ABSTRACT
Design responsibility 5.01 The question of who is to take responsibility for the design of the project is fundamental. The ‘ traditional ’ approach to construction is to engage an architect to design a building and then appoint a building contractor to construct in accordance with the architect’s completed design. Where a project is to be designed by an architect in this way, the contractor can be brought on board at a later stage and then merely employed to build to the specifi cation or employer’s requirements. The works are therefore designed as the fi rst stage, and thereafter the client tenders for contractors to carry out the works according to the design. This arrangement can be perceived to have advantages for the client, most notably in terms of control of costs. It ought to be easier for contractors to price works accurately if their tender is based on a completed design. However, the result is that there are several points of responsibility and a need to manage the relationship between the professional team and the building contractor. This is sometimes viewed as placing an onerous burden on the client and there may be a risk of responsibilities for build issues ‘ falling between the cracks ’ and remaining with the client.
