Church Architectural Plans: What to Expect in Good Drawings

Church Architectural Plans: What to Expect in Good Drawings Architectural Plans - What's In, What's Out

Rather than discuss the latest fads in church design, I want to illustrate what a church should expect to be included in the drawings ready by an architect. The construction plans should contain adequate institute facts that well-qualified sub-contractors, experienced in their field, should be able to bid and institute the premise without having to rely too heavily on the constructor and architect during construction. The plans do not so much present construction techniques, but rather specify materials to be used, standard standards, and the scope of the work. Not every nut and bolt in the project needs to be drawn or specified, but wall sections should be included, as should unusual or critical institute elements. Trim work details may not be included, nor will many of the halt items that the owner may be selecting during construction. Such items are sometimes given a dollar allowance for bidding purposes. The plans may contain the specifications, or a detach spec hand-operated may be ready for larger projects. It is particularly important for the architect to know if the project will be managed by a preselected constructor or competitively bid by several normal contractors. This will impact the level of detail required of the plans and specifications and will work on the cost of the architectural services. The architect should also know how much the owner will rely on him to cope the bid process and analyze the bids. In any case, keep in mind that a more faultless and definite set of plans will more likely ensue in an on-time, on-budget project with fewer problems. "Can We Buy Your Plans?" Architects are occasionally asked if they will "sell" a set of plans that were once created for someone else church. These inquiries often come from someone who has seen a church that they believe would perfectly meet the needs of their congregation. They assume that the architect may be happy to naturally copy the plans and sell them for a small fee. Few (if any) architects will be curious in such a proposition. Architects do not sell a product; they supply a service based on the unique needs of their client. The architect must institute each church in accordance with the prevailing local codes, and soil and climate conditions of the project. Ready utility services will work on the mechanical design. Furthermore, material availability and local construction techniques also vary from place to place. An architect provides services to the church that go beyond the printed plans. Hiring an architect creates a long-term connection where the church will advantage from the institute professional's experience, creativity, and counsel. Furthermore, churches normally want to insure that the unique institute that they worked hard to institute with the help of their architect will not be duplicated in every detail by someone else church that is trying to save money by copying their gorgeous new creation. Courts have long held that architects hold all legal possession and possession of their designs. The architect's clients cannot give or sell plans to others without the architect's permission. Church Architectural Plans: What to Expect in Good Drawings