Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Obviously, if the sub-contractor is being asked to carry out part of the design, the posi-
tion is rather different. The architect, who is usually the design leader, will have a duty to
co-ordinate the sub-contractor's design with the rest. Therefore, the architect will have a
corresponding duty to check the drawings to ensure this co-ordination.
The position is, therefore, clear. The architect will rarely have any obligation to approve
a sub-contractor's shop drawings unless the sub-contractor has a design obligation or the
contract documents expressly require the architect to approve such drawings. When deal-
ing with the sub-contractor's design, it is safest if the architect avoids using the word 'ap-
prove' and instead simply states that he or she has no comment to make. Use of the word
'approve'hasbeendiscussedelsewhere.Itdoesnotusuallyremoveanyresponsibilityfrom
the contractor.
