HKIA/ARB PA Paper 2 flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Authorized Person (Architect)

A person registered under the Architects Registration Ordinance and appointed to prepare and submit building plans and supervise building works under the Buildings Ordinance.

Buildings Ordinance s.14

Provision requiring plans of building works to be submitted to the Building Authority for approval before works commence; approval is a precondition to lawful construction.

Occupation permit

Approval issued by the Building Authority confirming a building is fit for occupation; it is distinct from practical completion certified under the building contract.

Practical completion

The contract milestone at which works are substantially complete, the employer takes possession, the defects liability period starts and half the retention is typically released.

Retention money

A percentage deducted from each interim payment and held as security for defects, released in stages per the contract, commonly half at practical completion and the balance after the maintenance period.

Interim certificate

The certifier's periodic valuation of work executed and materials on site, less retention and prior payments, issued at the interval stated in the contract as the basis for payment.

Variation instruction

A written instruction by the architect changing the works within the contract's scope; it is valued at contract rates or a fair valuation and affects both price and time.

Extension of time

An extension of the completion date certified by the architect after the contractor gives timely notice and substantiates a delay event listed as a ground in the contract.

Defects liability period

The period after practical completion during which the contractor must remedy notified defects at its own cost, typically twelve months unless the contract states otherwise.

Final account

The reconciled statement of the contract sum adjusted for variations, provisional sums, loss and expense and other entitlements, agreed after the defects liability period.

Outline Zoning Plan

The statutory plan under the Town Planning Ordinance setting land use zones and development restrictions such as plot ratio and site coverage for a site.

Plot ratio

The ratio of total gross floor area to site area permitted by the zoning plan or lease; it caps the developable floor area on a site.

Site coverage

The proportion of the site area covered by the building footprint above ground; it controls open space and is limited by the zoning plan or lease.

Means of escape

The protected routes, exit widths and travel distances allowing occupants to reach a place of safety, assessed against the fire safety code applicable at submission.

BEAM Plus

A Hong Kong green building assessment framework scoring sustainability performance across site, energy, water, materials and indoor environment, used to benchmark design quality.

Registered Structural Engineer

A professional registered under the Buildings Ordinance who prepares and certifies structural plans and supervises structural works, distinct from the Authorized Person.

Unauthorised building works

Works carried out without the required approval or consent, or contrary to approved plans; they are enforceable by the Building Authority and may require removal or validation.

Appeal Tribunal

The body hearing appeals against the Building Authority's refusal of plans or other specified decisions under the Buildings Ordinance, giving an alternative to litigation.

Architects Registration Board

The statutory body maintaining the register of architects, administering the Professional Assessment and exercising disciplinary powers including censure, suspension and removal.

Professional Assessment

The HKIA/ARB examination required for registration, comprising Paper 1 professional knowledge and Paper 2 case study with professional interview.

Conflict of interest

A personal or financial interest that could bias professional judgement; it must be disclosed in writing promptly and the architect should withdraw from the affected decision.

Claims-made insurance

Professional indemnity cover responding to claims notified during the policy period, regardless of when the negligent act occurred, which is why run-off cover matters.

Run-off cover

Professional indemnity insurance purchased after a practice ceases, covering claims notified later for work done while the practice was active.

Continuing professional development

Structured learning recorded annually by registered architects across technical, contractual, statutory and ethical topics, with records retained and open to audit.

Architect as certifier

The role in which the architect independently values work, assesses time and certifies completion, separate from acting as the employer's agent for design and instructions.

Architect as agent

The role in which the architect acts for the employer in administering the contract, issuing instructions and representing the employer, within the authority delegated.

Mediation before arbitration

A contractual step in some Hong Kong standard forms requiring the parties to attempt mediation before commencing arbitration, which affects the dispute strategy.

Duty to inspect

The architect must inspect works before certifying them; certifying uninspected work breaches the professional standard and exposes the architect to disciplinary and negligence claims.

Registered Specialist Contractor

A contractor registered for a specialised category such as drainage or foundation works, required to be appointed for those works under the Buildings Ordinance.

Consent to commence works

Approval under the Buildings Ordinance allowing building works to start after plan approval; commencing without it is an offence and a common case-study trap.

Maintenance certificate

The certificate issued after the defects liability period expires and notified defects are remedied, triggering release of the remaining retention and the final payment.

Tender report

The consultant's written recommendation comparing tenders on price, programme, method and resources, recording the evaluation criteria and justifying any departure from lowest price.