Job Book 9th Edition - Book - Page 216
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Stage 4 > Technical Design: Supplementary Material: 4/SM1
Design information flow: traditional procurement
1.Origination
Design information can originate from:
• the architect
• design team members
• specialist subcontractors and suppliers
• the main contractor (to the extent provided for in the Building Contract).
2. Coordination and integration
Responsibility for coordinating and integrating such information into the overall
design rests with the architect as project lead or lead designer.
3. Avoidance of conflict and overlap
Design information originating from various sources should be coordinated, to
eliminate any conflicts or duplication. It is normally the task of the lead designer to
check design coordination. A key example is the coordination required between
structure and services, to make sure that different services are not competing
for the same duct spaces, or that holes are not expected at critical structural
points. Design integrity and quality should not need to be sacrificed because
of the requirements of other design team members, but achieving acceptable
compromise and satisfactory integration can be a demanding process.
Smaller projects which might need only a dozen or so drawings, and very
limited input from consultants, are unlikely to present real problems in terms of
integration and coordination.
Larger and more complex projects will need a more formalised set of procedures.
The design concept is likely to be founded on a totally integrated approach. There
should be an agreed strategy for the coordination of information between the
architect and other design team members.
