ARE 5.0: PDD key terms

The degree of skill and diligence a reasonably competent architect would exercise on a similar project in the same community; it is the yardstick used when judging negligence claims.

A factor multiplied by direct labor cost to produce the total fee; it recovers overhead, indirect costs, and profit, so a multiplier of three means each labor dollar bills as three.

Project costs the architect pays on the owner's behalf, such as printing, travel, models, and permit fees, which the agreement allows to be billed back at cost or with a stated markup.

The percentage of paid staff time charged to billable project work, calculated as direct project hours divided by total available hours; low rates signal fee leakage and poor staffing decisions.

Coverage protecting the architect against claims of negligent design or failure to meet the standard of care; it responds to financial loss from errors rather than injuries or property damage at the site.

Work beyond the basic services enumerated in the owner-architect agreement, such as extra renderings, extended cost estimating, or unusual site visits, which requires separate written authorization and compensation.

A client's written invitation asking firms to present qualifications, design approach, schedule, and fee for a described project; responses are compared to shortlist a firm or negotiate a contract.

The contract stating what the architect will deliver, when, for what fee, and how risk is shared; it defines basic and additional services and the schedule of compensation.

A document breaking the project into phases, tasks, assigned staff, budgeted hours, deliverables, and dates; it connects the fee to actual effort and lets the manager track progress against plan.

A network scheduling technique that finds the longest sequence of dependent activities; any delay on that chain pushes completion, while activities off the chain carry float.

A maintained list of project risks with each one's likelihood, potential impact, responsible owner, and planned response; regular review keeps the team from being surprised late in design or construction.

Assurance covers the planned processes intended to prevent mistakes; control covers checking finished work, including drawing reviews, coordination checks, and sign-offs, before documents leave the office.

The architect's ongoing exchange of information with structural, mechanical, electrical, and specialty consultants so their designs fit together and are drawn consistently in the documents.

Gradual, unapproved expansion of what the project must deliver; it consumes hours and fee unless the architect documents the added work and issues it as an additional service.

A written and graphic statement of the client's requirements, covering spaces, sizes, relationships, performance targets, budget, and schedule, used to test design options and confirm expectations before design starts.

A grid scoring how strongly each pair of programmed spaces should be located near the others; it converts interview data into priorities that guide bubble diagrams and stacking.

A loose diagram of circles sized roughly by area and linked by lines showing desired proximity, used early to test functional relationships before walls, grids, or dimensions are set.

Assignable or usable area divided by total gross floor area; the gap covers corridors, partitions, shafts, and mechanical space, and the ratio converts a program's net needs into a gross building size.

The computed number of people a room or floor may hold, based on its use and floor area factor; it determines required egress width, number of exits, and plumbing fixtures.

Zoning's limit on building bulk expressed as total floor area divided by lot area; multiplying the permitted ratio by lot area gives the maximum floor area a site may carry.

Study of a site's climate, sun path, wind, topography, drainage, soils, access, views, noise, and neighboring conditions, documented in diagrams that shape building placement and orientation.

The opening design phase, in which concept plans, sections, elevations, and a preliminary cost check show how program, site, and code constraints will be resolved.

The three-dimensional bulk and composition of a building studied through models and diagrams to test height, scale, setback, and fit with the surrounding context.

Designing places usable by the broadest range of people regardless of age or ability, exceeding minimum accessibility requirements with equitable, flexible, simple, and forgiving solutions.

The repeating column and beam spacing that organizes plan and section; it constrains parking efficiency, ceiling heights, and duct routing, so it must be fixed early with the engineer.

The continuous unobstructed route from any point in a building to a public way, made of exit access, exit, and exit discharge, with required widths, travel distances, and number of exits.

The drawings, specifications, and contract forms that describe the work fully enough for permits, bids, and construction; their completeness and coordination are the architect's main protection against claims.

Written requirements for products, materials, execution, and workmanship, organized by work category and issued in the project manual alongside the drawings to govern quality the drawings cannot describe.

Tables on the drawings listing doors, windows, rooms, or finishes with their types, sizes, and attributes, keeping plans readable and giving bidders consistent information for takeoffs.

A written revision to bidding or contract documents issued before proposals are opened or the contract is signed, used to clarify, correct, or add information discovered during bidding.

A digital model carrying geometry plus data about building elements, used for clash detection, quantity extraction, and documentation; its level of development states how much detail is modeled.

A contractor's formal written question asking the architect to clarify or confirm the construction documents; the timely written answer becomes part of the project record and may lead to a change.

Samples, product data, or shop drawings the contractor sends for the architect's review, confirming that selected materials and fabrication details match the design intent before installation.

A written amendment signed by the owner and contractor, typically prepared with the architect, that revises the contract sum, contract time, or scope after execution.

The contractor's periodic request for money based on work completed and materials stored, which the architect reviews and certifies before the owner issues payment.

The point when the work is complete enough that the owner can occupy and use it for its intended purpose; it starts warranty periods, triggers the punch list, and shifts risk of loss.

A structured review after the building is in use that compares actual performance, including function, comfort, energy, and maintenance, against the program and design intent, informing future projects.