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On another project, the client wanted polished precast panels, and when we sat down with the engineer and the client, we were able to suggest changes that meant saving nearly $100,000 and still achieving the look the client wanted.
Q. The construction industry’s facing high demand, quality issues and worker shortage. Do you have any answers? There are no quick ways of xing a worker shortage, but if every company employed at least one or two apprentices, they would see it pays dividends down the track. It would also go a long way to quickly increasing the worker pool. Currently, 10% of companies employ 90% of the apprentices.
More focus should be on business training. Maybe BCITO could play a part, o ering small construction business owners a course around business management. This is often an overlooked part of many smaller construction companies in particular. The focus is all on building, but 80% of a business’s success is the background things like pricing, accounts, HR, administration and processes. If these are working as they should, companies will be successful and quality will be a part of this.
Q. What are your thoughts about prefabricated construction?
We have partnered with a start-up company in this regard and completed our rst prototype, which has been delivered to site. This initial project has gone quite well, and we have learned plenty of ways to improve as we have gone through, which is the purpose of a prototype. It will be interesting to see where this progresses for us.
News
Written contracts
mandatory for
architects
The New Zealand Registered Architects Board (NZRAB) has made written contracts or terms of appointment mandatory between architects and their clients from 1 January.
THIS NEW requirement came into e ect due to the revision of the Architects’ Code of Ethics. The revised Code of Ethics also speci es key aspects that, as a minimum, must be included in all contracts. These are the scope of the work, the responsibilities of the parties, the fees (or how they will be calculated) and how billing will occur.
Potentially, architects will be held to account under the NZRAB’s disciplinary procedures if they accept a commission without meeting this requirement and not having written terms of appointment as stipulated in the Architects’ Code of Ethics.
‘Regularly, the NZRAB is contacted by members of public in regard to building projects that have got into di culty,’ says NZRAB Chair Warwick Bell. ‘Some of these calls result in formal complaints that lead to disciplinary proceedings.
‘At the heart of many of these problems is the lack or inadequacy of a proper
written contract or terms of appointment laying out what’s going to be done and what the parties are entitled to expect from each other.
Saving grief later on
‘A chat and a handshake can lead to work being started where actually the parties have di erent expectations or understandings of what’s been agreed to. The result can be grief later on and substantial losses and distress for clients and architects.
‘The NZRAB intends that, by making written terms of appointment mandatory, many of these misunderstandings and disappointments will be avoided. Some architects will have to change the way they do their business, but in time, it will be accepted that everyone is better o as a result.’
For more For further information, contact Paul Jackman at (04) 471 1336.
Build 165 — April/May 2018 — 17