It’s a tale as old as time. The architect slaves away night after night designing the most beautiful architecture. The people are raving, excited to see what new and impressive building will go up this time. The render looks amazing!
Construction starts, and slowly, small changes start popping up on site: the windows which you poured over have been dumbed-down to save time because they were not ordered quick enough, the brickwork looks nothing like how it was supposed to, and war is waged between architect, builders, contractors and client.
Luckily, SiteSupervisor can help turn this nightmare around so the story is finished with a happy ending by providing a management solution that keeps the architect in control of the project. SiteSupervisor SiteComms is the correspondence organizer within the platform and it keeps track of in-project conversations, while highlighting where information is needed from specific people within the communication line.
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During site visits, it’s quick and easy to mark-up drawings highlighting issues directly on your phone or tablet which can then be sent directly to the relevant team members in one click. For example, you notice that the external windows are not the double-glazed ones you specified. This could blow out the entire energy efficiency calculation, so it’s a big deal. But you don’t want to lose your head in front of the construction crew. Instead, you can login to SiteSupervisor and note this on the latest revision of the drawing and send the mark-up note to the General Contractor. They can then create a defect/punch item for the relevant team member or sub-contractor to close-out. This creates a clear audit trail that can easily be checked that everything is being undertaken in accordance with the drawings and specifications, and provides a clear point of reference for the weekly site meetings. It’s also easy to see when work you’ve specifically asked for hasn’t been done which means the sass you give to the builders can definitely be justified.
SiteSupervisor isn’t just for organizing one project – it’s also about keeping on top of multiple projects at one time. You might be thinking, “how?” or maybe you’ve just smiled smugly thinking about your organized inbox with folders set up for each project. But consider this – you being organized in isolation doesn’t get the whole site team organized.
SiteComms is incredibly easy; so easy that there is nothing further to set up, no rules to set. When you go to compose a new thread, select the relevant project and later, when you open your SiteComms inbox you can filter all mail per project in one click. All project members work off the same structure. Easy.
SiteSupervisor is what we have been waiting for, making life more organized and manageable across the whole site team. Which means that we, the architects, can stress less (well it’s not impossible) and focus more on the exciting stuff that ensures the final outcome is exactly how we envisioned and designed. And once the project reaches practical completion, all the architects, consultants, contractors and clients live happily ever after.
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Rachel Hur has been working in architecture for almost 8 years while undertaking a B.Arch Des at the University of Queensland, followed by an M.Arch from Melbourne University. She currently specializes in Correctional Architecture with a strong focus on rehabilitation and creating therapeutic spaces.
