AB Cards

Question 1

Levels of a Corporation

Answer 1

Stakeholders, Directors, and Officers

Question 2

Which Insurances are Required by AIA B101?

Answer 2

1 - General Liability (Covers the office space); 2 - Professional Liability (Covers errors and omissions); 3 - Workers Compensation Insurance (Employee injury/illness, medical care & lost wages); 4 - Automobile Liability (company vehicles and personal cars used for business); 5 - Employers Liability (covers employers in case they are sued, settlements, court costs, and legal fees)

Question 3

Standard of Care

Answer 3

Expected quality of services provided by Architect in their area. Often the decider in whether the Architect has made an error or omission.

Question 4

What are the format types for specifications?

Answer 4

Master Format: classification by material. This is the older, more commonly used format.
Uniformat: classifies by system (substructure, interiors, etc). This is the newer format that is more cohesive with BIM.

Question 5

Employment Practice Liability Insurance

Answer 5

Insurance to protect from wrongful termination.

Question 6

Intellectual Property Insurance

Answer 6

Insurance that covers claims based in copyright/intellectual property infringement.

Question 7

What is the owner responsible for?

Answer 7

Pre -existing conditions, paying the contractor, owner’s consultants, and change orders, and hiring/firing the Architect.

Question 8

Aggregate Limit

Answer 8

Total Coverage Amount

Question 9

Premium

Answer 9

Monthly/yearly bill

Question 10

Deductible

Answer 10

Maximum paid by the insured prior to coverage kicking in.

Question 11

Claim

Answer 11

what the insured files to the insurance company to get payment.

Question 12

Tail Insurance

Answer 12

What a retired architect will need. it protects completed past projects and is cheaper than insurance a practicing architect will need.

Question 13

How would you file an ethical complaint against an architect?

Answer 13

1 - File complaint through AIA national Ethics Council within a year of the violation. 2 - advisory chair and board will be chosen. 3 - Pre-hearing, hearing, start, claim, defense, end, and judgement. (confidential, no counterclaims, can’t fine or enforce behavior, but can admonish/suspend)

Question 14

Who are the most common ethics complainants?

Answer 14

Other architects and homeowners.

Question 15

Fiduciary Duty

Answer 15

A legal obligation to act in the owner’s best financial interest.

Question 16

Does the Architect have a fiduciary duty?

Answer 16

No! Architects must hold to the higher standard of caring for ethics, health, safety, and welfare of the public rises above. May be wise to ensure there is a clause in a contract stating fiduciary standard will not be upheld.

Question 17

Retainer

Answer 17

Regular services for a fixed fee. Lessens the amount of contracts required with consistent work for the same client. Saves money and is more efficient. Used by universities doing lots of small projects with one architect.

Question 18

Agent

Answer 18

If someone is the agent of an owner, that means they can speak for the owner. It is a legally binding relationship between a third party and the principal.

Question 19

Are Architects agents of the owner?

Answer 19

Nope! Not unless a formal legal agreement has been drawn up. This means the Architect cannot speak for the owner while speaking to the contractor or consultants.

Question 20

Who is contracted by the Architect?

Answer 20

MEP, Lighting Consultant, Civil Engineer (for utilities, contouring, improvement of the land), Landscape Architect/Engineer, Cost Estimator, Code Consultant.

Question 21

Who is contracted by the Owner?

Answer 21

Zoning, Traffic, Site, Geotechnical, Surveyor, Civil Engineer (for permitting and existing conditions)

Question 22

The Contractor is responsible for what?

Answer 22

“Perfection” in construction, nothing outside of the contract, paying and coordinating with sub-contractors, providing Owner with operation manuals, some design of specific systems (delegated design), for things like curtain wall details, concrete framework, and steel fabricator shop drawings.