ABSTRACT
A strange mystique seems to have arisen around architect’s instructions (AIs) even whether the architect can give an instruction unless the employer agrees. It ought to be a matter of great simplicity but that is far from the situation. Even architects sometimes disagree about what constitutes an instruction and when instruction can be given. Sometimes a contractor will refuse to carry out an instruction or, more often, simply not do it until threatened with one of the contract’s sanctions. An associated difficulty which often arises is the propensity of some other consultants to issue their own instructions to the contractor or, worse still, directly to a sub-contractor without reference to the architect.
