Field Visit

Texas Orthopedic specialists


We have a site visit at Texas Orthopedic Specialists at Bedford, Texas.
 As 5 million project, Ridgement Company is doing design building for owner. They build two story building with steel beam and column structure with eight month construction periods. The imported stone wall material is looking impressive for the visitors. As called Turn Key, design construction contract is that owner contracts a single firm for both design and construction. The construction company hires local architect and has responsibility of financing, design and construction of the project and hand over to the owner as ready for occupancy. The benefit is saving both time and cost for the owner, but single company should have all responsibility of the project.At the second floor, we have the chance to see the material and structure in more detail. For hospitality usage purpose, this building has more advance ventilation system and safe structural method like steel beam and column.

Steel Structure with MEP facilities

 When finishing the construction process during final communication, contractor makes the request for information to make clear of omission and error of drawings. The daily report helps keep the date, on-site activities and important information. Finally, the request for payment that contains schedule of values, lien wavers, clear indication of retainage and any approved charge to contract.

stucco exterior wall
on the metal frame

 After four weeks of learning, I realize that much knowledge can be learned at field and visiting site and all of construction management is combined with social relationship and physical building within the trust, time and budget. Architecture and Construction should be energy efficient, design creative exploration and cost efficient to meet real estate business benefits.The developers,architects and contractors should add the knowledge with art, science and business for their success in future.

Contractors' Duty

   At the third class, we discuss about bidding, bond and insurance.   The contractor’s required insurance coverage are included contractual liability insurance, worker’s compensation insurance, liability insurance, personal injury insurance and automobile & property damage insurance. The contractors are usually required to obtain products and operations coverage after work completed. All amounts are specified in the supplementary conditions and must be purchased before starting construction work. Liens give the worker, contractor or material supplier the right to force the sale of an owner’s property in order to satisfy for payment. Without clear title, an owner may be prevented from transferring the property through sale.

Glass wall shop drawing

  At the presentation time, I researched the process of shop drawings. Generally, shop drawing is prepared by contractors, subcontractors, material supplier or fabrication companies with graphically indicating the fabrication and installation of particular product. (AIA General Condition A201). Shop drawings are typically required for pre-fabricated components. Contractors need to verify actual materials and measure dimensions at field. The architect reviews contractor's shop drawing to match construction documents.

Bid, Construction and Contract Documents

    We had a class at Ridgemont Commercial Construction in Irving Texas. The purpose of the class was learning field experience and discussing what we learned last week. Ridgement has diverse experience of commercial, hospital and residential construction.
We discussed several documents for the bid , construction and contract documents. Contract form, condition of contract, specifications, drawings, addenda and contract modifications are for the contract documents with bidding requirement are for the construction documents and without contract modifications are bid documents. Construction documents are prepared by the architects and must understand the propose of these document. Specifications are complements of the drawings. They are written documents regarding quality, method and techniques of installation and desired performance. The CSI Master format is developed and published for the construction specifications. It is consisted with 16 divisions and each section is divided by General, Material and Execution.

After Ridgement company project introduction like Southlake and Turtle Creek project, we discussed bid invitation, estimate bidding and change order. The company uses electronic database bidding system for inviting the contractors. General contractors and subcontractors easily download the plans to calculate estimation online. Since some years ago, they have used timber line software which let them manage all change orders and accounting numbers for more efficient working.    After lunch, we went to sprouts farmers market job site at Hebron in North Dallas. With tilt up wall prefabricated system, they save time and materials at field. As reinforced concrete wall, they precast on the ground floor slab of the building and lift with a crane to its position. Since the connections of tilted up walls buildings are critical, embeds in panel and slab-on-ground are connected together through weld plates.

   Then we went to single family houses at Highland Park. With concrete and steel materials, the house was made with flexible custom design with the pool at second floor. In the living area, transparent glass makes outdoor yard as part of indoor space. However, many segmented spaces make people feel restricted and confused to find directions.

Developer, Owner, Architect and Contractor's working process

In the development project, the developer’s duty is to create development from beginning to end. The developer must have clear vision to approach what he wants to do, with strong leadership, he should be a good listener. In the project, he works with people with diverse background such as customers, bankers, investors, city officials, architect, contractor and other people. To lead the whole team to success, developer identifies the opportunities in advance and must manage from people to building. In the predevelopment, his job is mainly three categories of design, financing and marketing. Managing creative process and people are the keys to another success.

In working with architect, owner or developer establishes design goal with designer’s concept and helps the designer to approach design well within the boundaries of developing program and allowable budget. In the process, he encourages the designer’s pursuit and identifies with his idea. If he has architectural knowledge, coordinating work can be easier and smooth. Second, developer makes financial assumption plan based on the current or future business market with potential risks. Failure could lead to bankruptcy. Therefore, making asset strategy for success and relationship between financial networks is important. The credit line from the bank also provides site acquisition and construction financing. Traditionally, the architect needs to consider these components to every design decision such as cost function, aesthetics, time and sustainability. Life-cycle costing affects the decision of the selected form during final design process, but sustainability may increase functionality without harm and to be designed within cycle of living things.

(The project in the west Dallas at the UT Arlington Architecture+Business School 2009)

An owner’s principal obligation is to pay the contractor and provide property information related to project like legal description of site or easements. He is required to provide the contractor with drawings and specifications during construction period. There is no relationship between the owner and subcontractors. The AIA General Conditions requires a general contractor to bind all subcontractor and owner. Contractor provides bonds guaranteed the obligations arising out of contract will be paid for reducing an owner’s risk of financial loss on contractor’s defaults. Surety companies guarantee the contractor will fulfill contractual duty to the owner.

From contract to the construction and leasing management process, within limited budget, timing issue and people’s risk are also what he should coordinate and manage in the exact location and time with no delay. In the real estate market cycling, demanding and supply point are different. In the equilibrium point, the developer’s confident and his diverse experience is certainly needed for the project.

Introduction

    

In the class, we discuss the construction management topics for the commercial investment real estate. The construction industry, one of the major economic markets in the country, is related to owner, architect and contractor by creating physical buildings. Many people are involved in construction and when construction is finished, the buildings are used as real estate business investments. Upon the architectural design experience in Dallas and studies at UT Arlington, I have started to work with Architecture, Real Estate and Business. I think the future architecture is more closely approaching it’s intention to make energy environmental and efficient buildings. Upon the strategies, there are many approaches to make creative exploration. It is difficult to see good sustainable buildings around us, and it sounds the initial construction cost is more than expected. Also it needs many years of experience and education in lifetime for architects to open their eyes on the sustainability.