Chapter 4 Discussion Questions
5.2 SCOPE OF DESIGN SERVICES
Design is the activity where a major part of the information about a project is initially defi ned and the documentation structure is laid out for information
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added in later phases. A summary of the services provided within the traditional phases of design is shown in Figure 5 - 1 . The traditional contract for architec- tural services suggests a payment schedule (and thus the distribution of effort) to be 15% for schematic design, 30% for design development, and 55% for construction documents (AIA 1994). This distribution refl ects the weight tra- ditionally required for the production of construction drawings.
Due to its ability to automate standard forms of detailing, BIM signifi cantly reduces the amount of time required for producing construction documents.
Figure 5 - 1 illustrates the relationship between design effort and time, indicating how effort is traditionally distributed (line 3) and how it can be re - distributed as a result of BIM (line 4). This revision aligns effort more closely with the value of decisions made during the design and build process (line 1) and the growth in the cost of making changes within the project lifetime (line 2). The chart emphasizes the impact of early design decisions on the overall functionality,
FIGURE 5-1 Value added, cost of changes and current compensation distribution for design services
(CURT 2007).
3 4
1 2
PD
Effort/Effect
SD DD CD
Time
PR CA OP
PD: Pre-design SD: Schematic design DD: Design development PR: Procurement
CA: Construction Administration OP: Operation
Ability to impact cost and functional capabilities 1
Cost of design changes 2
Preferred design process 4
Traditional design process 3
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costs and benefi ts of a building project. The fee structure in some projects is already changing to refl ect the value of decisions made during schematic design and the decreased effort required for producing construction documents.
5.2.1 The Concept of Information Development
Various building projects begin at different levels of information develop- ment, including defi nition of the building ’ s function, style, and method of construction. At the low end of the information development spectrum are franchise buildings, including warehouses and roadside service stations, often called “ big boxes, ” and other buildings with well defi ned functional properties and fi xed building character. With these, minimal information development is required, and the client often knows ahead of time what is going to be delivered. Knowledge of the expected outcome is prescribed, including design detailing, construction methods, and environmental per- formance analyses.
At the other end of the spectrum — involving the highest level of informa- tion development — are owners interested in developing facilities for new social functions or attempting to re - think existing functions, such as combining an airport with a seaport, an undersea hotel, or a theater for experimental multi- media performances. Other instances of high information development involve agreements between the owner and designer to explore the application of non - standard materials, structural systems or environmental controls. Two of the case studies in Chapter 9 — the Beijing Aquatic Center and the San Francisco Federal Building — are examples of high information development projects.
Their respective functions led to the development of new and untried systems that were generated from fi rst principle analyses. For some time, progressive architecture fi rms and students have expressed an interest in fabricating build- ings using non - standard materials and forms, following the inspiration of Frank Gehry, Sir Norman Foster, and others. These projects involve higher levels of information development in the short term, until such cladding or construction practices become part of the arsenal of standard and conventional practices.
In practice, most buildings are functionally and stylistically a composition of well - understood social functions, with some variations in detail practices and procedures, styles and image. On the construction side, most architecture conforms to well - understood construction practices, with only occasional innovations regarding materials, fabrication and on site assembly.
The scope of design services, considered from the level of information development, can be simple or elaborate, depending on the needs and intention of the client as well as the level of sophistication within the project delivery team, as outlined above. Traditionally, the level of information development is conveyed in the scope of contracts that defi ne architectural services, as outlined
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Range of Technical Services Used During Design
Financial and cash fl ow analyses
Analysis of primary functions including services in hospitals, rest homes, airports, restaurants, convention centers, parking garages, theater complexes, etc.
Site planning, including parking, drainage, roadways
Design and analysis/simulation of all building systems, including:
structure
mechanical and air handling systems emergency alarm/control systems lighting
acoustics
curtainwall systems
energy conservation and air quality vertical circulation
security Cost estimation
Accessibility assessment
Landscaping, fountains and planting External building cleaning and maintenance External lighting and signage
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in the box on pages 151 and 152 ( “ Outline of traditional architectural services ” .) In projects with well - defi ned data for function and construction, the initial phase may be abbreviated or omitted, with design development (DD) and con- struction detailing (CD) being the main tasks. In other instances, feasibility, pre - design, and schematic design (SD) may be of critical importance, where the major costs and functional benefi ts are determined. With such projects, steeper fee structures are justifi ed.
5.2.2 Technical Collaborations
Design services potentially involve a great range of technical issues, involving various building systems, different building types, and the specialty services required of them, such as equipment for laboratories or artifi cial materials used on the playing fi elds of stadiums. A sample of these typical services is summa- rized in the box titled “ Range of Technical Services Used During Design ” listed on this page. While some of the services listed in this box are carried out by the
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primary design fi rm, more often, they are undertaken by external consultants.
For example, in a study of collaborative architectural services (Eastman et al.
1998) with the fi rm of John Portman and Associates in Atlanta, a large build- ing project in Shanghai was found to include over twenty - eight different types of consultants.
From this overview, we can appreciate what is well - known by most large architectural fi rms but less understood by many clients, developers, contractors, and even small design fi rms — that building design is a broad and collaborative undertaking, involving a wide range of issues that require technical detailing and focused expertise. It is in this broad context that BIM must operate, by both enhancing quality and coordination. We can also see from the diversity of con- tributors for this book that the main challenge in adopting BIM technology is getting all parties of a design project to agree on new methods of working, and for documenting and communicating their work. In the end, everyone must adapt to the practices associated with this new way of doing business. This point is emphasized — implicitly and explicitly — in the case studies in Chapter 9 .
Today, an additional set of collaborators is frequently becoming involved in the early design stages. These are contractors and fabricators who are candidates for executing the project downstream, who form the basis of a design - build effort or other type of teaming arrangements. These experts address constructi- bility, procurement, scheduling and similar issues.