ABSTRACT
Discussions of business entities; building codes, ordinances, and regulations (and the rationale underlying some of the codes); contract, tort, and employment law fundamentals; AIA contract documents; legal liability basics and risk management; and negotiating strategies all shed light on how soft skills work hand in hand with legal aspects of architectural practice. Understanding the characteristics of business structures such as a sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, and limited liability company are particularly important for those who aspire to run their own firm. This chapter provides a wake-up call: inclusive design—whether codified or not—should be a formative consideration for each project we undertake. An awareness of some essential legal principles of contract, tort, and employment law is critical for your own best interests and those of your colleagues. Two of the most important AIA Contract Documents (AIA A201 and AIA B101) are analyzed and illuminated. The next section covers legal liability basics and negligence together with identifying and responding to the risks of a professional practice. The chapter concludes with classic negotiating strategies that can be applied to contract negotiations with an owner, persuading a stakeholder to embrace a design feature, or lobbying for consensus among building committee members.
