The Retirement Home
Interpersonal conflicts can lead to litigation. In this this claim story, a project for a retirement home spirals into legal chaos.
Lowest Bidder Loses
Bid mishandling is a serious allegation. Learn how to preserve the integrity of the system and avoid this accusation.
The Level Made Me Do It.
How reliable is a survey? When a fire hydrant used as a survey benchmark is replaced by a new fixture, and a site is over-excavated as a result, who is responsible, and how does a seemingly minor 20 cm error in site levels lead to a massive $1.2 million lawsuit?
Out of Site. Out of Control.
A retrofit presents special difficulties. In this case, a bid document requiring x-ray vision was unreasonable and unenforceable; a stipulated sum contract proved to be the wrong vehicle for unknowable site conditions; and a failure of mechanical and electrical co-ordination created costly delay and chaos.
The Claims-Free Architect Podcast
For every architect who aspires to be claims-free in practice, this podcast is for you.
Architects’ Claims Stories
Seasons 1 and 2 of Architects’ Claims Stories are packaged together for 3.5 hours of entertaining and educational stories for architects, foreign-trained architectural professionals and architectural interns.
Visual Evidence
It’s often been said that seeing is believing, and this is certainly true in legal proceedings. Ever since movies were first allowed into a courtroom, film and video have provided a reliable way of capturing reality and presenting it as evidence. Who knows how many people have been convicted or exonerated on the basis of images on a screen? In this episode, featuring two stories, Architects find themselves confronted by video evidence that may reveal either guilt or innocence. And neither is certain.
Poor Choices
It’s an infrequent mistake, but it happens: Consultants and projects are chosen unwisely, and the architect must assume responsibility for the consequences. In these two stories, those errors are about to doom the projects . . . until a second—extremely rare—phenomenon occurs: Fate steps in and saves the day. The odds of winning Lotto Max are about 33 million to one. The odds of your project being saved by blind luck are in about the same range.
Client Demands
Many architects will tell you that some of their greatest professional rewards come from their relationships with their clients, working as a team toward a common goal. But occasionally, these relationships break down, and what starts out as professional affection deteriorates into outright animosity. It’s a fine idea to make friends of clients, and even clients of friends, but remember: business and friendship can sometimes make poor allies.
Unchecked Qualifications
“Trust but verify” is a diplomatic term that applies just as well to architectural practice. Give your team members enough space to exercise their own skills, but always maintain a discreet watchful eye. Lack of professional oversight contributes to several problems, and those problems lead to claims.