Specification Writing In Architecture; Advantages, Challenges and Remedies By Yahmah Daniel Olugbenga

ABSTRACT

A specification is a description of the physical or functional characteristics, or the nature, of a supply, service, or construction item; the requirements to be satisfied by a product, material, or process, and, when applicable, the processes to determine if the requirements have been met. This study aims to investigate the benefits, challenges, and solutions associated with generating architectural standards. The essay is based on existing literature, online publications, and the seminar lesson on specification writing. The textual specification is written in legalese and is extremely technical. Consequently, it is more likely to serve as the foundation for contractual disputes than drawings. If the quantity surveyor lacks complete information on the materials, goods, and equipment provided by the designer, he or she may be unable to calculate numbers that correspond with the designer’s objectives.

Keywords: Specification, Construction Industry, Architecture, Buildings

INTRODUCTION

Adewale et al. (2018) define specification writing as the description of the physical or functional characteristics, or the nature of a supply, service, or construction item; the requirements to be satisfied by a product, material, or process; and, if applicable, the procedures to determine whether the requirements have been satisfied. A specification is a list of requirements offered by the customer for a product, process, or service. In an ideal universe, requirements would be quantified using the appropriate units and their constraints (UL Procurement Office, 2016). According to the knowledge base of the construction industry, a building project’s specifications detail the materials and labor required to finish the project (2016). They do not provide pricing, numbers, or illustrations; consequently, you will need to resort to other materials, such as timetables and charts, to gain a complete picture.

Haruna (2006) asserts that the architect should begin drafting the building’s specs as soon as he begins sketching his ideas. The designer would typically provide both visual and written directions. Consequently, specifications are produced first during the schematic design phase, when the designer provides a basic textual description of the project. During the design development phase of a project, the designer converts the initial project description into comprehensive requirements. For the entire project team, all essential professionals in each field should develop complete requirements documents. The needs are provided in a logical order in the outline. In the following project phase, documentation will be compiled. The procedure of refining and enhancing the requirements description into the final specifications. This is also known as a project manual because it describes how to assemble the product physically. This constitutes the basis for proposals.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The paper aims to identify the various advantages, challenges and remedies of specification writing in the field of architecture.

• METHOD

The paper relied on existing literature, online published works and information from the specification writing seminar class on the 5^th of April, 2022.

ADVANTAGES OF WRITING SPECIFICATIONS

• According to NBS Enterprises, there are still many reasons why specifications are crucial in the construction sector (2021).
• The specification details the project’s objectives, anticipated outcomes, and building techniques.
• ii)It may allude to fundamental standards and values in this circumstance.
• iii) It is possible to accurately describe the producer’s ingredients and goods.
• It is feasible to ascertain what must be done for installation, testing, and handoff.
• Assisting with asset management and handoff is a benefit, as is classification of specifications.
• Because fewer data are required, it is easier to find specific information about a design or model.
• A thorough specification that describes not only the goods and materials to be used, but also their performance and quality of construction, can be beneficial to the budget of a project.
• The specifications and drawings are included in the contract to decrease project risk and provide both parties with recourse in the event of a dispute.
• It enhances understanding of the customer’s wants and ensures delivery of the requested goods.
• It is a critical component of the soft landing strategy, future asset management, and longevity strategy, as well as a significant component of the construction industry.
• A well-written specification saves time and money for everyone involved in a building project since it addresses all potential construction-related questions.
• After a project concludes, office managers can use what they’ve learned to increase productivity, ensure quality, and maintain consistency across future endeavors.
• Office masters save the team time and money since they can be developed incrementally and tailored to a project’s objectives, drawing on specialized knowledge as required.
• The specification is a dynamic document that will be utilized throughout the construction process by the whole project team.
• It is a vital part of the audit trail and handover record for the project, providing the framework for future asset management and maintenance and impacting everything from employee training to HR policy and any changes or value engineering that may have been performed.

CHALLENGES OF WRITING SPECIFICATIONS

Concerns with the specification can be broken down into five groups, as outlined by Lam et al. (2001) and Adewale et al. (2018): i. communication, ii. formatting, iii. technology, iv. law, and v. people management.

Two basic forms of specification difficulties are proposed by Gelder (2001) and Adewale et al. (2018): erroneous specifications and underused specifications.

It is clear that the specifier has little to no knowledge of the building materials they are proposing. As a result of his myopia, he has a hard time choosing consumables that are actually beneficial to him (Folorunso & Ahmad, 2013).

Some of the biggest challenges architects confront are inconsistencies in the documentation they’re working from, requirements to match the declared performance of products to the criteria described in the document, and the necessity to match the general qualities of proprietary items to those indicated. Another major challenge is the tendency to over-specify goods, as well as the availability of information, the inefficiency of site supervisors in enforcing requirements, and the availability of information.

According to Sholarin, there are a number of other issues with architectural design that may be traced back to inadequate specification drafting (2022). The field of architecture suffers greatly from a lack of leadership. This may have serious legal consequences.wasteful speculation and blathering v. vi. There is a possibility of misunderstanding between the quantity surveyor and the constructor.

• REMEDIES OF WRITING SPECIFICATION

1. Adewale et al., (2018) architects imbibe the practice of including specifications from the preliminary design stage, to avoid discrepancies among the contract/tender documents. Also, architects should imbibe the habit of doing a market survey on regular bases to keep an up-to-date record of building materials.
2. Professional architects should take up the responsibility of training in the act of specification writing, or employ specialist specification writers, as part of the design team in their organisations. Further, the specifiers should be persons that had been trained as architects before choosing to specialise in specification writing (Adewale et al., 2018).

Designing buildings (2022), proposed several remedies and guidance on specification writing in architecture and construction:

1. The specification should always be edited to reflect the appointment and the selected procurement route.
2. Always start from a solid baseline document. Do not take the last project you prepared a specification for and change the headers and footers. No matter how vigilant you are, mistakes such as naming the wrong project, specifying incorrect materials and other basic errors will creep into your documents.
3. Avoid using the term ‘or similar approved’ in a specification. If you approve it you are assuming liability for it. Instead, use the term ‘or acceptable equivalent’. By accepting an alternative the responsibility for Fitness for Purpose moves to the contractor and the architect’s acceptance is for design intent only. If the architect approves, they take back that responsibility. Normally, alternatives are offered for program or cost reasons and the contractor is responsible for the fact that they are providing a different product that must be at least as good quality-wise as the one specified by the architect. If the architect is specifying by description only, the contractor is obliged to provide the technical solution which again they have to be responsible for in terms of quality, performance, appearance and fitness for purpose.
4. The proper use of defined terms is important in a specification. Check your contract.
5. Document/section identification should appear on every page in the footer for document control purposes.
6. Avoid putting specification clause numbers on your drawings. The use of product reference codes is recommended which should all be included on a technical reference sheet (T-Sheet) that links the drawings and the specification. This makes life much easier when changes are required.
7. Avoid mixing prescriptive and performance specifications, that is, don’t name a very specific product and then provide performance characteristics for that product – this is not necessary and creates the potential for conflict resulting in claims.
8. Avoid specifying temporary works – this is the contractor’s responsibility. Just specify the need to protect adequately, not how to do it.
9. Remove names of individuals when specifying products and just provide the company’s details.
10. Remove unfinished clauses and terms such as ‘if required’. If you are specifying a specific technical solution then you have to specify everything.
11. Do not highlight particular clauses by using bold or underlining, as this indicates that the clause is of special importance and there is no such thing in a specification, as by default it indicates that everything else is not so important.
12. Always allow time to have your specifications proofread.

According to The NBS (2022), developing a good specification should save a lot of time and effort when it comes to delivering a construction project. By making requirements clear there is no room for confusion or doubt which can only make for a more efficient and effective process. They further highlighted some remedies to proper specification writing:

1. Create a clear definition

As a supporting document, the specification is an opportunity to make unique requirements on a project clear. A good specification should give a clear indication of the levels of quality expected. This includes the types of materials required to be used on the job and how they should be installed, finished or tested. The specification also serves as an opportunity to reference specific local standards that apply to the job – leaving nobody in any doubt as to what kind of compliance is required.

1. Detail to support drawings

Drawings alone can not convey all the requirements. Supporting drawings (whether hand-drawn or developed as 3D CAD) with a comprehensive and detailed specification will save time and effort in the long run. Even on BIM projects, where a fully rendered building may contain lots of additional information within the individual objects that make up the model, there are still lots of other details that need to be captured – not least the quality of materials you expect to be used. This includes workmanship and any relevant standards that need to be met.

• Information to ensure accurate pricing

While the specification itself will not include cost information if it is well-composed and suitably detailed, it should make it easy for a contractor to price the job quickly and accurately. Ensuring the specifier provides detailed information about project requirements, perhaps even specific products, will result in more accurate pricing down the line.

1. Minimise risk

By codifying requirements in a specification it is harder, down the line, to dispute things. A specification that draws on relevant and up-to-date standards and accurately references the drawings should, therefore, help you minimise risks of dispute and legal action on a project.

1. Focus on compliance

Timely and efficient statutory compliance helps to avoid legal implications and penalties on a project and reduces the risk of prosecution. By defining requirements on a project when it comes to meeting specific standards, sustainability benchmarks and compliance with health and safety requirements, a project manager can easily determine and verify that these documented requirements have been met.

1. Give clear instructions

A good specification should serve as an ‘on-site instruction manual’. Stating clearly the standards that the specifier expects the workmanship to be completed effectively provides instruction to follow for those working on the job. It is important to remember that specification should not be unduly prescriptive when it comes to delivery – the focus should be on outcomes rather than the process by which the outcomes are achieved. As a document at the heart of the project, the specification should be available on-site as a reference guide for contractors detailing the types and quality of materials, products and workmanship you require on the project.

• Make it legally binding

It is worth remembering that the specification forms part of the contract documentation and therefore becomes legally binding in the event of any dispute or litigation.

• Ensure client satisfaction

The specification is an interpretation of the initial brief provided by the client. It serves as a written interpretation of that brief and by ensuring that the specifier fully understood the client’s wishes and the assets that they require, it serves as a key check on performance criteria.

1. Create a useful resource for facilities management

The specification will not stay as a static document – it will develop and evolve across the project timeline as the specifier eventually ends up with an “as-built” version that represents the final asset. The specification will prove invaluable for facilities managers and maintenance teams to provide vital information about the building or asset when it transitions into use, re-use and even through to demolition.

1. Save time and money

Taking the time to collate accurate information, clear instruction and minimal repetition will allow the contractor to proceed with little disruption. This reduced the need for questioning and clarification, both of which add time and costs to a project.

CONCLUSION

The textual specification is highly comprehensive and loaded with legal terminology. Therefore, it is more likely than drawings to constitute the foundation for contract-related disputes. This is due to the fact that the quantity surveyor may not be able to develop amounts that correspond to the designer’s ideas if they are not provided with comprehensive information regarding the materials, commodities, and equipment specified by the designer. This means the client may not obtain the desired results from the deal. In spite of this, written specifications are rarely given the time and attention they clearly merit. The poor salaries obtained by Nigerian professionals can be attributed to their contempt for such documentation. Clients believe the number of drawings does not justify the cost, and artists are willing to accept low pay due to their limited output. In addition, it is well known that the absence of detailed, documented specifications, inadequate technical coordination, and disregard with minor issues are the primary causes of all contract gaps. The willingness of the federal government and certain state governments to complete abandoned projects and bury the horrible memories they’ve generated for good is an obvious benefit of democracy. As professionals, we can only do our best to prevent a recurrence of this situation by designing contracts that allow no room for interpretation.

REFERENCES

1. Adewale, B., Oluwatayo, A., Uwakonye, O., & Ogunkoya, A. (2018). Shortfalls of Specification Writing in Nigerian Architectural Practice. Volume 9, Issue 7, pp. 497–506, Article ID: IJCIET_09_07_051. Available online at http://www.iaeme.com/ijciet/issues.asp?JType=IJCIET&VType=9&IType=7
2. Designing Buildings (2022). Specification guidance for construction. https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Specification_guidance_for_construction [Accessed 10/4/2022]
3. Folorunso, C. O. & Ahmad M. (2013). Parameters for building materials specifications in Lagos, Nigeria, 2013. https://www.researchgate.net/…/258187543.
4. Gelder, J. Specifying Architecture: a guide to professional practice, New South Wales 2061: Construction Information Systems Austalia Pty Ltd, 2001.
5. Haruna, I., (2006). Specifications Writing. Being a Paper Presented At Nigeria Institute of Architects – Abuja Chapter Seminar/General Meeting. Nia-Abuja Seminar On Specs Writing.
6. Lam, Mohan M. Kumaraswamy, S. Thomas Ng. The multiple roles of specifications in lean construction, 2001. http://www.iglc.net/Papers/Details/149/pdf
7. NBS Enterprises (2022). How to Write a Specification. https://www.thenbs.com/knowledge/how-to-write-a-specification. [Accessed 10/4/2022]
8. The Construction Industry Knowledge Base. Specification for construction, 2016.http://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Specification_for_construction
9. NBS Enterprises (2021).  15 reasons why specifications are still important. https://manufacturers.thenbs.com/resources/knowledge/15-reasons-why-specifications-are-still-important [Accessed 10/4/2022]
10. Sholarin, R., (2022). Specification Writing Seminar Class. Department of Architecture, Covenant University, Ota, Nigeria. 5^th April 2022.
11. UL Procurement Office. Guidelines_on_Writing_Specifications, 2016. https://www2.ul.ie/web/www/Services/Finance/Procurement_and_Supply_Chain_Office/ UL_Procurement/Policies_%26_Procedures/Guidelines_on_Writing_Specifications Construction Specifications Writing: Principles and Procedures https://booksgoogle.com.ng/books?isbn=1118174380.