CASE 51: CONCRETE WALLS

This case involves a lack of information and written statements within the bidding process and contract execution. A company is selected as the GC for a project and the contract doesn’t differentiate the GC from the subcontractors. The GC decides to bid out a concrete package and has 3 subcontractors within 3% of each other. The scope of work includes rebar installation, concrete placement, and slab finishing. The GC has an interview with the lowest bidder before awarding them the project to make sure they understand the scope of work. The subcontractors bid didn’t reference any drawing but during the interview the GC ask if all concrete is shown in both structural and architectural drawings, they say yes. This was documented in the pre awarding notes but were not a part of the subcontractor’s agreement. The GC hires the subcontractor and two weeks later, the subcontractor calls inquiring why the reference was made to the architectural drawing. They remind the contractor about the meeting but this should have raised some red flag for the GC. Another two week later, the subcontractor sign and mail back the subcontract but crosses out the reference to “concrete work shown on drawings.” There are several concrete walls shown in the architectural drawing but not in the structural drawings. The subcontract refuses to accept the subcontract as originally written, and does not want to install the walls unless a change order is issued. In order to solve this issue, the GC should have never accepted any bid without carefully notating the drawings that would be included and used for work. They should have reviewed the architectural and structural drawings for accuracy. It was never in the subcontractors bid to make sure that the drawing was correct because the drawing wasn’t specified and notated before the contract was awarded the GC is to blame.

Bryan Gonzalez

CASE 24: BUDGET or BID?

There were many issues in this case study from the start. The owner contracted a GC for the construction and a separate Architect for the design. After they got the permit, the architect’s contract was closed out. This was a bad decision made by the owner because he lacked knowledge about the industry and it was his first construction project, usually the architect can help with those issues. The contract was made by the contractor at discussed in detail what was reimbursable but did not tie the GC to a fixed price. The $3 million was referred to as a “budget” in the contract. This meant that a change in price could happen. The Owner thought because of verbal discussion with the contractor prior to the contract execution, that the $3 million was a lump sum agreement. The meant that the owner didn’t read and understand the contract and thought what was said verbally was the final amount.  During construction changes had to be made because of building code. The contractor decided that the project was a Time and Material project and did not submit change order against the “budgeted” amount. The GC invoiced the owner for 100% amount of the original $3 million, at 90% completion. The GC tells the owner that the project would overrun $500,000. The owner doesn’t agree and wont pay and the contractor pulls off the job. I think that both are at fault for not making the contract clear and using verbal combination and what they believe is right, to continue construction. The owner didn’t understand the contract and the GC decided not to submit a change order. If the owner knew it was his first project, he should have not ended the architect’s contract. There was a lack of communication between the GC and owner.

Bryan Gonzalez

ARCHITECT: YES or NO?

My goal has been to become a licensed architect after switching to the Architecture Program at City Tech. Becoming licensed not only allow you to call yourself an Architect but it also opens up so many possibilities that you can use your license for. But from what we’ve learned in this class, it’s a tedious and long process that not many people don’t know about or aren’t ready to undergo. We have also learned about the vast possibilities that don’t require you to become licensed. I believe its up to the person to decide what they want to focus on and if they do get licensed, how they plan on using their license. Once they find that answer they can decide. At the moment I want to become a license architect to have the freedom to one day open a firm and work on my own projects. Or be able to get a good position at a big firm. Also, the ARE requires a lot of studying so your knowledge of the profession will get better.

Bryan Gonzalez

Dream Job

During my search for colleges and all the various fields of study available, Engineering, Architecture, and Graphic Design were the three that I found interest in the most. Growing up, I really liked practicing Math and Art. During elementary school I was a part of the Art Club. In middle school I took a math regents examination, I would do art for the school’s newspaper and was apart of the selected few that got to work with an art teacher, to get a portfolio to get into a high school with an art program, but I never bothered to apply. For High School I went to Murrow one of the few schools with an a really good art, theater, and music program and although I wasn’t apart of the art program, an art teacher who knew me well let me take extra art classes like fashion design, sculpting, knitting, and fine arts. Although I loved and was exposed to Art and Math my whole life it wasn’t something I wanted to do as a career. When I got accepted into City Tech, I originally applied for the Civil Engineering program. As I came in to do my schedule, I decided I didn’t want to do civil engineering and instead I wanted to become an Architect. It was a mix of everything I wanted to do.  As the quote by Matthew Fredrick state, “An architect knows something about everything. An engineer knows everything about one thing.”

This semester has made me uncertain of what I want my  job to be. From this class, Professional Practice, which has showed me all the career options available and steps to get licensed. The LIB Learning Places class that has taught a lot about the drastic changes going on in the urban environment, our own city. Those two classes have made me look at different career options related to the field. But at the moment my dream job is to work at a firm and gain experience to become a licensed architect and focus on designing for the urban environment of the future.

Bryan Gonzalez