Guide to Using the RIBA Professional Services Contracts 2018 - Other - Page 44
Contract terms
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• Any special user Client information such as security, special needs or access
requirements?
• Is there site information and/or details of the existing building(s)?
• Are there OS maps and/or surveys of the existing site and any buildings?
• Is any relevant local history available or can any be found?
• Legal aspects of the land ownership and legal boundaries should be confirmed.
• Are there any previous studies relevant to the project such as contamination,
environmental, or highway studies?
• Is there any information on likely hazards and is there a health and safety file from
a previous project?
• What information will be required at each stage and how will the project
information be issued? Will this information have to be issued in specific formats
such as prints, PDFs, CAD files or BIM files? If BIM files are required, what
protocol should be used?
• Is there a target construction cost or overall budget?
• Are there any key target dates such as planning approval, start on site or
completion that are critical?
• Who, as Client, will sign off and approve any decisions about the design, costs
and day-to-day matters?
The Brief is part of an ongoing process to define the Client’s requirements and
remains a Client document, not the Architect/Consultant’s view of what they think the
Client wants.
On a domestic project, whilst the preparation of the Initial Project Brief may be less
complex, it is more likely that the Architect/Consultant will be much more involved in
developing the brief during the initial meeting(s) than on a commercial project where
the Client will have already carried out some briefing analysis.
Key watchpoints
• Does the client fully understand their needs, or do they need help in preparing
the brief?
• Is there sufficient information to be able to agree a scope of services and a fee
proposal?
• Do you know the site address and the legal ownership and boundaries?
4.5 Other Client Appointments
This section covers the assembling of the Design Team and the role, and appointment,
of other Consultants appointed by the Client. As the leader of the Design Team, the
Architect/Consultant should advise the Client on the need, and the most appropriate
way, for any other Consultants and Specialists to be appointed and paid by the Client.
Design Teams
On any project, however small, it is unlikely that the Architect/Consultant will be the
only member of the Design Team. However, an inexperienced Client usually benefits
from appointing one key professional consultant (such as the Architect) at an early
stage of a project. That professional consultant can then guide the Client through
the project and advise on what other professional disciplines the Client may need to
appoint. In contrast, an experienced Client may delay appointing any professionals
until later in the project when the full Brief has been established, particularly if the
Client has relevant in-house expertise.
Assembling that Design Team will not only depend on the size of the project and the
procurement route, but also the expertise of the Architect/Consultant. The structure
and nature of Design Teams have developed over the years not only as a result of
changing procurement routes designed to resolve cost and time issues, but also
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