hahhahahahahaha! Hey Len, it sounds to me like those architects are forced subbing thier job down to ya'all for no pay! Better be careful, pretty soon you will designing the entire building too!  (if so please spec it all in solid surface!!!!!)

All joking and kidding aside, I agree with you.... your decision to pursue this may put you way ahead of the pack in several years!

Architects on large commercial projects have their hands full, and it's almost an impossible task to ask them to be expert in every discipline, to the point where they understand everything that a subcontractor does after years of experience. Factor in the reality that there isn't one single architect working on a project, but multiple designers working in different fields of discipline that are tasked with sub projects, and what happens is when all the sub-projects are combined? There are holes.

Just last week I was given a set of pre-final drawings to review, and I discovered that the architects had solid surface shelves floating in space with no visible means of support...in 576 rooms! They had made some revisions between the 90% drawings and the pre-final set, and no one caught the problem until you cross-reference this particular item between floor plans, elevations, and the detail sheets. We brought it to their attention, and the Architect is working on new details to support the shelves. It's a lot of work, but I see this as a service we offer.

Most of the projects with which we are involved are design-build, so it's sort of the nature of the beast, and I like it.

Posted By Len Smith on 15 Aug 2011 11:27 AM
Architects on large commercial projects have their hands full, and it's almost an impossible task to ask them to be expert in every discipline, to the point where they understand everything that a subcontractor does after years of experience. Factor in the reality that there isn't one single architect working on a project, but multiple designers working in different fields of discipline that are tasked with sub projects, and what happens is when all the sub-projects are combined? There are holes.

Just last week I was given a set of pre-final drawings to review, and I discovered that the architects had solid surface shelves floating in space with no visible means of support...in 576 rooms! They had made some revisions between the 90% drawings and the pre-final set, and no one caught the problem until you cross-reference this particular item between floor plans, elevations, and the detail sheets. We brought it to their attention, and the Architect is working on new details to support the shelves. It's a lot of work, but I see this as a service we offer.

Most of the projects with which we are involved are design-build, so it's sort of the nature of the beast, and I like it.

LOL we are installing a job right now with this same issue, only it did not get caught until the time of install.  Of course now everyone says its up to the installers to provide and install the support.

Len you are 100% right its a lot of work to try and make sure all of the details line up on the larger projects.