Successful Int Projects thru Effective Contract Docs - Sustainable Design

Question 1

Although the designer should be responsible for meeting all agreed-upon schedule deadlines, the designer’s contract should expressly exclue what?

Answer 1

Liability for delays caused by other project team members

Question 2

If the project should be delayed through no fault of the designer what should happed?

Answer 2

The project schedule should be adjusted and compensation should be made for the extra time spent and services rendered on the project past the agreed-upon completion date.

Question 3

What should be included in the contract to avoid exposure to scheduling claims?

Answer 3

(1) Be insistent that all project schedule milestone dates and turn-around times are realistic (2) Ensure that reasonableness standards for time extensions are build into your agreements and that an Act of God clause is included and (3) immediately inform your client in writing of all delays caused by contractors, consultants or other parties.

Question 4

The term “readily achievable” means “easily accomplishable and able to be carried out without much difficulty or expenes.” Because there are no pre-determined formulas to determine if something is easily accomplishable, the issue is to be determined on a case by case basis. What are five factors which should be considered in determining this?

Answer 4

(1) The nature and cost of the required action (2) The overall financial resources available at the site, the number of employees at the site, safety requirements, and the impact of the proposed action on the operation of the site (3) The geographic separation and the admnistrative or fiscal relationship between the site and parent entity.(4) If applicable, the overall financial resources of the parnet entit6y including the nubmer of employees and the number, type and location of its facilities

Question 5

Life Cycle Issues - What 6 things should a designer take into consideration for the life cycle of a product?

Answer 5

Transportation, Production, Packaging, Installation, Use and Recovery

Question 6

Life Cycle Issues - Transportion: What should a designer consider regarding transportation?

Answer 6

The amount of transportation involved at all points, fom raw material producatino through finalproduct delivery. Each mile of transportiaon required more energy consumption and produces greater levels of pollution. Are ther locally produced products that will serve the need just as well?

Question 7

Life Cycle Issues - What should a designer consider in regard to production?

Answer 7

The designer should understand all steps of production and know how much pollution is released into the air, water and soil in these processes? How much waste is produced in each step? How much energy is used? How much water and other resources were required in the processes? What othe resources are depleted in the production process? Is the process safe and healthy for the workers?

Question 8

Life Cycle Issues - What should the designer consider in regard to packaging?

Answer 8

Designers should keep in mind that packaging alone can represent a large percentage of the total wast for a given product and look for items that don’t require or use as much packaging, look at whether the packaging is recycleable or necessary

Question 9

Life Cycle Issues - What should be considered in regard to installation?

Answer 9

Is the installatin safe for workers? Does it introduce volatile orgainic compounds (VOC’s) into the building? Will the warranty be voided if a more environmentally frienly masic or finish is used? Are the mastics, finishes or other required installation materials safe and environmentally friendly?

Question 10

Life Cycle Issues - What should be considered in regard to use?

Answer 10

Will the product be used for a long time with minimal upkeep? Is it safe for users? Are the maintenance procedures dsafe? is if free of VOCs and other toxic components?

Question 11

Life Cycle Issues - What should be considered in regard to recovery?

Answer 11

What happens to a product at the end of its useful life as a building material - does it end up in a landfill, or can it be recycled for another use, or is it biodegradable?

Question 12

What factors should be included in designing an indoor environment?

Answer 12

Air quality, lighting, acoustics, thermal comfort and visual and actual access to the outside

Question 13

Work with the overall building designer to maximize the use of daylight, reduce the use of elecric lighting nad reduce overall energy consumption along with considering operable windows in order to _____ ______ _____

Answer 13

Reduce energy use.

Question 14

Select building material base on their entire life cyce to minimize waste and pollution at all stage while also protecting the health of the building users is ______ _______ _______ _______ _______

Answer 14

Using environmentally friendly building materials

Question 15

Make is easy for the building users to recycle by providing approriate space and casework to sort and store recyclable materials both at the point of use and the the reciving area of the building. This is _____ ____ ____ ______

Answer 15

Planning for user recycling

Question 16

Provide for________ _______ minimization in the specification for each material as well as recycling requirments in the general conditions.

Answer 16

Construction waste

Question 17

Insure that the materials selected promots health with a minimum of off gassing that the building is well ventilated before occupancy and during use, and that the microbial contamination is avoided. Ensure that the design limits opportunities for mold buildup in ductwork and elsewhere in the building. These items _____ _____ ___ _____

Answer 17

Promotes indoor air quality

Question 18

Ensure the overall program is necessary and minimized to reduce the overall use of resources. This practice is to _____ ______

Answer 18

Program carefully

Question 19

Designing for flexibility in every way possible ensures ____ ____ ____ for the initial and subsequent users.

Answer 19

Long term flexibility

Question 20

Maintenance - Ensure the building is easy to ____ and _____

Answer 20

Clean and maintain

Question 21

Working toward raising the overall enviroment performance of not just a single project but all projects is the process of ____ _____

Answer 21

Learning systematically. Do this by learning from each project to systematically improve your standard specifations, details and other aspects of design. Use the Leed rating system on all of your projects.

Question 22

If we are to improve the enviroment for all, the knowledge of how to do so cannot be proprietary information. You should _____ and _______ ________

Answer 22

Share and demonstrate sustainablity

Question 23

In all ways, think of the desingin terms of creating an environment of ____ ____ ___

Answer 23

Long term value

Question 24

Two systems of rating the overall enviromental performance of a building are:____________ and ___________. Both of these systems attempt to model every material, system and operations decision that goes into a building toa rrive a a total impact of the building on the health of the earth.

Answer 24

BREEM and BEPAC

Question 25

Rating systems are generally ____ ____ rather than proscriptive. It encourage innovation and exploration of new ideas and solution rather than relying on code minimums

Answer 25

Performance based