According to Alison Killing of Killing Architects in Rotterdam, Netherlands, the role of the architect in modern society is undergoing a shift: moving away from the architect as a “master builder”, towards someone who is a specialist in the “built environment”.

New Generations – Killing Architects from New Generations on Vimeo.

Killing Architects recently won first prize in a competition on the future of architecture practice. The contest was put on by the New Generations network of young European architects in late 2013. Watch Ms. Killing’s short interview about the role of architects, and the opportunities for young architects who are willing to take risks and commit to research as a major part of their individual practice.

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We were excited to see that AIA Florida picked up this timely article by Mark Jackson of Jackson Collinsworth Johnson, an a/e ProNet member. Hope you find it helpful, too!

There are two important contract clauses that design professionals should include with every client contract. The first clause provides protection to individuals and the second limits the firm’s liability.

Individual Protection

The first clause we recommend gives individual protection for your licensed professionals. In 2013, the State of Florida signed a law relating to design professionals known as the Fairness in Liability legislation. Beginning July 1, 2013, design firms are now able to negotiate contracts that protect their professional employees from being sued individually by their clients.

The new law grants design professional employees immunity from liability for economic damages resulting from negligence occurring during the course and scope of a professional services contact. The law does require that the design firm maintain professional liability insurance as required under the contract.

The new law also extends to individuals the protection of contractual limitation of liability clauses. This comes four years after the courts ruled that individual professional employees were not protected by limitation of liability clauses in a contract. (Florida appellate court case Witt v. La Gorce Country Club, Inc., 34 Fla.L., Weekly D1161a)

Design professionals should take advantage of the benefits of this new law. Your contracts should be amended to include language that an individual employee cannot be held liable for negligence. The law has five conditions for this protection to apply:

1. The contract is made between the design firm and the client.
2. Individual employees are not to be named as a party to the contract. All professional services contracts need to be made between the client and the business entity.
3. The design firm must maintain Professional Liability insurance, as required by contract.
4. The contract contains a prominent statement, in uppercase font that is at least five point sizes larger than the rest of the text, that an individual employee or agent may not be individually liable for negligence.
5. Any damages are solely economic in nature and the damages do not extend to personal injuries or property not subject to the contract.

To continue reading, download the PDF here…

Ghost town architecture is rarely lauded for its form, style, efficiency, and grace. Enter Lone Mountain Ranch House, located on the turquoise trail between Albuquerque and Santa Fe.

Lone Mountain Ranch House by Rick Joy - Photo Credit Peter OgilvieThe design by Rick Joy Architects has been called “a light-filled twist on the low-slung form” by the Architectural Record blog.

The American West merges with the Far East on a 27,000-acre Wagyu-cattle ranch in a ghost town called Golden, New Mexico. Tucson-based architect Rick Joy designed a six-bedroom house for a couple who inherited the land. ‘They went to Japan, learned all about [Wagyu], got the stock, and put together this company selling beef around the country,’ says Joy. ‘Interestingly, the house turned out to be very Japanese in feel.’ — excerpted from Laura Raskin’s article for Architectural Record Continue reading “Lone Mountain Ranch House by Rick Joy”

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The following is a re-post from the Southeast Construction Law Blog:

Contractors, subcontractors, and A&E firms all face differing levels of liability on construction projects. Managing that exposure is a key to maintaining profitability and ensuring your business is protected.

One issue I consistently see in my practice is companies taking too much liability for their scope of work on a project. For example, what should the liability of a subcontractor be who has a small $25,000 subcontract on a $15 million project? Should the subcontractor be liable for any and all damages?

Many subcontract agreements state that subcontractors are responsible for “any and all costs” caused by a subcontractor’s delay or interference with any portion of the work. While each party should be liable for damages it causes, this determination is never as clear as it seems.

General contractors (and sometimes owners) often control the timing, means, and methods of how a subcontractor performs its work. In those situations, it is difficult for me to explain to a subcontractor that it is liable for everything it does on site. Even so, many subcontractors’ feet are held to the fire for delay costs in the hundreds of thousands or millions of dollar range when their contract was initially very small.

Architecture and engineering firms face a similar dilemma. Many times A&E firms are brought into lawsuits in the millions of dollars when their scope of work may have been small. I have seen a civil engineer sued for $12 million when it performed a $1,600 staking job on a project.

In addition, A&E firms face a different challenge. Even if an architect or engineer prevails on the claim, the A&E firm has likely spent thousands of dollars in attorney’s fees, all chargeable to the A&E under the deductible in the Professional Liability Insurance policy. Continue reading “Are You Accepting Too Much Liability on Your Construction Project?”

What if, instead of architects creating buildings only for those who can afford to commission them, regular citizens could design and build their own houses?

This is the concept at the heart of Wikihouse, an open source construction kit. With this tool, just about anyone can build a house, anywhere.

Alastair Parvin: Architecture for the people by the people

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In this fascinating TED Talk, Architect Alastair Parvin explains his vision for 21st century architecture and design: With the prevalence of open source software, 3-D printers, and other technological advances, the focus of the design industry may now shift from “thinking big” to “thinking small.” Challenging the effectiveness and affordability of one-size-fits-all.

According to Parvin, the stars have aligned to allow us a new industrial revolution, one founded on the democratization of production. Watch as he gives us a one-day-build house, compares citizen-led urban development to the barn-raising cultures of 19th century societies, and evangelizes for open source pioneer Linus Torvalds‘s philosophy: Be lazy like a fox.

How does this strike you? Is it plausible? Practical? Do you think the IKEA-fication of architecture and construction is a good idea or a bad one? Leave us a comment!

MORE: The 10 Most Inspirational TED Talks for Architects

There are probably many ways for architects to showcase their individual and firm portfolios on the interwebs, but Archilovers has to be one of the best!

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This social media network, similar to Facebook, offers architects the unique opportunity to manage an individual profile alongside a professional firm profile. Its online library of contemporary architecture projects is extensive and easily searchable. Alongside the work of internationally renowned architects, you’ll see the accomplishments of smaller design offices and individual designers featured with equal pride.

But Archilovers wants to change the way architecture and design are communicated and consumed. That’s why projects can also be organized (and searched) by Elements, Materials, and Themes! Continue reading “Archilovers: A Fresh, Innovative, International Network for Architects”

Tired of reading article after newsletter after white paper after blog post on risk management? (We hope not! But just in case…) Here’s another option:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2ioR9X05Qo]

Longtime a/e ProNet affiliate Kent Holland of ConstructionRisk, LLC has translated his impressive catalog of resources into a series of short videos available on the ConstructionRisk.com YouTube Channel.

“If you’re involved in the construction project, whether as a contractor, a designer, or a project owner, you will get real benefit from the practical ideas, suggestions, and law presented in these videos.”

A few of the playlists available now:

J. Kent Holland is a construction lawyer located in Tysons Corner, Virginia, representing design professionals, contractors, and project owners.

Don’t forget the popcorn!

It’s that time of year! We get to congratulate the winners of the a/e ProNet AIA David W. Lakamp Scholarship. Late last year, we announced the expansion of our long-standing scholarship to include two $5,000 awards annually. Out of a field of excellent candidates, the committee selected two especially deserving students:

Josh_Gerloff2Josh Gerloff is from Chesapeake, VA and is currently an architecture graduate student at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He received his undergraduate degree in Government from the University of Notre Dame.

Prior to graduate school, Gerloff worked with his family at Gerloff Painting, Inc. He also served on numerous community boards and commissions, culminating with an appointment to the Chesapeake Planning Commission. Gerloff found this planning commission experience to be most rewarding as he has strong interest in social issues and community engagement. He hopes to fuse these interests with his architectural studies.

Following graduate school, Gerloff will seek employment at an architectural firm and will pursue his NCARB registration. When he’s not studying or spending time with his wife Katie and their three children, Gerloff enjoys triathlon and playing guitar. His biggest accomplishment is finishing the 2010 Ironman Lake Placid.

* * *

Manczyk_Mark2Mark Manczyk will be completing his Bachelor of Arts in Architecture degree at the University of Kentucky in May 2014, and will be attending graduate school in the fall of 2014. Manczyk, an honors student, has actively led student organizations as Co-Vice President of the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) in 2012–2013 and, at present, as Secretary for the Tau Sigma Delta (ΤΣΔ) – Honor Society in Architecture and Allied Arts.

Manczyk has gained experience at several architecture firms including Bernard Tschumi (New York City, NY) in the spring of 2013 and Centerbrook Architects (Centerbrook, CT) in the summer of 2012. Currently, he is a Research Assistant at the University of Kentucky with Gregory Luhan, Associate Dean for Research, working to design modular, energy-efficient, and low-cost workforce housing, schools, clinics, and offices.

His interests include playing acoustic guitar, painting, sketching, and biking. He is active in developing his Catholic faith. He currently leads a Men’s Group at the Newman Center Holy Spirit Parish and is a Parish Liturgy Council Student Representative.

Congratulations, gentlemen! We are proud to be able to support your pursuit of an education and career in the field of Architecture.

Those interested in more information about our scholarship can find it here. The deadline for application comes up each November.

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We read the ArchDaily blog all year round, but last week’s fun, holiday post is worth mentioning here. (If only because they saved us the trouble of coming up with 13 excellent gift ideas for architects! Thanks, guys!)

From design apps to wall clocks to art prints, these ideas are all unique, all vibrant, and all good. If you’re wondering what to get for your favorite architect this year, check out ArchDaily’s Architect’s Holiday Gift Guide 2013.

And when the wrapping paper has been discarded and the tree hauled out to the curb for the Boy Scouts to collect, when 2014 dawns, make sure you visit ArchDaily again. They’re a fantastic source of relevant, inspiring industry news.