Design and Specification

Question 1

What is your understanding of the guidance note, Design and Specification?

Answer 1

• Published in 2013.
• Details the need for the appointment of a lead consultant from project inception.
• Details the importance of understanding compliance, sustainability, and safety when designing.

Question 2

What is the RIBA plan of Work?

Answer 2

• Produced by the Royal Institute of British Architects.
• Describes the necessary stages to complete briefing, design, construction, and operation of a building.

Question 3

How did you implement the RIBA plan of Work in your case study project?

Answer 3

• At project inception I split our proposed fee to the client in terms of expenditure for each RIBA stage.
• I produced a programme of works which split the timescales required within each RIBA stage.
• At conclusion of each RIBA stage the client was consulted to notify them of the proposal to move to the next stage and subsequent approval to do so was sought.

Question 4

You mention you have extensive experience in compiling specifications, can you give some typical sections you would expect to find in a specification?

Answer 4

• Preliminaries
• Demolitions
• Masonry
• Windows and Doors

Question 5

What is your understanding of the purpose of specifications?

Answer 5

• They are to provide the contractor with materials and workmanship for the project.
• They do not provide quantities or drawn information and should be read in conjunction with drawings, BOQs, schedules.

Question 6

How do you produce your specifications?

Answer 6

• I utilise the software NBS.
• This is regarded as the UK industry standard and provides all the latest legislation and British standards relevant to the works.

Question 7

You also mention your familiarity with a Schedule of Works, how does this differ to a specification?

Answer 7

• Provides an instructional list of the works required.
• Does not provide as much detail on quality criteria and should be supported by a specification.

Question 8

In your Ipswich Academy project, you project mention how you produced your design to conform with the building control requirements – what approved documents did you conform to, and were there any other regulations you considered?

Answer 8

• I incorporated the requirements of approved document B – Fire Safety, E – Resistance to sound, F – Ventilation, H – Drainage and waste disposal, and M – Access to and use of buildings.
• Other regulations I also considered;
  o Relevant British Standards
  o Building Bulletin 103 – area guidelines for mainstream schools.

Question 9

In your Speedstile unit installation at Constantine House, can you talk us through what parts of the design were tailored to meet the requirements of Approved Document Part M?

Answer 9

• Minimum clear distances of lobby spaces created by the installation of the unit.
• Changing of door handings and operation to ensure they were useable for wheelchair users.

Question 10

Were there any other legislative documents you considered relevant to the Speedstile project?

Answer 10

Yes I also considered the duties outlined within the Equality Act 2010 and the relevant British standard - BS 8300-2:2018 Design of an accessible and inclusive built environment.

Question 11

What is a designers risk assessment?

Answer 11

• A process adopted by designers to identify hazards or hazardous activities in order to eliminate them or reduce them.
• HSE have a red, amber, and green list:
  o Red – Dust creating activities, no safe provision of access for maintenance
  o Amber – Use of solvent in confined spaces
  o Green – Permanent means of access, edge protection

Question 12

What are the main design approaches?

Answer 12

• Occupational design – specific requirements for end user.
• Pragmatic design – creative approach and acknowledges more than one solution
• Critical design – fundamental driver to design often linked to a culture setting.

Question 13

Explain your understanding of the term ‘modern methods of construction’?

Answer 13

• RICS published a guidance note on this in 2018.
• This listed the following methods of construction as viable options to assist with the housing crisis in the UK:
  o Cross laminated timber
  o Modular construction
  o Design for manufacture and assembly.

Question 14

Are you aware of the different types of specification?

Answer 14

Three different types:
o Performance – Gives contractor scope to innovate
o Prescriptive – Provides full design meaning client certainty however some contractor innovation available
o Proprietary – References single type of product meaning full client certainty