Design and specification

Question 1

What goes into a specification?

Answer 1

Materials, quality of works, prelims.

Question 2

What guidance do you follow for producing a specification?

Answer 2

RICS design and specification guidance note.

Question 3

What are the advantages of using NBS Chorus?

Answer 3

You can select the items you want and it pulls them through into a document with the detail saving you time.

Question 4

What parts did you do of the specification?

Answer 4

Wrote the whole spec using previous jobs and NBS Chorus.

Question 5

Would you specify fire stopping?

Answer 5

No this is done by a specialist.

Question 6

What is the advantage of taking the design to stage 4?

Answer 6

Greater understanding of the project and control over design.

Question 7

How did you ensure the durability of products?

Answer 7

Rectification period and collateral warranties.

Question 8

What guarantees were in place for the products?

Answer 8

Collateral warranties.

Question 9

What is a heritage statement?

Answer 9

Describes the historical significance of a building.

Question 10

What parts did you do of the specification?

Answer 10

Wrote the whole spec using previous jobs and NBS Chorus.

Question 11

Ferry Lane - What was the distance measured between the first floor ancillary office to the nearest protected staircase?

Answer 11

20 metres (should be max 18 metres).

Question 12

Ferry Lane - How did erecting a wall reduce the protected stairwell route?

Answer 12

Reduced the travel distance as it created a protected corridor.

Question 13

Ferry Lane - How did you assess the level of fire protection required from the newly erected wall?

Answer 13

Checked AD B, recommended 30 min fire rated plasterboard and fire doors.

Question 14

Ferry Lane - Take me through the full specification of the partition wall.

Answer 14

I checked Approved Document B to check the requirements for the fire door and partition walls e.g. fire doors to be minimum 30 min and plasterboard to be minimum 12.5mm thick.

Question 15

Wembley Arena - You mentioned that you noted numerous items that could be upgraded to improve building’s sustainability. Aside from LED lighting, what did you identify and recommend?

Answer 15

PIRs, low-flow taps, solar panels.

Question 16

Wembley Arena - How were these works presented to your client in the PPM?

Answer 16

They were included within the recommendations section of the report which summarised the schedule.

Question 17

Wembley Arena - What was your client’s key driver for the PPM requirement?

Answer 17

They wanted to understand the costs associated with maintaining the property and what years to undertake maintenance.

Question 18

Wembley Arena - How might the presentation of a PPM differ somewhat to providing your client with a vendor’s TDD?

Answer 18

PPMs outline the maintenance over a number of years, TDDs report on the condition of the building in its current state in terms of purchasing a building.