the Sustainable Objective, Sustainability Plan, Sustainable Measures, and Sustainability Workshop, and assigns owner, architect, and contractor responsibilities.

What are the architect’s responsibilities during CD’s, to prepare for bidding?

During CDs, the architect completes code-compliant drawings and specifications, assists with bid forms and contract conditions, compiles the Project Manual, and provides a final cost estimate.

What are some of the architect’s responsibilities during procurement, a.k.a. “bidding”?

The architect assists the owner by identifying bidders, distributing documents, holding the pre-bid conference, issuing addenda in response to RFIs, evaluating substitutions when authorized as an additional service, and organizing bid opening/communicating the owner’s selection.

What are task dependencies?

Task dependencies describe relationships between task start/finish times: start-to-start, finish-to-start (natural dependency), and finish-to-finish.

What does it mean for the project’s agreement to be a “prime contract”?

One contract exists between the owner and a general contractor responsible for the full scope. The GC hires and manages subcontractors; the owner and architect generally do not contract directly with them.

What does it mean for the project’s agreements to be structured as “multiple prime contracts”?

The owner holds separate prime contracts with multiple contractors and has no GC. This can reduce GC markup and support phased/fast-track work, but increases the owner’s coordination and risk unless a construction manager assists.

What is the Unit Cost contractor fee structure?

Used when scope is uncertain but can be measured in repeatable units. The contractor is paid an agreed price per unit (e.g., per cubic yard of concrete or hour of excavation).

What is the Cost Plus Fixed Fee contractor fee structure?

The owner reimburses actual construction costs plus a fixed contractor fee. It offers flexibility when scope is difficult to quantify, but the final cost is uncertain and the contractor has less incentive to reduce costs.

What is the Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) fee structure?

Used when costs can be estimated and capped. The contractor is commonly selected early and competitively bids subcontracts through an open-book process. Contractor-controlled overruns within the original scope are generally the contractor’s responsibility; owner changes and other specified exceptions can increase the price.

What are disadvantages of a Lump Sum fee compared to a GMP fee structure?

Competitive lump-sum bidding can encourage low bids and later change orders, creating a more adversarial process. GMP projects often involve earlier contractor input, better-informed pricing, and more collaborative cost management.

What is the stipulated sum (lump sum) fee structure?

A fixed total price established through competitive contractor bidding. Best when scope and costs can be reliably estimated; the contractor bears the risk of cost overruns within the agreed scope.

What are Supplemental Instructions to Bidders versus Architect's Supplemental Instructions?

Supplemental Instructions to Bidders modify bidding procedures before bids are due. Architect’s Supplemental Instructions (ASIs) modify drawings/specifications during construction, generally without affecting cost or schedule.

What are Architect's Supplemental Instructions?

An ASI modifies drawings or specifications during construction for a change that does not affect cost or schedule. It is a Contract Document and does not require owner/contractor signatures.

What’s top-down budgeting?

Top-down budgeting starts with an overall fee estimated from historical data and comparable projects, then deducts consultant and other expenses and allocates the remainder by phase.

What is “bottom-up” budgeting?

Bottom-up budgeting builds the fee from the project work plan: estimate each team member’s hours and hourly rate for the tasks and phases, then total the labor and expenses.

What is a smoke pencil for?

A handheld device that releases non-toxic smoke to locate air leaks at the building enclosure, window/door frames, ductwork, and penetrations. It can be used during a blower-door test.

What is the typical timeframe for architects to respond to contractor RFls?

The source describes up to 1–2 weeks (about 10 business days) as a typical response window, subject to urgency, complexity, and the project’s agreed RFI procedures.

If the owner provides materials or labor, what value is used to calculate an architect’s percentage fee?

The Cost of the Work includes the reasonable value of owner-provided labor, materials, and equipment. A percentage-based architect fee is therefore calculated on that value, even if the owner provided it at no cost.

The architect provides the owner with a whole list of basic services. What are 5 you think might show up on the exam?

Examples of B101 basic services include maintaining the schedule through construction commencement, managing utilities/codes/government agencies, considering sustainable options, meeting the professional standard of care, and providing phase cost estimates with redesign as required under the contract.

What is contemporaneous documentation?

Record project communications, decisions, and actions in real time. Keep entries factual and objective; avoid speculation or conjecture.

The AIA C401 Architect-Consultant agreement: What does it say about the Consultant's relationship to other consultants, and to the Owner?

Under C401, a consultant is not responsible for another consultant’s or the architect’s errors, but must notify the architect in writing if they become aware of them. The consultant reports to the architect, who coordinates communication with the owner and others.

Are RFIs part of the Contract Documents?

No. An RFI is a question and does not itself modify the contract. A response becomes binding only when issued through a contract document such as an addendum, ASI, change order, or construction change directive.

What is a change order?

A change order is a post-award contract modification that changes cost and/or schedule. It is negotiated and signed by the owner, contractor, and architect.

What's a construction change directive?

A CCD directs the contractor to proceed with a change before cost/time are agreed, avoiding delay. It is binding; costs and schedule are documented and resolved later, often through a change order.

What are consequential damages?

Consequential damages are indirect losses from a breach, such as lost rent, customers, productivity, financing costs, or profits. AIA agreements commonly include a mutual waiver because these losses can be disproportionate.

Why use a standard AIA contract instead of writing your own?

Standard AIA agreements incorporate lessons from decades of disputes, are familiar to courts, and are more likely to align with professional liability coverage than a custom agreement drafted without comparable expertise.

What is a C corporation?

A C corporation is a separate taxable corporation, typically suited to larger firms and publicly traded companies. It is subject to corporate taxation and potential shareholder-level taxation of dividends.

What is a prescriptive specification?

A prescriptive specification gives detailed instructions for how work must be performed, including materials, characteristics, installation procedures, standards, submittals, and testing.

What is a performance specification?

A performance specification states the required outcome or measurable performance, not the exact means or product. It gives the contractor flexibility to select how to achieve the result.

What is a reference specification?

A reference specification cites established industry standards, codes, or regulations (e.g., ASTM standards).

What is a proprietary specification?

A proprietary specification names a specific brand, manufacturer, or product, making it a restrictive/closed specification.

What is a joint venture?

A joint venture is a temporary entity formed by two or more companies to pursue a project, sharing profits and risks while the parent companies remain separate.

What does a Gantt chart show?

A bar-chart schedule: tasks are listed vertically and their durations are shown as horizontal bars along a calendar timeline. It communicates start/end dates, overlaps, and progress.

What is a PERT chart?

A network diagram showing tasks, durations, and dependencies. It helps identify the critical path; unlike a Gantt chart, it emphasizes task relationships rather than calendar dates.

If volunteer labor is donated, is its value included in the architect’s percentage fee?

Yes. The Cost of the Work includes the reasonable value of donated labor, materials, and equipment, so a percentage-based architect fee includes their value.

In AIA contracts, what is the difference between the Work and the Project?

The Work is the portion of the Project performed by the contractor under its contract. The Project is the broader undertaking and may include work by other contractors or parties.

What are prevention costs?

Prevention costs are spent to avoid defects before they occur, such as staff training, standards, planning, and process improvements.

What are the dimensions of the ICC A117.1 clear floor space?

The ICC A117.1 clear floor space shown in the source is 30 inches by 48 inches.

What are the four parts of a Project Manual?

The Project Manual includes bidding requirements, contract forms, conditions of the contract, and specifications.

The Electrical engineer provides design services for which building systems?

The electrical engineer typically designs power distribution, lighting, electrical equipment, fire alarm, communications/data, and related electrical systems.

What is a partnership?

A partnership is a business owned by two or more individuals who share profits, responsibilities, and liability according to the partnership agreement and legal structure.

How can architecture firms team up to pursue projects?

Firms can collaborate through a joint venture (a temporary new entity), a strategic alliance (a looser teaming arrangement), or a formal partnership/other shared business structure.

What is Floor Area Ratio (FAR)?

FAR = total gross floor area ÷ lot area. It measures the amount of building floor area relative to the site area.

What is corporate memory?

Corporate memory is the firm’s retained knowledge, records, standards, and project experience that help staff avoid repeating mistakes and maintain continuity.

What are unit prices?

Unit prices are agreed prices for defined units of work, used to price quantity variations or uncertain quantities.

What are external failure costs?

External failure costs are the costs of correcting defects discovered after documents are issued or during construction/occupancy, including redesign, rework, claims, and repairs.

How often should the same dimension be repeated within a drawing set?

A dimension should generally be shown once between the same two elements within a coordinated drawing set to avoid conflicting or redundant dimensions.

How does AIA C401 define the architect–consultant relationship?

The architect coordinates the consultants’ work. Consultants report to the architect and are not responsible for other consultants’ errors, but must notify the architect in writing if they discover them.

What does AIA A701 cover?

AIA A701 provides Instructions to Bidders, establishing bidding procedures and requirements.

What's a test boring?

A test boring is a subsurface investigation in which a borehole is drilled to obtain soil/rock samples and information about site conditions.

What are appraisal costs?

Appraisal costs are the costs of checking/reviewing quality, such as staff time spent reviewing and redlining drawings.

What is a project work plan?

A project manager’s plan for who does what, when, for how long, and with what deliverables. It typically includes scope, deliverables, team roles, responsibility matrix, schedule, staffing, directory, and project budget.

What does the PDCA cycle have to do with an effective work plan?

Plan → Do → Check → Adjust. Execute the work plan, formally compare progress with the plan, make corrections, and repeat the cycle.

What is total working capital vs. net working capital?

Total (gross) working capital is all current assets. Net working capital = current assets − current liabilities; it indicates short-term liquidity.

What are common graphic project-management charts?

Gantt charts show tasks over calendar time; flow charts show process or reporting relationships; PERT/network diagrams show task sequence, dependencies, and the critical path.

What is float time in a schedule?

Float (slack) is schedule flexibility. Total float is the delay possible without delaying project completion; free float is delay possible without delaying the next task. Critical-path tasks have zero total float.

What is a limited liability partnership (LLP)?

An LLP separates business liabilities from partners’ personal assets. Unlike a general partnership, partners generally receive limited personal liability for firm obligations, subject to applicable law.

What are internal failure costs?

Internal failure costs are the costs of correcting defects before documents are issued (e.g., revising drawings after redlines). Reviewing/redlining itself is an appraisal cost.

What is the difference between inspection-based and process-based quality management?

Inspection-based quality management reviews deliverables near the end of a phase. Process-based quality management builds reviews and coordination into production, such as ongoing BIM reviews, clash detection, or ISO-based procedures.

How should a code conflict be resolved?

Meet the most stringent applicable requirement. If zoning allows five stories but the building code allows eight, the project is limited to five.

What is the architect responsible for, in an architect-led design-build team?

In an architect-led design-build team, the architect may assume responsibility for consultant coordination, schedule, budget, construction means/methods, and site safety—risks normally held by the contractor in traditional delivery.

What do RFI, RFP, and RFQ stand for?

RFI = Request for Information; RFP = Request for Proposal; RFQ = Request for Qualifications.

What is the purpose of a project notebook?

A project-management record for budget, schedule, tasks, scope, contracts, and forms. Updated regularly, it can provide credible documentation if a claim arises.

When should the budget be evaluated?

The architect provides cost estimates at the end of schematic design, design development, and construction documents. If the lowest reasonable bid exceeds the owner’s budget, the architect may need to redesign to meet it under the standard B101 terms.

What are the contractor’s responsibilities under AIA A201?

The contractor hires/manages subcontractors, prepares and completes the punch list, pays for property damage, controls construction means and methods, and is responsible for site safety.

Who certifies Substantial Completion?

The architect certifies Substantial Completion under A201; the owner and contractor also sign the certificate.

What does Substantial Completion trigger?

It permits owner occupancy (with a Certificate of Occupancy) and generally triggers retainage release, equipment warranties, the contractor’s one-year correction period, and applicable limitation/repose periods.

Which comes first: Substantial Completion or a Certificate of Occupancy?

The source distinguishes the milestones: Substantial Completion is certified by the architect; occupancy requires the jurisdiction’s Certificate of Occupancy. Do not assume one automatically substitutes for the other.

When can the contractor terminate the contract?

The contractor may terminate under the contract for specified cause or prolonged suspension/nonpayment, following the notice and procedural requirements in the agreement.

What is a restrictive covenant?

A restrictive covenant is a private deed restriction that limits how property may be used or developed, independent of zoning regulations.

What is a sole proprietorship versus a general partnership?

A sole proprietorship has one owner and no separate legal entity; a general partnership has two or more owners. In both, owners can have personal liability for business obligations.

Are verbal agreements binding?

Yes, verbal agreements can be binding unless the contract requires written modifications or applicable law requires writing. Their terms are difficult to prove, so document agreements in writing.

What are top-down fees?

Top-down fees start with an overall fee based on historical project data or a percentage of construction cost, then allocate it among consultants, expenses, and project phases.

What's an “add alternate” in bidding?

An add alternate is a separately priced scope option that the owner may accept or reject, allowing the project scope to be adjusted to fit the budget.

What happens after a contractor submits an RFI?

The contractor submits an RFI to request clarification. The architect coordinates with relevant consultants and responds; if the response changes the contract, it must be issued through an addendum or contract modification.

What are Instruments of Service?

Instruments of Service are the architect’s and consultants’ work products—drawings, specifications, models, and other design documents—created in performing professional services.

Does the owner own the building’s drawings?

No. The architect generally retains copyright in the Instruments of Service and grants the owner a limited license to use them for the project, subject to the agreement and payment.

What belongs in the project closeout notebook?

The closeout notebook typically contains warranties, operation/maintenance information, record documents, certificates, inspections, permits, and other closeout deliverables required by the contract.

What is design-build vs. “bridged” design-build?

In design-build, one entity contracts with the owner for both design and construction. Bridged design-build uses an owner-retained bridging architect to prepare bridging documents/design criteria before a design-builder completes the design and construction.

What is the architect’s role in a design-build entity?

In a design-build entity, the architect coordinates design with consultants and may share responsibility for schedule, budget, construction means/methods, and site safety, depending on the entity and contract.

What is the relationship between the design architect and the Architect of Record (AOR)?

The design architect develops the design concept; the Architect of Record (AOR) is responsible for the permit/construction documents and code compliance in the jurisdiction. Roles and liability must be clearly allocated.

What drawings does the structural engineer provide?

The structural engineer typically provides foundation, framing, and structural system plans/details, schedules, calculations, and structural specifications.

Which consultants are typically retained by the architect as basic services?

The architect typically retains structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, civil, and landscape consultants as needed for the project’s basic design services; specialized consultants may be additional services.

What is project perfection syndrome?

“Project perfection syndrome” is pursuing excessive detail beyond what is appropriate for the project phase, budget, and schedule. Match effort to the level of development required.

What is AIA Document A101?

The owner–contractor agreement typically used for stipulated-sum/lump-sum projects. It identifies the parties, project, contract sum, Substantial Completion date, alternates, allowances, unit prices, retainage, liquidated damages, and dispute process.

What is the role of AIA Document A201?

The General Conditions reference document used with A101 and B101. It defines standard rights, responsibilities, relationships, and procedures for the owner, architect, and contractor.

What drawings does the mechanical engineer provide?

The mechanical engineer typically provides HVAC, plumbing, and fire-protection plans; piping diagrams; equipment/fixture schedules; and related specifications.

Why should a subcontractor communicate concerns through the general contractor?

The subcontractor’s contract is with the general contractor, not the architect. The subcontractor should raise concerns through the contractor, preserving the contractual chain of communication and responsibility.

What are advantages and disadvantages of the multiple prime contract project delivery method?

Advantages: more owner control, potential savings by avoiding GC markup, and possible phased/fast-track work. Disadvantages: greater owner coordination burden, risk, disputes, and schedule/cost overruns without strong management.

What is a project delivery method?

A project delivery method defines contractual roles and relationships among the owner, architect, and contractor, including how risk, accountability, collaboration, cost, and schedule are allocated.

What are the characteristics of traditional design-bid-build?

The architect completes the Contract Documents; contractors then competitively bid a fixed price, and the owner typically selects the lowest qualified/responsible bidder. It is the default exam assumption and common for public work.

How does a construction manager as advisor differ from a construction manager as agent?

A construction manager as advisor (CMa) advises the owner on cost, constructability, and technical issues. A construction manager as agent (CMA) acts on the owner’s behalf to coordinate/organize trades. Neither builds the project or assumes construction-cost risk.