What Specifiers Want 2017 articles

This is the latest in our quarterly updating programme for Uniclass 2015 and includes updates to eight tables.

Within the construction industry, there have been advances in the way we look at how we create buildings. Environmentally conscious building, also known as sustainable construction, is an innovative modern idea introducing more environmentally, socially and economically aware construction methods.

This year’s 2020 BIM survey marks the 10th year of asking the industry for their views about BIM. In this article, we’ve picked out ten of the key things that we’ve learnt about the latest state of BIM from this year’s survey.

When working on basic construction projects, where the work is of a simple nature, then typically this work will be undertaken using a ‘small works’ standard form construction contract. Generally speaking, contracts for small works do not support the use of bills of quantities as pricing documents because the extra cost of preparation is not usually justified when the level of detail is not required.

Many smaller practices work on less complex construction projects. While there is no universal definition of what a ‘small works’ project is, it is generally characterized by being simple, using straightforward methods, and it is typically procured following a traditional methodology.

Based on a webinar of the same name by NBS Technical Author James Smith, this article looks at the importance of having a robust fire safety strategy and why it should be integrated into your specification.

The specification is the backbone of any project. Products must be researched, selected and agreed with the client, with finishes and facades requiring careful consideration and discussions with clients, planners and other stakeholders.

CPD is a crucial part of any architects role. As it’s usually delivered in person, lockdown proved a challenge for those wishing to attend CPD seminars. As a result, as the construction industry shifts online, so has CPD. Phil Ward, at Lee Evans Partnership, shares his experience of attending his first virtual RIBA CPD seminar.

In this article, the process followed at AHMM, which aligns to this RIBA Plan of Work framework, is outlined. Complexities that relate to the following are covered: preparing for specification writing; providing clarity between descriptive and prescriptive specifications; and coordinating specifications with the wider set of project information.

This year’s 2020 BIM report marks the 10th year of asking the industry for their views about BIM. Read the latest on the state of BIM, reflecting the views of over 1,000 industry professionals. See how usage and views of BIM have changed since 2011. What progress have we made as an industry and what changes do we anticipate in the next decade?

Sustainability is arguably the most expansive strategy in the RIBA Plan of Work 2020. It is also a topic that is being asked about increasingly when specifiers are reaching out to NBS to know more about how our technical content can help them achieve sustainable outcomes for their projects.

The increasing frequency for as-built point cloud scans as part of the delivery of a project is a sign that clients are no longer willing to rely on design models unchecked and issued as record information. However, the approach that contractors are taking is a reactive one which fails to make use or take the full benefit of the technology.