Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
The eight stages contained in the RIBA Plan of Work 2013 are:
Stage 0 - Strategic Definition
Stage1-PreparationandBrief
Stage 2 - Concept Design
Stage 3 - Developed Design
Stage 4 - Technical Design
Stage 5 - Construction
Stage6-HandoverandCloseOut
Stage 7 - In Use.
hearchitectmayalso,ifsoappointedbytheemployer,actascertiierunderthebuild-
ing contract and will normally fulfil that role as contractor administrator under the
SBC (but not the SBC/DB). In exercising the role of certifier, the architect will have a
duty of care to the employer (see below) but will not normally owe any duty of care
to the contractor (
(Pacific Associates
v.
Baxter
(1980)). For a full description of the role
and responsibilities of the certifier, see Section 7.6.
hearchitect'sdutytotheemployerintheperformanceofhisobligationsinrelation
to both design activities and other services under the appointment, as with any other
professional consultant or adviser, is to use reasonable skill and care. Where the pro-
fessional holds himself out as having a special skill, such as in the case of an architect,
the standard of care is that of the ordinary skilled man exercising and professing to
have such a skill (
Bolam
v.
Friern Hospital Management Committee
(1957)). In many
cases this duty of care will be expressly set out in the appointment, but in the absence
of such an express term, it will nonetheless be implied. That same standard will apply
to the architect's duty of care to the employer where he is carrying out the function
of certifier under the building contract on behalf of the employer. On the other hand,
astricterdutythanthatofexercisingreasonableskillandcaremay,byagreement,
be imposed on the architect by an express term to that effect. This will generally be
resisted by the architect as his professional indemnity insurance will normally cover
only acts of 'negligence', i.e. breaches of the common law duty of reasonable skill and
care and not a breach of a higher contractual duty. It is also possible that a stricter
'fitness for purpose' duty may be implied as matter of fact on the appointment by the
particular circumstances and what is demonstrated to be the common intention of
the parties (
Greaves & Co (Contractors) Ltd
v.
Baynham Meikle & Partners
(1975)).
1.3.3 Quantity surveyor
A quantity surveyor may be engaged by the employer to discharge specific functions.
These tend to be of a financial nature and can include, for example, acting as cost con-
sultant in preparing cost estimates, preparing bills of quantities, valuing work done for
thepurposesofbothinterimandinalcertiicates,ascertainingdirectlossandexpense
under the provisions of the building contract, and preparing the final account. Like
architects, chartered surveyors are members of a professional organization, in this
case the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), which was founded in 1861.
