Should contract documents include specifications for LEED Certification? A client questions if specifications are necessary for a Hotel project seeking LEED gold certification.
Where does the client expect all the Division 01 and Divisions 02 and up requirements to reside?
If the client has such faith in the performance of the contractor that they don’t feel specifications are necessary in order to achieve their design intent, consider obtaining a waiver of claims from the owner, leave the client and contractor to have a good time, and go design the next project. Most architects don’t make money on CA phase services anyway, so why do them? Don’t do more than your state licensing statute requires. Of course, you’ll never work for that client again after the disaster they are about to set sail on. But sometimes you can’t save a client from themselves.
Phil, unfortunately new work remains rare in our backyard these days, this project is a large one and one that the architect is not willing to walk away from. The Developer needs to understand the importance of the specifications for the project, the architect know this, but wants to please the developer, leaving us out of the team and thus no specifications…I am trying to develop an argument for the value of specifications… To date we have been prepared specifications on 7 LEED projects, all which had specifications, so my question remains, are specifications necessary (or even advantageous)for inclusion in the contract documents to obtain LEED Certification?
Specifications are no more and no less necessary for a LEED project than any other. Isn’t it interesting that, in a few short years, the entire industry has been taken by the need for LEED, but there remains a lack of appreciation for the documents that actually get the work done?
At the very least, there are countless submittals for LEED certification and the requirements for these are listed in each technical section and, overall, in a Division 01 section. For Gold certification, I’d assume that there will be requirements for waste management - another Division 01 Section - or two. There would also be a LEED checklist to enumerate the LEED credits for the project; I’d suspect that should reside in a Division 01 Section, too (maybe Sustainable Design Requirements?). And what about the Commissioning requirements - I doubt Gold is attainable without commissioning; and there’s another Division 01 Section.
The specifications, Division 01 through Division 49, serve to organize project information in a way that allows consistency and coordination. I can’t imagine trying to keep track of all the LEED requirements without a good Project Manual.
Jerome:
Didn’t you go through something like this a few years ago, where the owner’s rep wanted all industry references removed from the specifications?
What are owners and developers in Florida smoking?
yes Dave, apparently I won that battle, but now Contractors are aggressively pursuing elimination of specifications from all private sector projects, not just condominiums for the prime purpose of reducing quality and increasing their pocketbooks, while telling the developer how much better their job would run without specifications and the developers are buying it, meanwhile the architects are so desperate for work, they are forgetting how valuable specifications are to protect them. Could be why so many spec writers have left South Florida, they are getting burned out, frustrating and literally dying off.
In the 2007 Florida version of the IBC, "Construction Documents, required for review for permit, are defined [in Chapter 2] as, "Written, graphic…’
Seems to me that it is difficult to meet that requirment[!] without specs, much less totaly circumvent it.
That may be a compelling answer for a project manual and LEED requirements. They are required by code unless waived by the AHJ.
Lynn said better what I feebly attempted to say in my brief sentence.
Perhaps you could turn this around, turn it into a make work campagne and manage the LEED processes to the USGBC. Sounds like the potential to make beaucoup $.
Playing devil’s advocate: The IBC definition could be defended by some building officials or plans examiners that the “written” portion of the definition is also in reference to the notes on the drawings and not necessarily just specifications. Thus, specifications are not specifically required.
The UBC did not have an official definition of construction documents, but the UBC did identify specifications as a submittal document.
I’m not sure what the SBC used to define construction documents.
In Wisconsin (admittedly a state that goes its own way), the submittal requirements to obtain a commercial building permit include 4 sets of drawings and 1 “set” of specifications. While the building permit is “conditional”, I don’t think you’d get even that without submitting the specifications. “Commercial” encompasses anything more complex than a 2 family dwelling.
Wanna have some fun?
Let’s submit a code change to IBC to add “specifications” to the definition of construction documents, and we take a collection to send Ron and Jerome to the hearings, wherever, to defend the change!!!
Nah, that would be cruel and unusal punishment-- sending them into the “hostile” camp.
But wait, isn’t this REALLY A VIABLE SPECIFICATIONS issue that needs a remedy? Especailly in light of what Lynn has noted neeeds doing for LEED and ever increasing “stuff” being required on projects.
And the AHJs really shouldn’t complain since “if there are regulations, enforcment and verification are required”!
I have noticed that LEED specifications are getting tighter, more “requirement-y” and less “suggestion-y” than a few years ago. Earlier, there was a lot of “Goal for recyled materials…”, and “Owner desires to achieve…”
If the owner expects a LEED Gold building, and expects the A/E to make it happen, then how else does it happen without requiring it in the specifications? I suppose as Phil suggests the owner could write into the agreement (supplementary conditions?) that the contractor shall provide a LEED Gold project, and leave the A/E out of it entirely. Performance specifying to the extreme: tell the end result and let the contractor figure out how to achieve it?
If LEED (or anything else work result related) is in fact a contract requirement, it needs to be specified. Specifications = requirements. Anything less is mere suggestion.
Construction Suggestion Institute, indeed!
Maybe we should form a national organization that includes architects, engineers and building product manufacturers (and maybe even including building officials and facility owners/managers) that promotes the value of well-prepared construction specifications.
What would be an appropriate name for such an organization?
How about the construction sarcasm initiative?
The SOMETIMES, GENERALLY, ALWAYS, AS A RULE, CONSTRUCTION SUGGESTION INSTITUTE
or
The PAY ME NOW OR PAY ME LATER INSTITUTE
I’m surprised, actually, that the lending institution isn’t requiring a project manual. some years ago, I had a lot of developer clients come to me because the bank required a set of specs. oh… that was before the recent banking reforms..
well… another tactic might be to appeal to the Architect’s liability insurance – how would his carrier feel about having no project manual on the project? does his liability increase if the documents aren’t complete?
Back to Jerome’s kind reply to my flippant comment: Perhaps the fee argument is a good one to make. Any single claim or dispute due to misunderstanding or conflicting information will cost at least 3 times as much to unravel as it would take to hire a specifier to put together a step by step guide on how to build the building (and obtain LEED certification in the process.) A good set of specifications holds the building team’s hand during construction. All you have to do is do what it says, and you’ll come out with your multi-million dollar project intact.
LOL…personally I like Wayne’s suggestion…“The PAY ME NOW OR PAY ME LATER INSTITUTE” although it could perhaps use a little tweak…
The PAY ME LESS NOW OR PAY ME MUCH MORE LATER INSTITUTE