The Architect and Site Meetings in Nigeria

ARC 807

TERM PAPER ON

THE ARCHITECT AND SITE MEETINGS IN NIGERIA

OJUGBELI HILDA ANWULIKA

ARC/07/0983

SUBMITTED TO;

THE DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE,

FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, AKURE,

ONDO STATE, NIGERIA.

LECTURER IN CHARGE: PROF.O .OGUNSOTE

JUNE, 2013

INTRODUCTION

Site meeting is very crucial to the success of any project as it aims at ensuring proper update with respect to the program of work, cost effectiveness, quality and standard of materials and construction.

Conduct of site meeting is a vital part of the Architect’s responsibilities in post contractual building administration. For a proper grip of the meeting, the Architect should not only be vast in the technicality of building administration, but also in every other aspect of human relationship, management/leadership ability, and communication skill. Site meetings provide an excellent opportunityfor the architect to establish an on-sitepresence.

WHO IS AN ARCHITECT?

According to E.A Taiwo (2010), An architect is a licensed, registered professional who maintains a balanced between the arts and science of building and humanity to form a nucleus for the operations of the building industry and general relevance in the society. He is trained and licensed in the planning and designing of buildings or other structures, and superintends construction for a pleasant relationship between aesthetics, comfort and safety in equation that often defies precise solutions

THE ARCHITECT'S ROLE DURING CONSTRUCTION

The responsibilities of an Architect are many and varied during the construction process. When construction administration is part of the contract, the architect's ability to help create a successful project continue after the planning, design and construction documents are complete. All too frequently, the Architect-Owner relationship is terminated on completion of the construction documents. Some contractors wish to remove the architect from their operation, viewing their presence as both a nuisance and an unnecessary expense. However, an Architect has several critical roles yet to play during construction.

Performance Evaluation

It is up to the Architect to observe construction to ensure, through regular inspection, that the site work, when complete will meet the specifications of the construction documents. While the architects' scrutiny might appear to hinder progress, it will ultimately benefit all parties and the success of the project to arrange regular site reviews. The Architect should submit written evaluations of work at regular intervals during construction. By doing so, the contractor avoids any plan deviation which could become a liability should problems arise in the future.

Deviation and Adjustment

The Architect must submit modifications made to the design of a project during construction to the Contractor. These changes often occur to adapt a project to real-life site conditions, correct errors and remedy omissions to the construction documents. Departures from construction documents that are discovered after their finalization should be brought to the attention of the owner along with any necessary scheduling adjustments.

Costs

During design development, the Architect will usually provide an estimate for the cost of work. This estimate, however, is a target and is likely to change during construction. As the cost requirements change, it is the responsibility of the Architect to update and refine cost estimates and share that information with the Contractor and owner. Estimates should always take into account contingencies and potential price escalation. Should the cost requirements reach budgetary limits, it is the architect's duty to recommend alternative solutions to resolve any variations to the original budget.

Site Assessment

At an agreed upon time, after the completion of a project, the Architect is responsible for conducting an assessment of the site for the owner. Operations and performance of the facility should be considered and the architect should make recommendations for maintenance and improvement if any are required. Any deficiencies in construction are to be addressed by the contractor, making this assessment essential for the owner. Additionally, liability for any substandard work may fall in part to the architect, if the problem is in the design, highlighting the importance of the architect's presence during construction.

It is short sighted and creates added risk for all parties when the Architect has no contracted responsibilities during construction.

During the construction stage the contract administrator (sometimes referred to in different forms of contract as the 'architect / contract administrator', 'project manager', 'engineer' or 'employer's agent') holds regular (often monthly) construction progress meetings attended by the contractor and if necessary members of the consultant team.

The client, client representative or project manager may also wish to attend these meetings. Construction progress meetings may require decisions to be made and so it is important that they are attended by sufficiently senior individuals if delays are to be avoided.

Construction progress meetings are an opportunity to:

· Receive progress reports from the contractor (the contractor may hold a progress meeting, sometimes called a production meeting, with sub-contractors prior to the construction progress meeting).

· Receive progress reports from the consultant team.

· Receive cost reports from the cost consultant.

· Receive records of sub-contractors and labour on site.

· Receive progress photos (which may be required from the contractor if included in the preliminaries, or may sometimes be commissioned separately by the client).

They are also an opportunity to discuss issues raised, such as:

· Progress vs programme and the causes of any delays.

· Testing regimes.

· Mock-ups.

· Quality issues.

· Weather reports.

· Issues that may impact on costs.

· Health and safety issues.

· Issues with neighbours (such as noise, dust, vibrations, rights of light, access, safety etc).

· Off-site fabrication and off-site payments.

· Earned value analysis.

· Design issues.

· Warranties.

· Look ahead to the next period (including specific requirements for progress photos during the next period, which may include off-site fabrication photos).

Meeting minutes should be prepared, with a requirement that any disagreement with the items recorded in the minutes is raised within a pre-defined period (perhaps one week). The progress meetings will also result in the preparation of a construction progress report for the client.

On construction management projects, the construction manager holds regular construction progress meetings with the client and consultant team, however they will also hold regular construction progress meetings with trade contractors to discuss on and off-site progress against the programme and to co-ordinate the release of information. It may sometimes be appropriate for these meetings to take place at the trade contractor's premises. Construction progress reports will then be prepared for the client. On large projects the construction manager may hold a daily logistic meeting on site with trade contractor foremen to organise, schedule and co-ordinate on-site shared services such as deliveries and off-loading, hoists and craneage, scaffolding, safety issues, rubbish clearance etc.

Similar meetings may be held on management contract projects between the management contractor and the works contractors.

SITE MEETINGS

Regular Site Meetings

One of the architect’s responsibilities duringconstruction is to participate in job-sitemeetings. The architect should be familiar withthe progress of the job prior to any regularlyscheduled job meeting.

Site meetings provide an excellent opportunityfor the architect to establish an on-sitepresence. Minutes of the site meetings shouldalways be recorded. They should indicate whatactions are required and who is responsible forthe action. Minutes should be distributed within48 hours of the meeting. Either the architect orthe general contractor prepares the minutes,depending on the architect’s choice and thegeneral requirements of the specifications.

The architect usually attends many meetingsthroughout the course of a project, and it isimportant that key decisions be recorded.Minutes should be reviewed for accuracy andcompleteness and, minutes together with anyamendments, should be distributed to all parties.

SITE MEETING/PROGRESS REPORT

I. Normal regular site meetings should be held on monthly basis except were the need arises for more frequent meetings.

II. Minutes of such site meetings should be circulated within seven (7) days to enable actions taken by the concerned parties in earnest.

III. Progress reports, including progress photographs and financial reports should be prepared and circulated by the contractor every quarterly, i.e., three (3) months period.

IV. All records of site proceedings, including meetings/minutes of meeting should be properly kept as they form legal documents towards preparation of final accounts, and in case of any litigation.

CONDUCT OF SITE MEETING

Conduct of site meeting is in two parts (Site visitation and the Normal indoor meeting). The two activities come up together in every site meeting. While site Visitation is necessary to:

I. identify and proffer solution to problems on site

II. Determine on-site progress report, and

III. Ascertain conformity of construction and materials to standard and specifications.

The normal indoor meeting is necessary to;

A. Update records of the project development

B. Discuss administrative developments regarding the project, such as contractors

REPONSIBILITY OF THE ARCHITECT IN THE CONDUCT OF SITE MEETINGS

The Architect chairs the meeting and is responsible for the following actions:

I. Preparation and circulation of notice and agendas of meetings

II. Conducting and directing the meeting and site inspection/visitation

III. Confirmation through writing excerpts of actions decided in the meetings

IV. Preparation and circulation of minutes of meeting.

A Monthly Meeting where all parties to the Contract : Contractor, Employer, Consultants are to attend to discuss, review, decide on all matters pertaining to the Contract Works.

A Monthly Meeting should be scheduled from the day the Construction works starts, with the 1st Meeting being the Kick-Off Meeting/Site Handoverwhen the Contract is officially handed over from the Employer/Owner of the Project to the Contractor. This is an important meeting as all rules, regulations, basic contractual matters are clearly laid out and formulated for the whole works. The Contractor will have to submit his organisation structure, clarifications of main issues, while the Employer will lay out his obligations and highlight specific requirements in the contract. The Consultant for the project will be the person to coordinate the relationships between the Employer and the Contractor, and he will lay down the specific requirement for compliance by BOTH parties.

The Monthly Meetings should be scheduled from the 1st Kick-Off/Site Handover Meeting, every month until the handover date which should be the Interim Final/Last Meeting.

All parties should then adhere to this schedule.

Weekly Site Technical Meetings

A Site Technical Meeting,should be a Site Issue, a Working Session,and should involve site personnel and be carried out On-Site, in Temporary Site Offices. This should involve only site personnel from the Contractor's, Employer's, and Consultant's side.

The Site Technical Meetings should be held on a weekly basis and more regular if there are crucial issues to be discussed. It should be a purely technical work meeting, where site problems are solved immediately. It should not be formal and minutes need not be prepared, however, attendance record should be forwarded to Senior Managers, and any issues cannot be solved should be brought to attention of Senior Managers.

Helpful facilities include : a big white board, a big computer monitor, computers & MS Software, AutoCAD, A3 color printer with cheap refillable ink (or color laser printer), a big long working table twice plywood,very good lighting,a handy digital camera, and lots of coffee would be good start.

Project Schedules

This is an important issue in any Contract as delays will cost additional expenses for all parties. A detailed review of Project Schedules or Work Programmes is a must on a Weeky basis, and be discussed in detail in every Meetings between the parties.

Proper use of MS Project Software or similar Project Management or Construction Management Software can made to advantage. The main problem is not many people can use this software properly, and more for "show" than for project management. Every Project Managers and Engineers should learn this software and an experienced site technician can be trained to manage the data.

Financial Schedules

This is the most important issue which must be evaluated by all Parties during any meetings. A proper financial management is crucial to the project implementation and without proper money management & resources, the works will simply NOT MOVE. Many Employers & Consultants assume that Contractors have limitless funds allocated for the works and have the wrong attitude of taking it easy on contractor's claims and payments. This is not so. Contractor would normally allocate a 10% project funds for implementation, with many on materials on 15 daysor 30 days credit.Contractor's debts will be accumulating if he cannot roll his funds fromuncertainly in payments.

Regularly scheduled sitemeetings are essential to:

· communicate the client’s expectations tothe construction team;

· ensure good communication betweenall parties;

· exchange and transmit technical informationsuch as shop drawings;

· provide a structured opportunity for fieldreview;

· resolve problems and discuss all relevantdesign and construction issues;

· assist in making judgements anddeterminations;

· review schedules and progress claims.

FIG 1: SITE MEETING AGENDA TEMPLATE

MINUTES OF MEETINGS

Minutes are records of issues discussed and decisions taken. Different architects have different ways of presenting them. Minutes of the site meetings shouldalways be recorded. They should indicate whatactions are required and who is responsible forthe action. Minutes should be distributed within48 hours of the meeting. Either the architect orthe general contractor prepares the minutes,depending on the architect’s choice and thegeneral requirements of the specifications.

But there is agreement on the basic items that must be included if the minutes are to be meaningful. These items make up the first part of the minutes and include:

I. Title of project

II. Number and date of the site meeting