In every Godzilla movie there is always a battle between Godzilla,King of the Monsters, and another giant beast. Whether it is Mothera, Mecha-Godzilla, or King Kong, the real loser in these Japanese cinema classics are the towns that the Monsters stomp on as they fight. Many people who are building or renovating a structure may sometimes feel like the Japanese townspeople under foot in a Monster battle if they get caught in the struggle between Architects and Contractors. So who should the owner look to when such battles occur? Who will best serve the owner's desire for quality at a fair price? The answer should be that both the Architect and the Contractor are on your team and must be working together in the Owners best interests.
An architect job is to create a functional design, meet a budget, and a construction schedule. The Contractor's job is to build a structure, meet a budget, and construction schedule. The goals of these two members of the team are the same as the Owner so why is it that a conflict may occur? The Owner may not see the conflict but, unfortunately, there is an inherent conflict that is a part of the process of building. The architect wants to see the design built correctly but the contractor may not.
After a good design is agreed to by the Owner and architect the project is sent out to bid. Usually this process is a competitive one between at least 3-5 contractors. Each contractor wants to win the job or they would not take the time to work out the cost for the project. This cost estimation process is time consuming and is also a bit of smoke an mirrors. Many contractors will lower their estimate to win the bid and this is where things get sticky. The contractor will try to make more money after winning the bid by making design changes that will favor their bottom line. The contractor may even attempt to convince the owner that he will pass along the savings. This is why we have the conflict between "the Monsters". A good architect will have already worked to meet the budget in the design process. Architects want to prevent changes during construction that will increase the time and cost of a project. Many times a contractor is making changes that are not in the Owners best interest.
Though all contractors should not fall under suspicion, most are craftsman concerned with a quality product, some need to be watched during the construction process. This is why it is essential to keep the architect involved in construction administration to make sure that quality materials, code compliance, and design integrity are maintained. The best recommendation that anyone can make is that all Owners should look to both Architect and Contractor to be the best possible fit for the project. If both have a record of quality then the conflicts between the two should be nil or minimal thus making the design, building process, and final product a fun and gratifying experience for the Owner--no Monsters required.
