The big-picture aspects of practice are getting projects built properly and avoiding litigation down the road. All the issues covered within the specs are important to these goals, but some are standouts which are more problematic than others. In terms of coordination of drawing notes and details, I think concentration on these with emphasis on their importance to quality control and litigation avoidance is crucial.
My own faves for special attention are water intrusion, weather resistance, materials durability, finished appearance, life safety, accessibility, and energy efficiency. These are variously addressed across several sections of standard spec formats, but if they are stressed in an integrated, results-oriented quality control program, the integration of specs and drawings can be more readily understood by all personnel.
No matter how reluctant they may initially be to learn something about specs and to understand their order in the project manual, or what the scope of the firm's practice, employees can be groomed to be aware of primary "danger zones", and to believe they can be promoters of both well-conceived outcomes and the firm's security.
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Gary Collins AIA
Principal
Gary R. Collins, AIA
Jacksonville OR
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