Chapter 27: Owner-Designer Agreements

Question 1

what is a contract

Answer 1

a bargain between two or more parties, each of whome agrees to echange something one or more of the others desire to obtain.

the client desires a space to be designed, the designer desires to be paid for services.

two parts- offer and acceptance to be complete

Question 2

name the list of items that should be in a contract

Answer 2

names and dates
scope of work (be detailed and list whats NOT included)
purchasing agreements if any- - usually in a separate contract though
method of payment
reimbursable expenses like travel, phone, copying, postage
extra services
responsibilities of the client
ownership of documents- designer retains rights usually
provisions of arbitration- if there is a dispute
termination of the contract- the right to quite with notice
signatures- only by client but good to get both

Question 3

what document is the scope of work for a contract based off of

Answer 3

AIA document B152: standard form of agreement between owner and architecture for architectural interior design services

Question 4

name the overall categories of the interior designer’s scope of work

Answer 4

programming
schematic design
design development
contract documents
bidding(tender)
contract admin
purchase orders if neccessary

Question 5

what category of the scope of work is often not included in the scope of work

Answer 5

programming

Question 6

in what phase of the design process would you first show the client a budget

Answer 6

the schematic phase based on the design concept and current costs of similar projects

Question 7

in what design phase does the designer refine the approved design- the final phase of approval before contract documents start

Answer 7

design development

Question 8

what deliverable are often in the design development phase

Answer 8

detailed plans showing walls and doors, futnirue layout, lighting design, sketches of built ins and other 3d or 2d drawings to describe the character of the design. also presents an updated budget for approval based on these refinements

Question 9

who prepares the bidding documents, the designer or owner

Answer 9

designer ASSISTS the owner- doesn’t do all of it alone

Question 10

under the AIA agreement, what is the designer’s relationship to the owner? do they assist the owner or are the a representative of the owner?

Answer 10

they are a representative

Question 11

what does it mean when a designer is a representative of the owner? what responsibilities does that mean

Answer 11

consults with the owner during the contract admin phase.

communication with the contractors go through the designer who has the authority to act on behalf of the owner but only to the extent in the contract documents

Question 12

what must a designer do to stay informed and guard against defects in the contractor’s work

Answer 12

do site visits as necessary but not too often

Question 13

who pays the contractor

Answer 13

the owner, but the designer gives approval based on site visits

Question 14

what is a designer looking for when reviewing shop drawings

Answer 14

conformance with the design concept NOT accuracy and completeness of dimensions, details, quantites etc

Question 15

who is responsible for receiving FF&E- owner, contractor or designer

Answer 15

owner. NOT the designer’s responsibility

Question 16

what are some examples of additional services in a contract

Answer 16

revisions to dwgs or specs that are inconsistant with the written approvals of the client or proposed subsitutions from contractors/vendors

investage existing conditions

detailed inventories of furniture

verify info given to the designer by the ownder

contracting for special surveys, environmental studies etc

assisting in design and selection of graphic design

organizing and participating in selection interviews with prospective contractors

receiving, inspecting FF&E on behalf o the owner

post occupancy evaluations

Question 17

what are some responsibilities of the owner in a contract

Answer 17

give full info regarding project requirements and budget that allows for contingencies

must provide a space to receive and store materials and equipment on site

removal of existing furniture etc

when necessary, designating a representative who can act on the owner’s behalf on day to day decisions to avoid delaying the job

Question 18

what is the project cost

Answer 18

total cost to the owner of all components of the project

Question 19

what is the designer’s responsibility in a fixed price limit contract

Answer 19

if both parties agree to it. the designer is then obligated to modify the drawings and specs at no additional charge to reduce the project cost

Question 20

if there is no fixed price limit to a contract, does the designer make changes for free to the design to bring down the project cost

Answer 20

not free! client must pay

Question 21

what are the two broad ways that interior designers charge for design work and which is the most common

Answer 21

1. based only on professional services- most common with a separate contract for the client to purchase the furniture through the design firm
2. based on the retail method of reselling furniture and fixtures.

Question 22

what are the three methods that a designer can charge based on the ASID 301, 302 & 303 (dont describe yet) and which is the most preferred by designers

Answer 22

1. fixed fee
2. hourly rate- preferred by designers
3. Percentage of project cost
4. Area Fee
5. Retail Method

Question 23

what is ASID Documents 301, 302 & 303

Answer 23

agreements between designer and client for design services- intended for small to medium commercial contracts. Standard scope of services. differences are based on how the designer is compensated for work

Question 24

what is a fixed fee for compensation for a project and what do you need to do to make it profitable

Answer 24

fixed sum of money that the client will pay to the designer for a specific set of services

designers must accurately estimate all costs and allow for a profit

reimbursable are additional

profitable- carefully itemize the list of scope and list items NOT included. also list how much it will be for additional services. must also carefully monitor the progress of the job to make sure you’re still profiting

Question 25

what is an hourly rate for compensation for a project

Answer 25

client is charged actual time that you spend on a project

you have a billing rate that includes overhead and profit, taxes, company benefits etc

good because you get compensated for actual work done to make sure you make a profit. protects the designer when a client keeps changing their mind, or if there are unforseen problems during construction etc.

client’s don’t usually like this though so you sometimes need to have an hourly rate to a maximum

Question 26

what is an hourly rate for compensation for a project

Answer 26

professional fee is determined based on the total cost of the project

for experienced designers who can accurately anticipate the amount of work required and expected cost of a project

bad because a low cost project might require just as much or more work than a high end project

Question 27

what is an area fee for compensation for a project

Answer 27

based on square footage of a project.

usually used for commercial construction or by a VERY experienced designer

Question 28

what is a Retail Method for compensation for a project

Answer 28

the designer produces their compensation by acting as a reseller of goods- buy at a trade discount then sell at retail price. This difference covers the costs of overhead and profit etc.

used by residential designers but it’s discouraged.

Question 29

what is a POE

Answer 29

post occupancy evaluation

review of a completed project after the client has occupied it for some time- usually 3-6 months

not a standard part of the designers services and done on the designer’s own time

Question 30

what is a pros and cons of the owner hiring their own consultants

Answer 30

pro-make the work load easier for the designer

con- loss of influence over the consultants because the owner is the boss

Question 31

what is a fee projection chart

Answer 31

figure out whether there is enough money allocated for a project. It can also be used to determine the prelim project schedule

Question 32

what is the point of strategic planning or internal planning

Answer 32

to accurately determine if the scope of work

also to define the designer’s fee

Question 33

what kinds of things would you do when you’re strategic planning

Answer 33

research the project time
research the client
research the building type
identify stakeholders
determine scope of work

Question 34

what do you do for the project close out procedure

Answer 34

give the client manuals/warrenties
give clients photos if you have them
schedule meetings for follow up to discuss if the space works, how the finishes are holding up, lighting ok etc