Author: Sarawat Juthy

An Architect is not only responsible to inspect the Work, but also to do the best of his/her skills and knowledge to save the Owner money. In a situation like this, the Architect must inform the Owner about the possible risks he is taking, both physical and financial, through this decision. The fact that changing the proportions of the Concrete mixture was an undocumented modification unacknowlegded by the Contract, and decided by the Owner and the Superintendent, the Architect should speak to the Contractor about this matter. A Superintendent is the Contractor’s representative. It is his duty to supervise the site and inform and communicate with the Contractor regarding any issue. If changing the concrete mixture portion was something the Superintendent hid from the Contractor, this must come to the Contractor’s knowledge. The contractor is responsible to supervise and direct the Work and therefore solely responsible(3.3.1). If the General Contractor sees the problem but constructs anyway without reporting, he will be liable for the remediation cost. Therefor, If the General Contractor perform nonconforming work knowingly, he assumes responsibility for Work and remediation.(3.7.3) 

The architect shall, however, be entitled to performance and enforcement of obligations under the Contract intended to facilitate performance of the Architect’s duties (1.1.2). As 9.5 gives the Architect the authority to withhold certification of payment, the Architect will notify the Owner and Contractor in writing the reasons for withholding payment in parts or in whole. If Architect and Contractor can not agree on a revised amount, Architect will issue the certificate for the amount the Architect feels is reasonable. 

4.2.6 also gives the Architect the authority to reject work that does not conform to the contract documents. And If the Architect rejects work, the Contractor must correct it (12.2).

As we are familiar with the universal phrase “The customer is always right”, we also know that isn’t always the case. 

Steve Jobs, while talking about market research, once said, “People don’t know what they want until you show it to them”. That also applies for any type of consumers we can think of. As an architect, it would be my duty not only to satisfy my client, but also to solve the given challenges. As a responsible architect, I have to mention these issues at the very beginning of the project. Probably even before taking the job. Convincing the client would be the first thing to do in a situation like this, with facts and evidence. And there comes the research papers on the relationship between productivity and comfort at work. Clients can come up with bizarre idea’s and demands and that could be because of the lack of knowledge on that particular field. So it is the architect’s job to make sure the client is fully aware of these aspects, and convince them to find a middle ground.  

Some of the information which I would need as an architect are, what would be the number of employees. What would be the budget for this project? The location in which it will be constructed? If this is going to be on an expansive site, why are they limiting the space for the office building? What are the limitations? 

It is also important to let the client know that different work spaces require different programs, depending on how many hours they are working and what type of activities are taking place. Communication is the key. Dicussing the pros and cons with the client, providing them with data and facts, and coming to a conclusive solution together is what would be ideal for this situation.

Scrolling through social media is how I came to find this ad called “The Indoor Generation”, which is basically shedding a light on how  people are being more device centered and spending more time indoor, alone, instead of being out in nature like they should be. Which I knew was a real problem as I was watching it on my Phone. There is no doubt that with all these technological innovations, we are being more chained and stiff, spending most of our days indoors. Even having enough time under sunlight which is crucial for a healthy life, has become a luxury; or torture for some, should I say.

If this pandemic had taught me anything at all, it is the necessity of the touch of nature to be introduced in our living space; the most important part of architecture to everyone which we experience on a daily basis. No one should ever feel like they are imprisoned in their own house. And that hit me when I got extremely emotional seeing just a simple tree on the street when I first got out of my house after 2 months. 

Introducing nature to architecture is going to be the topic for my final project. And even if I didn’t have to do it for this class, I was going to research about this topic anyway for my own interest. I think, not only introducing and involving nature more with living spaces is important, but also keeping sustainability in mind is an absolute necessity. 

I am also interested to research more about the effect of architecture on our mental health. And keeping in mind that not everyone has the luxury of living in a big house, or spacious place, people who live in small apartments should not feel caged. How an architect solves this problem is the question and I want to dig more to find the answer.

As I mentioned about “The Indoor Generation” ad earlier, it was by this company called VELUX, which works with manufacturing of skylights and roof windows, and their goal is to provide a healthier indoor environment for people, which is crucial. My goal is to research more about them and finding out other companies and organizations who are working for a healthier indoor experience, and improving mental health through architecture. Not only I want to research about them, but I am also interested in working with a company as such to be able to be a part of it.