ARE 5.0 CE - Section 1

Architect Developer

Though architects typically provide design services for separate clients, they can take an ownership interest in their projects, becoming both architect and developer.

During construction, the architect developer has greater control over construction processes and quality, as well as a larger impact on the life/performance of the building as a whole.

Contract Drawing

These are a component of the contract documents and form the overall contract between the owner and contractor.

They include the plans, sections, and details produced by the architect.

AIA A305

The Contractor’s Qualifications Statement.

This document lets the contractor demonstrate their suitability to perform the work by presenting company information, financial statements, references, and so forth.

The architect can review this document prior to construction to gain an understanding of the contractor.

Design-Negotiate-Build (DNB)

A variant of the design-bid-build project delivery method where instead of competitively bidding the project, the owner negotiates with a few preselected contractors and determines which is most well suited to construct the project.

Design-Build (DB)

A type of project delivery where the owner works directly with one team that both designs and constructs the project.

During construction, the designer’s role will vary greatly depending on whether the designer or the constructor leads the process.

Final Estimate

An (educated) guess at the final cost of construction. This is required of the architect at every project phase.

During construction, the architect should keep an eye on total costs to ensure the work is progressing properly and that the budget is respected.

AIA A701

Instructions to Bidders.

Used to provide instructions to bidders on procedures, including bonding requirements and direction for preparing and submitting their bids.

Addenda

Issued during bidding by the architect to clarify or modify the bidding documents, these are sent to all bidders, and become part of the contract documents.

Bulletin

A modification to the contract documents that is made after bidding closes.

It’s issued to the general contractor for review, and may result in changes to the project cost or schedule.

Allowance

An amount included in the contract to cover the future cost of work, materials, or equipment that cannot be accurately determined at the time the contract is executed.

Base Bid

The construction cost proposed by a contractor for the full scope of the work, without any bid alternate pricing.

Bid Alternate

A portion of the work defined in the procurement documents for which separate pricing will be identified.

It can be either an add alternate, which will add to the base bid price, or a deduct alternate, which will take away from the base bid price.

Bid Form

A document filled out by a contractor, and submitted to an owner, stating the proposed total construction cost for a project.

It may include qualifications or assumptions to define the scope of the bid.

Bridged Design-Build (Bridging)

A type of design-build project delivery in which the owner engages an initial architect to prepare a set of preliminary design/requirements called bridging documents.

These documents are later used by the design-build team, without the continued involvement of the initial designer, to prepare the final project documentation and ultimately construct the work.

AIA G701

The form for change orders.

Change orders are signed by the owner, architect, and contractor, and are issued to modify the contract time or budget. They are amended to the construction contract.

Value-Based Selection (VBS)

The owner selects a contractor based on the weighted values of multiple criteria, including construction cost or fee and proposed schedule, as well as qualifications-based criteria such as experience on similar project and proposed personnel.

Unit Price

A cost estimation method which uses the prices of single units of products, such as a square foot of a finish, as the basis of tis estimate.

Integrated Project Delivery

An alternative type of project delivery which combines the traditional relationship between the owner, architect, and contractor into one entity, ultimately for the purpose of promoting better collaboration and the alignment of incentives among the members of the project team.

Joint Venture

A type of business partnership in which two or more entities join together for the purpose of doing one or more projects.

These entities can include architects, developers, contractors, consultants, etc. Joint ventures may be formed for various reasons, such as to address technical challenges or political aspects of the project.

Payment Bond

A surety bond issued on behalf of the contractor that guarantees subcontractors, laborers, and material suppliers will be paid for their work and materials, protecting them if the contractor defaults.

Performance Bond

A surety bond issued on behalf of the contractor that guarantees the project will be completed in accordance with the contract documents, protecting the owner if the contractor fails to perform or complete the work.

Privately Funded Project

A project in which part of all of the funding is provided by a private entity, such as a business, individual, or real estate developer.

Project Delivery Method

The method by which an owner organizes and contracts for the design and construction services required to deliver a project.

Qualifications-Based Selection (QBS)

The owner selects a contractor based solely on the contractor’s qualifications.

Responsible Bidder

A bidder that has demonstrated their financial ability to carry out the work as described in the contract documents, should the contractor fails to be awarded to them.

Responsive Bid

A bid which meets all bidding requirements as outlined by the bid documents, including submission by the stated deadline.

Life Cycle Cost (LCC)

The total calculated to include all costs of a product, building system, or facility over its expected span of service, including its design, installation, and operation.

Owner-Build

This occurs when the owner and general contractor are one entity.

They may also be separate entities under common ownership, such as by a larger corporation.

Procurement Documents

The project manual, contract drawings, and any addenda issued before bidding, which prospective contractors use to prepare and submit their bids.

Scope Creep

The unplanned expansion of a project’s scope due to changes in the work, materials, or quality, often resulting in increased costs, schedule delays, and additional effort.

Standard of Care

The level of skill, knowledge, and judgement that a reasonably prudent architect would exercise under similar circumstances, and the standard against which professional performance and negligence are evaluated.

Stipulated Sum

A compensation method for the contractor where the contract sum for the completion of the work is a set number, as opposed to a cost-plus method, for example.

One advantage of a stipulated sum contract is that the owner has a very clear sense of total costs.

Also called fixed fee.

Target Price

A type of bidding where the owner sets a budget and then selects a contractor based on which one provided the most scope for that budget

Construction Management

A professional service that coordinates the execution of the construction documents by assisting with budgeting, scheduling, constructibility, and construction oversight, typically performed by a construction manager or general contractor rather than the architect.

As-Built Drawings

A set of drawings that is prepared after the completion of construction, reflecting all information the contractor has incorporated for the purpose of construction.

According to AIA standards, because these are based on as-constructed modifications to the contract documents, these should not be the responsibility of the architect.

Procurement

The complete process of specifying, buying, and receiving goods and equipment.

Pre-Construction Meeting

A conference that occurs at the beginning of construction work where many aspects of construction are discussed, including start-up requirements, site observation processes, submittal procedures, etc.

Construction Manager as Constructor (CMc)

A project delivery method, also known as Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR), in which the construction manager provides pre-construction services, maintains the project schedule, and serves as the general contractor during construction, typically under a guaranteed maximum price (GMP) and assuming the associated cost and performance risks.

United States Green Building Council (USGBC)

A private organization that promotes sustainability in building design, construction and operation who is responsible for the development and improvement of the LEED rating system.

AIA B101

The Standard Form of Agreement Between Owner and Architect, this is the basic contract commonly used in practice by many architects, and is the primary owner-architect document referenced on the ARE.

Substitution requests

These can be found in two scenarios:

1. The first scenario involves a request from bidders to use a different product than was specified in the bid documents. Their request is submitted for consideration during the bid process. The responses to these requests will be issued in the form of addenda and distributed to all bidders. The addenda will become a part of the bid documents

2. The second scenario is during submittal review: these requests may also be issued by the contractor after bid to request changes to product selection.

AIA A201

The General Conditions of the Contract for Construction.

This agreement sets forth the rights, responsibilities, and relationships of the owner, contractor, and architect under the conventional project delivery.

Multiple Prime Contractors (MP)

A project delivery approach, typically used as a variation of design-bid-build, in which the owner contracts directly with multiple prime contractors, each responsible for a different portion of the work, allowing for potential schedule acceleration but requiring greater coordination by the owner and architect.

AIA A101

The Standard Form of Agreement Between Owner and Contractor where the basis of payment is a Stipulated Sum, this is the most commonly used construction contract and is the basis of many questions on the ARE.

This agreement references the AIA A201 General Conditions.

Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP, GMAX) (updated)

A compensation structure that establishes the maximum amount the owner will pay for construction, with the contractor responsible for costs that exceed the guaranteed maximum price.

AIA C401

The Standard Form of Agreement Between Architect and Consultant, this AIA document references the prime agreement and contains many of the same provisions as found in B101.

Design-Bid-Build (DBB)

A project delivery method in which the architect completes the design before contractors competitively bid on the project, after which the owner holds separate contracts with the architect and the selected contractor.

Cost-Plus (Time and Materials)

A contract compensation method in which the owner pays the actual cost of labor, materials, equipment, and other project expenses, plus a predetermined fee or percentage for the contractor’s overhead and profit, with the final contract amount varying based on the actual cost of the work.