SLIA Part II key terms

Local regulations governing construction, including setbacks, height limits, plot coverage, ventilation and fire safety. In Sri Lanka these are administered by local authorities, and compliance is a precondition for plan approval and occupancy certification.

Formal authorisation from a planning or local authority allowing a specific development on a site. It fixes the approved use, density, and built form, and any material deviation from the approved drawings requires fresh approval.

Document issued by the local authority confirming that a completed building matches the approved plans and complies with applicable regulations, allowing lawful occupation and utility connections.

The minimum horizontal distance required between a building line and the plot boundary. Setbacks control light, ventilation, privacy and fire access, and are usually measured to the outermost projection rather than the wall face.

The proportion of a site covered by the building footprint, expressed as a percentage of the plot area. It is controlled to preserve open space, daylight and drainage capacity, and is assessed separately from floor area ratio.

The ratio of total permissible floor area to plot area, used to regulate development intensity. It caps how much floor space may be built regardless of how the mass is distributed across floors.

A staged framework describing project stages from briefing through operation, widely adapted internationally for defining deliverables and professional appointments. Its stage numbering is commonly used in Sri Lankan practice to scope architectural services.

A written statement of the client's requirements, constraints, budget and performance expectations, agreed before design develops. It records the basis of design and becomes the reference against which later changes are assessed.

The contractual agreement defining an architect's scope of services, fees, authority and liabilities on a project. It should specify stages covered, deliverables, and whether the architect administers the construction contract.

The architect's role during construction: issuing instructions, certifying payments and completion, assessing variations and claims, and monitoring quality against the contract documents. It carries duties of impartial certification and timely communication.

An itemised schedule of measured work prepared from drawings and specification, used for tendering and valuation. It provides a common basis for comparing bids and for pricing variations during construction.

A written description of materials, workmanship and performance standards that supplements the drawings. Where drawings show location and quantity, the specification controls quality and method of execution.

Detailed, dimensioned drawings produced for construction, showing setting out, constructional detail, services coordination and finishes. They translate the design intent into information a contractor can build from.

A contractor-prepared drawing detailing fabrication or installation of a specific element, submitted for the architect's review. Review confirms conformity with design intent but does not transfer design responsibility to the architect.

A formal query raised by the contractor seeking clarification of ambiguous or missing contract information. Responses should be documented and, where they change the contract, issued as an instruction or variation.

A written instruction authorising a change to the scope, quantity, quality or timing of the works, with valuation agreed or assessed. It protects both parties by creating a documented basis for adjusting price and time.

A periodic certificate issued by the architect stating the value of work executed and the amount payable, less retention. It is not a guarantee of quality and does not waive defects discovered later.

A percentage of each payment withheld by the employer as security against defects or non-completion, released in stages after completion and the defects period. It is a contractual mechanism, not a penalty.

A defined period after practical completion during which the contractor must rectify defects notified by the employer at no extra cost. Its length and procedure are set by the contract and it runs alongside retention release.

The stage at which the works are complete enough for their intended use, with only minor outstanding items. It triggers the defects liability period, retention release, and often the handover of as-built information.

A contractual adjustment of the completion date for delays caused by qualifying events such as employer-caused delay, exceptionally adverse weather, or instructed variations. It protects the contractor from liquidated damages for those events.

A pre-agreed sum payable by the contractor for each day of delay beyond the completion date, representing a genuine estimate of the employer's loss. It must be a reasonable forecast, not a punitive charge.

The process of inviting priced offers to execute works or supply services on defined terms. It may be open, selective or negotiated, and its fairness depends on identical information being issued to all bidders.

The employer's written acceptance of a tender, forming the contract once accepted according to its terms. It should identify the accepted offer, contract sum, completion period and the contract documents that govern.

A guarantee, usually issued by a bank or insurer, payable to the employer if the contractor fails to perform its obligations. It provides financial recourse without proving loss in detail, and is typically a percentage of the contract sum.

Insurance covering an architect against claims of negligent design, specification or advice. It is usually required by appointment terms, and cover should be maintained for the limitation period applicable to the contract.

The legal obligation to exercise reasonable skill and care expected of a competent professional in the same field. Breach of that standard, causing foreseeable loss, grounds a negligence claim.

The ethical rules binding registered architects, covering competence, honesty, conflicts of interest, confidentiality and fair dealing with clients and fellow professionals. Breach may lead to disciplinary action by the registration body.

The defined set of tasks an architect will perform under an appointment, including which design stages, approvals and site duties are covered and which are excluded. Clear scoping prevents disputes over unpaid or unperformed work.

A written direction from the architect to the contractor concerning execution of the works that does not change the contract sum or period. If it does change either, it should be reissued as a variation.

A drawing revised after construction to record the works as actually built, including deviations from the original design. It supports future maintenance, alterations and statutory records.

Document confirming that a building's fire safety provisions, such as means of escape, detection and extinguishing systems, meet the required standard. It is often needed before occupation of certain building types.

The continuous protected routes, including doors, stairs and corridors, by which occupants can reach a place of safety in a fire. Width, travel distance and protection are governed by fire regulations and building use.

Designing environments and products usable by as many people as possible without adaptation, regardless of age or ability. It addresses level access, circulation widths, tactile cues and clear visual contrast from the outset.

An early appraisal testing whether a proposed development is viable in planning, technical and financial terms. It typically examines site constraints, permissible density, cost, and likely return before major design resources are committed.

A schedule of minor incomplete or defective items identified at inspection before practical completion or handover. Clearing snags is normally a condition of final completion and final payment release.