PJM TEST
Net-to-gross
Rentable-to-useable
Grossing factor - answerEach of these metrics is a measure of efficiency (profitability for
the owner); especially important in commercial office space construction.
= Net/Gross (less-than 1): Net assignable area=all the spaces needed by the client
(offices). Gross area is the whole building, including structure, mechanical, and
circulation spaces not included in net assignable area.
= Rentable/Useable (greater-than 1): Rentable includes common areas used by all
building tenants like lobbies, stairwells, janitorial closets, mechanical rooms, and
elevator shafts. Landlords charge tenants rent for a pro-rated portion of those spaces. . .
so if your company rents 11% of a building floor, you will also pay for 11% of the
mechanical room and common lobby area. Usable=just the area the tenant will occupy
to do business, including columns, private restrooms, private corridors within the office
suite, and private storage, but not the lobbies, janitorial, etc. shared by other tenants.
Companies that will lease the floor from the owner obviously want low rentable/usable
values.
= Grossing Factor (greater-than 1): a grossing factor, established during programming,
of 1.30 means that you will need to plan on 30sf of mechanical, circulation, etc. space
for every 100sf of office space.
*There are all kinds of varied conventions for how to calculate these. . . Atrium square
footage is usually only counted once but multi-floor mechanical shafts may either be
counted once or not counted at all. Covered walkways and exterior stairs may be
counted as 50%, or may not be counted at all. Sometimes spaces with ceilings lower
than 7.5ft aren't counted, and sometimes only spaces with ceiling heights under 6ft
aren't counted. How do you count an extra-wide corridor in a head trauma rehab facility
designed to double as a runway for patients to practice walking duri
Zones of occupancy - answerDetermines occupant density, usually for HVAC and
ventilation reasons. . . how close, on average, is the nearest person?:
,Public (25' radius) for each person
Social (12' radius)
Personal (4' radius)
Intimate (1.5' radius)
A college-town bar will require more ventilation than a bank
If the owner-architect contract stipulates that the architect's fee will be 7% of
construction costs, will the architect be paid for that 7% portion of the contractor's
overhead costs? - answerYes, a percentage of the contractor's overhead is included in
the architect's fee. The Owner's budget of the Cost of the Work includes general
construction costs, and profit, and overhead.
Business entity concept - answerThe business is a separate entity and financial
transactions of the business, therefore, should be kept separate from personal financial
record keeping. Don't pay for your dry cleaning with your firm's credit card, even if you
own 100% of the firm and the suit needs to be cleaned for a client meeting.
Accessory space - answerA small space that might otherwise require classification as a
different occupancy group, but doesn't because it is less than ten percent of a story's
floor area. For instance a small office in the corner of a factory floor doesn't need to be
classified as B (which might trigger a fire-rated wall requirement), but can instead be
classified the same as the rest of the factory (F-1).
If the Owner suspends the project, the Architect can... - answerSuspend work
Require payment for work-to-date
Require payment of delay-caused expenses
Submit a new schedule
AIA B101 SP - answerSimilar to typical B101 contract, with a focus on Sustainability.
The Owner must provide drawings, manuals, and building operational costs, appeal for
certifications, ensure design fits sustainable guidelines, and comply with authorities on
ownership and operations.
Architect's responsibilities to prepare for bidding - answerFinish CDs
Administrate bidding
Update cost estimates
Task dependency - answerThe relationship of stop and start times for tasks
Start-start: align the start times of the steel folks who cut the rebar and the welders
Start-finish (also called a natural dependency): align the finish time of the rebar welders
with the start time of the concrete trucks
Finish-finish: align the finish times of the folks who remove the formwork from the
concrete foundation and the rented pumps that keep the foundation excavation pit dry
during construction.
See here for a graphic representation.
,Prime contract - answerPrime contracts: Main contract with the owner for the work with
the expectation that some of the work will be completed with the use of subcontracts.
The contractor has a prime contract with the owner, and he hires a plumbing
subcontractor, a concrete subcontractor, a roofing subcontractor etc. using
subcontracts.
Multiple prime contracts- The project is fast-tracked, staged, phased, has multiple
funding sources, or there's a CM-as-agent managing a project on behalf of the owner,
and the owner signs multiple prime contracts with a contractor, who in turn, will sign
multiple subcontracts: one for the curtain wall while she waits for the rest of the
drawings to be completed (fast track). . one for the abortion clinic that will be paid for
with private funds and one for the attached medical clinic that will paid for with
government funds (multiple funding sources) . . .one for the construction of the storage
facility and one for ongoing maintenance at that same facility to be provided by the
builder after the facility is occupied (multiple stages). . . or one prime contract for the
HVAC contractor and another prime contract for the framing contractor (multiple
phases).
Articles of B101, Owner-Architect Agreement
See if you can tell yourself (aloud) what each of these contract sections requires
1. Initial Information
2. Architect's Responsibilities
3. Scope of Architect's Basic Services
4. Additional Services
5. Owner's Responsibilities
6. Cost of the Work
7. Copyright and Licenses
8. Claims and Disputes
9. Termination/Suspension
10. Miscellaneous Provisions
11. Compensation
12. Special Terms and Conditions
13. Scope of Agreement - answer1. Initial Information; i.e. identifies project, budget,
schedule
2. Architect's Responsibilities; architect obtains insurance and provides services
consistent with the professional skill and care ordinarily provided by architects practicing
in the same or similar locality under the same or similar circumstances (Standard of
Care)
3. Scope of Architect's Basic Services; architect submits a schedule, architect must
meet code, architect facilitates bidding, architect certifies payment to the contractor,
architect reviews contractor's submittals (shop drawings, product samples), "Architect
, shall consider sustainable design alternatives" (if you think that "shall consider" sounds
like it is a contractual obligation without teeth to enforce it. . . I agree!)
4. Additional Services; almost everything beyond a single drawing set with MEP and
structural engineer is an additional service
5. Owner's Responsibilities; geotech engineer, everything site- and permit-related, if an
owner hires her own consultants, it's on her to coordinate them
6. Cost of the Work; includes construction cost, but not architects fees, cost of the land,
or contingencies for change orders
7. Copyright and Licenses; architect and architect's consultants own the drawings
8. Claims and Disputes; contract gives architect and owner a choice, before work
commences. . . Mediation then arbitration OR mediation then litigation in court
9. Termination/Suspension; if the owner doesn't pay the architect or suspends the
project for 90 days, the architect can terminate, if the owner just feels like it, she can
terminate but has to pay the architect for expenses (for instance, costs associated with
terminating the MEP engineer). The contract automatically terminates one year after
substantial completion.
10. Miscellaneous Provisions; architect's consultants ca
How does the owner pay the contractor? Explain each of these:
Unit Cost
Cost plus Fixed Fee
Guaranteed maximum price (GMP)
Stipulated (lump) sum - answerUnit Cost: Owner agrees to pay $245,000 per housing
unit
Cost plus Fixed Fee: $1.6M estimate for the cost of the project (but owner pays more if
budget is exceeded) plus $300,000 in fixed profit for the contractor. No limit on change
orders, which can net the contractor additional profit.
Guaranteed maximum price (GMP): like a cost plus fixed fee contract, but if the project
is delayed or the price of materials goes up beyond a total project cost of $2M, the
contractor has to complete the project and eat the extra cost.
Stipulated (lump) sum: Owner pays contractor $1.9M to build everything in the contract,
period.