jonasthomas Posted June 21, 2014 Share Posted June 21, 2014 Hello, I'm working on a project but the architectural plans contain multiple small mistakes. Some things: walls, balconies, ... don't match in the different views (front, left, top, etc.) The plans are professional plans but it all seems to be a bit messy. In my contract I stated that if the plans that were given to me are not the right plans, I will charge for the extra effort. I haven't contacted the client yet. I could try to find "solutions" for the mistakes and hope they don't bother or I could contact my client and confront them and maybe charge something extra for the time I lose. What would you do? Thanks in advance, Jonas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heni30 Posted June 21, 2014 Share Posted June 21, 2014 I find that the plan usually governs and that they didn't have time to update the elevations. But you'd better ask them to confirm and if it isn't that simple and does entail extra time, I would definitely charge extra. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyderSK Posted June 21, 2014 Share Posted June 21, 2014 I would say opposite of this situation would be rather uncommon :- ). I mean, if it were just small misalignments due to process hierarchy, but I get files with heavy structural problems, completely different measurements between floorplans and sections and tons of stuff to fix. If I have the mental energy, I write it down, send to architect to solve and make sure to realize I am not responsible for this delay, but sometimes I simply lack that energy and freestyle the solution (which isn't an easy task sometimes...). But there are projects where this part takes so much time that I simply wonder. Because I only do marketing imagery for the very last stage of production before it will hit building process, details are crucial since it's photorealistic rendition I am doing and architects are...well, perfectionist when it come to anything. Absolutely hate this part. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonasthomas Posted June 21, 2014 Author Share Posted June 21, 2014 (edited) I understand what you are saying. :-) This is the dilemma I am in: - or I tell them and I lose a lot of time (emailing back and forth and so on). Maybe I could charge something extra but I will probably lose more time then the extra amount of money I will charge. (delays) - or I do a little "freestyle" like you say :-) and I hope they don't notice afterwards. It's not my job checking the plans on mistakes anyway. That should be the architects job. I think I will be more specific in my terms & conditions the next time. :-) Multiple mistakes/ changes on the plans = extra cost Edited June 21, 2014 by jonasthomas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ernest Burden III Posted June 22, 2014 Share Posted June 22, 2014 This is not a new problem. Using CADD was supposed to eliminate all those drafting errors, but it has not. I write them down as I find them (I keep a notebook at hand always when I'm working, go through a lot of them) and will ask the architect to resolve. In the meantime I either work on another area or try to proceed with what I think they meant. When doing that I try to leave the work editable later, either by keeping modeling parametric or saving selection sets for hard-to-select polys or points. Many years ago actually had an architect admit that he uses renderers to fact-check his drawing set. It's just part of the job, in the end. We have to deal with it. Only make a fuss (and bill more) when it gets out of hand. If the clients see us as problem-solvers it is good for business. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonasthomas Posted June 22, 2014 Author Share Posted June 22, 2014 If the clients see us as problem-solvers it is good for business. That is something to think about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CliveG Posted June 23, 2014 Share Posted June 23, 2014 If the clients see us as problem-solvers it is good for business. This is absolutely key.... we shouldn't just see ourselves as part of the "marketing" side of a project as we can potentially add huge value to the more practical elements of a project too . Nearly 20 years ago I used 3D modelling to design the most complex part of, what I was told at the time was the 2nd largest engineering project in history, because they simply couldn't design it conventionally with 2D design. Ultimately this would have saved literally millions in construction costs fixing all of the s___w-ups I eventually found with their 2D designs. This is something I've done a number of times since working on larger projects with engineers as well as architects. As far as being able to quantify our contribution to a project, marketing is somewhat ethereal, but in my experience, being able to show when a cross brace interferes with a structural beam at the design stage, is money in the bank for everyone and makes your hourly rate very easy to justify. If they get a pretty picture for marketing at the end of it, for them that's a bonus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
notamondayfan Posted June 23, 2014 Share Posted June 23, 2014 I've always found that architects prefer to stick to elevations rather than floor plans. I guess elevations are what the architect wants to see, and floor plans are just a formality for construction, well when dealing with exterior images anyway. If drawings don't line up perfectly, then just use your head. Sometimes you can guess and be 99.9% sure you are right, other times a quick 5 min call to the architect will put you right. If the architect is a bit sketchy, or the changes are large, follow up with an email back, basically going through the changes as you understand them. That way you have a paper-trail so if the architect changes their mind / design, you can argue you did it as per their spec, and charge for design changes. Dean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Matthews Posted June 23, 2014 Share Posted June 23, 2014 I have run into this in the past as well. Honestly, no one would notice if the balcony is shifted to one side or another or is a foot longer than it should be. In my case it was the roof plan. The plan did not match the elevations because the plan did not account for a 4' overhang in one area of the building. I notified the architect and let her fix their issue. I asked which was correct and went from there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommy L Posted June 23, 2014 Share Posted June 23, 2014 When I find discrepancies I ask the client which drawing to adhere to. Its usually the plans, I think the elevations tend to be built by a minion reading the bosses space planning. And yes, being a problem solver for your client is a good thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patrickgoski Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 Just saw this show up on twitter. http://www.bluebeam.com/us/products/revu/compare-documents.asp They have tools for comparing docs, and even scaling mismatched docs so they line up as best as possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neil poppleton Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 Elevations take priority in my opinion. Last minute elevation tweaks tend not to be amended on plans. Plans and elevations not matching..... nothing rare, more the norm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reitveld Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 Working in the Architectural industry, I would argue that we work in the plans so much more than elevations. Elevations are updated after everything else is picked up (plans, sections, then elevations). In a pinch for time, sometimes things don't get picked up. Changes happen and its the elevations that take it in the shorts. I would contact the Architect and ask them whats what. Then as was said before, try to work on other areas until an answer is set forth. Man, I wish Architects would call me to build a model just to fact check their work. Ahhhh how good life would be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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