Kate -
Does the Owner also intend for you to coordinate the services of the independent consultants in support of your design services? If so, this would seem to be an additional service, but it might also make more sense in the context of reviewing their payment invoices (additional service, too).
You may wish to address the entire concept of how these consultants will support you and what the Owner is expecting in terms of services, including CA phase services, commissioning, and close-out.
We don't know the size or complexity of your project, so it may be that there are a limited number of consultants and this would be manageable for you. I am presuming that your principal design consultants - Structural, Civil, MEP/FP and code compliance are under direct contract to you. Is there a landscape architect?
If this is not the case, and the size and complexity of the project requires the services of many of specialty consultants - transportation, lighting, enclosure, acoustical, commissioning agent, security, A/V, IT, signage, etc. - the Owner may be well advised to engage the services of a Project Management firm to manage the coordination of all these disciplines to support your work and that of the GC/CM, as well as the contract adminstration of each.
Good luck.
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Peter M. van Dyk AIA
ARCADIS-US
Chicago, IL
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Original Message:
Sent: 09-23-2013 22:08
From: Geok Ser Lee
Subject: Owner Consultants / Contracts
Kate,
I can see where the owner is coming from.
It is obviously from a less sophisticated client who lacks development expertise and is concerned that they may inadvertently pay off the consultants before their consultants had completed the claimed portion of work. Typically such client should have engaged an owner representative or a project management firm to safeguard their interest through the various stages of project development. Alternatively they could also have contracted with or employed an experienced in-house project manager to assume those duties.
Since the other consultants are supporting you in the project, you are clearly the best person to judge if they had done their parts to enable you to deliver the project to your client per your service contract.
So as what the others had advised you; this is additional service which you have every right to be compensated, for the additional hours you need to put in.
As to the quality of the professional service support, it is another issue altogether. However since you are not party to the selection process, I am not sure your client can hold you responsible. Even if you are, it is not reasonable to expect an architect to be responsible for something that is clearly outside her/his area of expertise. There will also be grey areas that are subject to interpretations. So your team needs to be extra thorough in your coordination effort with the other consultants.
On a positive note, at least your client is aware of this potential pitfall and is doing something to mitigate it. I have heard horror stories about clients who were clueless yet not doing anything about it and that eventually led to disputes and protracted delays in the project.
Best Wishes
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Geok Ser Lee Intl. Assoc. AIA
Owner
GSLA
Irvine CA
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Original Message:
Sent: 09-21-2013 02:43
From: Joel Niemi
Subject: Owner Consultants / Contracts
Kate,
You may be sticking your neck jnto a fiduciary noose by taking on the review of the owner's consultants' invoices. That is, you're putting yourself into the place of judging and recommending how the owner spends funds.
It is a lot like review of a contractor's pay app, but it's different, too.
It wouldn't hurt to run this past your insurance broker. You probably don't want to be doing something they won't insure.
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Joel Niemi AIA
Principal
Snohomish WA
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