The Owner

The owner (or client) initiating a building enterprise is usually the eventual owner or operator of the finished building. The owner can be an individual,
organization, or other entity that has initiated a design project.

The Architect

The architect is the licensed design professional who, acting as an agent for the owner by providing architectural expertise, generates a design concept
for the project. While the specific role of the architect varies greatly according to delivery method, it is the architect who designs, documents, and
administers the contract(s) for construction of the project. The architect can be an individual or a firm and may contract with consultants such as
engineers who augment and support the design effort.

Design Team Consultants

While architects are broadly experienced in the various sub disciplines necessary to complete a project, they typically contract with a wide array of
specialty engineers and other consultants, depending on the scope of the project. On all but the most straightforward projects (like small private
residences) the architect will subcontract responsibilities for structural and mechanical/electrical/plumbing engineering, and may require other services
from additional engineers (such as geotechnical engineering) or special consultants (such as lighting, acoustics, or code/life safety for complex projects).
In addition, the owner may bring specific consultants to a project to augment the overall project team, most commonly constructability assistance by
construction managers, attorneys, or other consultants. It is important to understand and define the role of every consultant on a project.

The Contractor

The contractor is responsible for the actual construction of the project. Typically known as the contractor or general contractor, the contractors
team may include a variety of subcontractors, suppliers, and fabricators who together execute the design intent of the architects documents. The
contractor typically agrees, at a prearranged point in the design process, to construct the project for an agreed-upon sum. The determination of that
moment and the resulting responsibilities of the contractor is one of the key differentiators of various delivery methods.

Subcontractors, Fabricators, and Suppliers

Like the architect, the contractor requires an array of subcontractors to complete a building project. Since most contractors do not self-perform the vast
majority of the work, they contract with (thus the term contractor) necessary companies, tradespersons, suppliers, and fabricators that are then
coordinated by the contractor to achieve the built project. Typical subcontractors might include structural steel assembly, sheet metal and systems
installers, curtain wall suppliers/installers, sheetrock and interior finishes subcontractors, and electrical subcontractors. Larger projects can have tens
or, in the largest project, hundreds of such participants.

Other Participants

Although different in each project, other key players in the process must have explicit relationships to project. Regulatory agencies (like building or
zoning officials), external constituents (like local property owners), lending entities (like banks), and even local community groups may affect the project
and should be understood in the context of the overall project structure. And while having no defined role in a project structure, the architects
obligation to protect the publics health and safety makes all users of a projectwhether affiliated with the client or just walking through the hallsan
implicit client of the job.

The characteristics that identify a delivery method can be defined by answering questions for the following issues:
Driving factor: What is the most important outcome driving the project for the ownercost, risk, quality, or schedule?
Architects role: What are the responsibilities of the architect, and how do these apply to each successive design and construction phase of the
project?
Contractors role: Who is responsible for building the project, and when in the process is that player selected?
Establishment of construction cost: When is the actual cost of construction definitively established contractually between the owner and the
contractor?
Number and type of design and construction contracts: How many individual contracts for design and construction are necessary to accomplish the
project?
PROJECT DOCUMENTATION
ESTABLISH PROPER OFFICE PROTOCOL FOR RECORD KEEPING
CONTENT OF PROJECT DOCUMENTATION
REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION