As a member of the Buildings and Grounds Committee, you’re likely involved in any planning for new buildings and renovations on campus. Even before you hire an architect to carry out those plans, your school may make decisions that will hinder the firm’s ability to bring the project to a successful conclusion.
The technical complexities of a building project can be overwhelming and threatening to the Board of Trustees and the School Head. To relieve the pressure, they might decide to skip a careful selection process, name an architect as quickly as possible, and offload the responsibility.
Armed with only cursory instructions, the architect is expected to zero in on the target and hit it, directed by some self-guiding mechanism. However, without direction and full program development by the school, the architect must define his or her own target. The results are not likely to meet school’s expectations.
At the other end of the spectrum, some Board members and often the School Head can involve themselves excessively in the project. Their latent desire to be an architect surfaces and, even before they complete the selection process, they have sprung to the challenge of designing the new facility. Lack of talent, training, and experience poses no barrier to them.
Their preconceived plan complicates the work of the architect who, instead of starting fresh, must revise the design the Trustees and administrators have developed.
This creates a “political” situation that pits the professional against the group of well-meaning amateurs. To achieve a successful outcome, the architect must find tactful ways to sidestep the original proposal, explain why the approaches presented are not cost-effective, and face being constantly second-guessed. And if any areas of the completed project do not “work,” it will be perceived as the architect’s incompetence rather than the Board’s or Head’s interference.
The architect has to answer to an excessive number of “bosses.” You want to involve faculty and staff members in developing plans for a new facility or any major renovation or rehabilitation project. However, their contributions should produce guidelines—not solutions. An educational specifications consultant can be a valuable asset in this area.
You hire an architect for his or her expertise—don’t set traps that keep this professional from doing the job.
Additional ISM Resources:
The Source for Business and Operations Vol. 14 No. 5 Facilities:More Than a Line Item
The Source for Business and Operations Vol. 11 No. 6 Architecture to Inspire, Attract, and Promote Wellness
Additional ISM resources for members:
I&P Vol. 41 No. 5 Educational Specifications: The Foundation for the Facility of Your Dreams
I&P Vol. 41 No. 7 Facility Design and Strategic Planning
