Construction Contracts

THE ONLY NEGATIVE REVIEW WAS FROM AN ARCHITECT WHO COMPLAINED THAT THE BOOK HARDLY MENTIONED "THE ARCHITECT." INSTEAD IT REFERS MOSTLY TO "THE DESIGNER," MEANING THE "DESIGN TEAM" WHICH AN ARCHITECT MAY LEAD. CONSTRUCTION, HOWEVER, IS MORE THAN ARCHITECTURE, AND THE BOOK'S CONTENT EXPLAINS THAT, ESPECIALLY IN THE PART ON "DESIGN-BUILD" CONTRACTS, A METHOD OF OPERATION THAT UTILISES A BUILDING CONTRACTOR'S EXPERIENCE FROM THE OUTSET.

Try reading a standard form of construction contract. Dull! Yet it shapes relations among owners, designers, and builders. See how often a standard form is abused, by a lack or an abundance of changes that cannot be directly related by a reader. Even more than specifications, often the contract documents remain unread. "It's standard!" is a frequent comment: often, not so. Few lawyers will write about them, so who should? Someone who has written and worked with many contracts.