Case Study Library

In a small-town charity project, a contractor replaces sturdy design features with weak alternatives, leaving the clubhouse near collapse decades later. Can the architect be blamed when the contractor ignored approved plans? Learn how to avoid long-term liability in this podcast episode.

Can an architect be held liable for a fire when they weren’t tasked with supervising construction? Discover how unnoticed fireplace flaws can create legal nightmares.

In a small-town office project, when an eager developer starts without a permit, a faulty wall and low ceilings derail the project. Can an architect be liable for these setbacks when the client jumped the gun? Find out in this classic episode.

In a historic restoration where three architects, an engineer, and a manager bombard a mason with conflicting orders, shoddy stonework triggers a costly redo. Can architects be liable for this mess when everyone’s calling the shots? Find out in this classic episode.

Can an architect be liable for a deluge when they only suggested the field’s general layout, and not its specifics?

Can an architect be liable for a failure when they followed the client’s verbal instructions, even though these instructions were poorly considered?

Season 4 of The Claims-Free Architect podcast will drop into your favourite podcast feed on September 8, 2025.

An interior decorator serves as the prime consultant for a very disorganized building project. Although he referred to himself as the “Captain of the Ship,” he abandoned ship and blamed the disaster on his “crew”—including, of course, the Architect. Even Walt Whitman would be amused.

In architecture, the downhill flow of water forms the basis for the design of plumbing and drainage systems. It’s such a universal rule that it’s more than a little surprising when it’s been ignored.

How can a simple typographical error in a millwork order lead to a financial and logistical nightmare, not to mention the heartbreak of trashing 180 custom-made cabinets?