To improve the Oklahoma Architectural Act; Provide Oklahoma citizens and businesses with a uniform standard for the protection of public health, safety and welfare as it relates to the built environment; Raise that standard to a level that matches the laws in adjacent states. This is one of several White Papers to generally explain the need and proposals to be presented to the Oklahoma Legislature's 2003 session.

Benefits of Architectural Involvement

There are many benefits realized by the Owner when the decision is made to engage an Architect to help the Owner through the process of designing and building a new facility. The following is a short listing of some of these benefits including a brief description of the advantages the Owner gains from each of them:

Architectural fees vary depending on the type of facility, the complexity of the design and construction and the scope of the services to be provided by the Architect. These fees however, are a small percentage of the construction costs for a project. By engaging an Architect to produce bid documents (drawings and specifications) the Owner is able to receive competitive bids from several contractors and be assured that they are pricing apples to apples. The money the Owner saves by being able to competitively bid the project often pays for the architectural fees. Having a good set of bid/construction documents can save additional money for the Owner during the construction phase of the project by reducing the number of change orders required by the contractor during the construction phase.

Architects are trained to design facilities that meet the Life Safety and Building Code requirements. This provides several benefits to the Owner including the possibility of decreased insurance premiums, safety to the building users, and savings of time and money to the Owner by decreasing the time associated with receiving a building permit and a decrease in change order items due to revisions required during the building permit review process. By hiring a licensed Architect, the Owner is assured that a trained professional will be guiding the design of the facility assuring that the their new building will meet all the safety requirements that are critical to the public health, safety and welfare.

During the design process the Architect helps the Owner evaluate the proposed scope of the project (the things that the Owner wants in their new building) and the project budget. Throughout the process the Architect helps the Owner make informed decisions on the materials and systems to be used in constructing the new building. Whether it is selecting the type of HVAC (heating and air conditioning) system that will be used or deciding whether the exterior skin of the building is going to be brick or stucco, the Architect will explain the different options available, the cost implications of each, as well as the durability and required level of maintenance. Through this process the Architect can help the Owner make informed decisions to assure that the design of the facility meets the Owner’s desired quality level, as well as the project budget.

By engaging an Architect to help during the design process, the Owner can see significant savings during the life of a building. During the design process the Architect will work with the Owner to ascertain how the building is to be used when occupied. The Architect can then develop options for review by the Owner. This design process will help to assure that the new facility will function efficiently for the use intended. The Architect also brings design knowledge and talents that can help the Owner visualize the final design of the new building during the design process. This will help to assure the Owner that the new building will meet both their functional and aesthetic goals for the new building.

By hiring an Architect, the Owner has a trained professional who knows the process of constructing a building and observing how the new building is being constructed. The Architect can review the progress of construction to assure that the Owner is receiving the level of quality for both the materials and workmanship as described in the construction documents. Without the Architect reviewing the progress of construction, the Owner is dependent on the contractor to perform the work according to the documents. During the construction process, the Architect can also review the contractor's payment applications to assure that the work for which the contractor is requesting payment has been performed to the level described in the contractor's pay applications. The Architect is a trained, third party that helps the Owner through the building process to assure that the contractor provides the building that the Owner has paid him to construct.

The above items are just a few of the ways that hiring an Architect can help the Owner through the complex process of designing and constructing a new building. By working together the Owner and Architect can assure that the new building will meet the functional, budget, quality and safety goals for the project.

When considering the public health, safety and welfare of the Oklahoma built-environment, a registered Architect is the only professional licensed by the state to serve that need. Life Safety and Building Code Compliance, Long Term Durability, Design and Facility Functionality and Third Party Impartiality are but a few of the public health, safety and welfare issues that are best served by the inclusion of licensed Architects in Oklahoma's built-environment.