Site Management and Meetings

# Chapter 14: Site Management and Meetings  Moving from documentation into construction marks a significant shift in your architectural responsibilities. You're no longer just drawing, you're now ensuring those drawings become reality while protecting both your client's interests and your professional liability. ### **Pre-Commencement: Setting the Foundation** Before any work begins on site, you need to verify several critical elements. Think of this as your safety net, catching issues now prevents costly problems later. Start by confirming the contractor's registration with the Victorian Building Authority (check their class matches the project scope), their professional indemnity insurance is current, and for residential projects over $16,000, that domestic building insurance is in place. Your pre-commencement meeting sets the project tone. Schedule it at least two weeks before construction starts, and make sure you've got the right people there: the principal contractor, key subcontractors, the building surveyor, and your client's representative. Use this meeting to establish communication protocols, who calls whom when issues arise, how quickly responses are needed, and what requires written confirmation. Most experienced architects find that spending an extra hour here saves countless fire-fighting calls later. Material availability has become crucial since 2020\. Don't just accept "we'll source it when needed", get specific confirmation on critical path items. One delayed structural steel delivery can cascade into months of delays. ### **Running Effective Site Meetings** Site meetings are your primary tool for keeping projects on track. They're not casual catch-ups, they're formal project management forums that create legal records. Structure them consistently: start with safety matters (always), review progress against programme, address any design queries, discuss variations, and assign clear actions with deadlines. Your meeting minutes become critical project records, potentially used as evidence years later if disputes arise. Write them within 24-48 hours while details are fresh. Include who attended, what was discussed, what was decided, and who's doing what by when. When you document a decision, explain the reasoning, future you (or a court) will thank you for the context. Virtual participation has transformed site meetings since 2020\. You can now dial in consultants for specific agenda items without the travel cost, making it easier to get expert input when needed. Just ensure someone on-site can be your eyes for any physical inspections required. ### **Digital Tools and Documentation** Construction documentation has gone digital, and you need to adapt. Cloud-based platforms enable real-time document sharing, but they require disciplined version control. Set clear protocols: who can upload, how files are named, where markups go, and how revisions are tracked. Without these rules, your SharePoint becomes a digital dumping ground where nobody can find anything. Site photos are no longer optional, they're essential documentation. Use apps that automatically embed date, time, and GPS data. When photographing issues, include a reference object for scale and take wide shots for context before close-ups. These images often become your best defence if disputes arise about what was actually built. The Electronic Transactions Act allows electronic signatures in Victoria, but get explicit consent from all parties first. For important documents, consider using platforms that provide audit trails showing who signed when. ### **The Critical Distinction: Supervision vs Inspection** Here's where many graduates stumble: understanding the legal difference between supervision and inspection fundamentally affects your liability. When you inspect, you're periodically checking construction progress against the design intent, typically visiting site weekly or at key stages. You're observing and reporting, not directing the work. Supervision implies continuous oversight and control. If you sign off as having "supervised" work, you're accepting responsibility for its execution. The contractor supervises their workers daily; you inspect their work periodically. This isn't just semantics, courts have consistently upheld this distinction in professional liability cases. Never let a contractor pressure you into signing that you've supervised work when you've only inspected it. That single word can shift liability from their construction methods to your professional oversight. Stay within your defined scope: observe, document, report, but don't direct construction means and methods unless specifically engaged and insured to do so. ### **Managing Your Professional Risk** Your site presence creates liability exposure, but you can manage it effectively. Focus your observations on design compliance, not construction techniques. If you see obvious safety issues, report them immediately in writing, but don't try to coordinate site safety, that's the contractor's legal responsibility. Document everything, but be strategic about what you commit to writing. Emails saying "that looks fine to me" can become liability admissions. Instead, write "based on my observation of \[specific element\] on \[date\], it appears to comply with drawing \[number\]." This precision protects you while providing clear guidance. Remember that your professional indemnity insurance (minimum $1 million per claim in Victoria) only covers your professional services. If you step outside your expertise or take on contractor responsibilities, you might void your coverage. **Key Terms:** - **Pre-commencement meeting**: Formal project kick-off meeting establishing protocols, confirming compliance, and setting expectations before construction begins - **Site inspection**: Periodic observation of construction progress to assess general compliance with design intent, not continuous oversight - **Supervision**: Direct, ongoing oversight of construction work, implying control and heightened liability for work quality - **Professional indemnity insurance**: Mandatory liability coverage protecting architects against claims of professional negligence or error - **Meeting minutes**: Formal written record of discussions, decisions, and assigned actions that serve as legal documentation - **Critical path**: Sequence of project activities that directly affects completion date, delays here delay the entire project - **Domestic building insurance**: Mandatory insurance for Victorian residential projects over $16,000, protecting homeowners if builders become insolvent