The Second Studio (formerly The Midnight Charette) is an explicit podcast about design, architecture, and the everyday. Hosted by Architects David Lee and Marina Bourderonnet, it features different creative professionals in unscripted conversations that allow for thoughtful takes and personal discussions.
A variety of subjects are covered with honesty and humor: some episodes are interviews, while others are tips for fellow designers, reviews of buildings and other projects, or casual explorations of everyday life and design. The Second Studio is also available on iTunes, Spotify, and YouTube.
This week David and Marina are joined by Samantha Burton, Vice President at Young & Burton, a General Contractor company that focuses on custom residential projects.
Samantha provides an introduction to what a General Contractor does, the typical team members involved with a building project and each of their responsibilities, the differences between constructing modern style buildings versus traditional ones, hiring a Contractor and key traits to look for in a Contractor, how projects start, Contractor licensure and education, Contractor and Architect teamwork, the importance of construction drawings, and much more.
Highlights & Timestamps
Sam talks about the typical team involved with a building/architecture project (client, Architect, Contractor, Engineer, and Contractor's Project Manager, Super, Subcontractors, and Estimator) their different responsibilities and the advantages of having workers who are part of the Contractor's in-house team versus those two are contracted on a project-by-project basis.(00:00)
We look at ourselves as conduits of information. So it’s our job to relay what’s happening in the field and put it in a way that is clear enough for the Architect, Engineer, and design team to understand what the issue is and to help and work as a team to find the best solution that benefits all aspects of the job. We meet our structural requirement, the architect gets what they are looking for in terms of appearance, and we can actually construct it in the field. (16:35)
Why the building industry has become so much more complicated and what that means for builders and architects. (12:16)
When we started we didn’t have project managers, that was kind of unheard of back then. You had your supers and your estimator, but they ran everything from the field. That’s been a big change for us and for the industry over the years—switching to things being more complicated and more communication amongst more people and needing that extra layer of management in the communication aspect. […]
The industry and regulation of the industry have become so much more complicated. The simple aspect of what Title-24 is… that almost rules a whole project today. Can you make your Title-24? Can you meet all those requirements? And that changes every few years. The latest structural code revisions really changed and impacted how we were building things and that came into play within the last five years and we’re still adjusting to that new code and level of requirement. It’s [the building profession] had to become more specialized because there’s too much information, guidance, and requirements on all the different aspects that no one can handle all of it. (12:45)
The different ways projects start for clients. Does the client hire the Contractor or the architect first? (16:54) (35:43)
The earlier we get involved is always preferred. It keeps us on the same page of what can and cannot be done, what the cost impact of design decisions are, and it really sets us up for success. We can better understand what the client is looking for and what the Architect’s after. The longer we’re engaged the better. If we’re hired right before permit then we’re playing catch up on all these conversations and all these design decisions that have been made over a course of time. (20:29)
Should the Architect be involved with the project during construction? The importance of having a consistent team throughout the entire project and the limitations of construction drawings as the blueprint for building. (21:39)
We always want the Architect involved all the way through [because] there are always going to be questions that will come up. We are just there to realize the vision. It is not up to us to come up with the design or the vision. That’s why you need the Architect and designer team because they know what it’s supposed to look like or what the intent is. I can give you an example of how to get there. I can make suggestions on materials or products that might the best fit for what they want, but it’s not for us to say, “Well we think this window should be like this.” That’s not our job. […]
What I see happening more which is a frustration and disappointment is clients asking when they can stop paying Architect fees. “Well we have full permitted plans. What do you need them [the Architect] for any more?” There are always unforeseen conditions and getting a set to permit and getting a set to construction are two different things as well. What you need to permit is not what you need for construction.” (24:29)
Why a building cannot be constructed just based on the information in construction drawings and the unique challenges of doing custom 'one-off' projects. (28:21)
The value of a good construction drawing set and planning accordingly before construction starts. The advantages of having 3D computer modeling to solve and communicate building issues during construction. (43:23)
The more detailed [the construction drawings are] the better we can bid it. That’s where we can really drill down and know where we are going. The more design [-oriented the drawings are and the less detailed they are] the more assumptions we’re making on how we’re getting there. […] When you are using design drawings to start construction, the project takes longer and it costs more. When there are construction drawings, pretty much how we bid it and estimate the timeframe to be is pretty much dead on. That’s the difference. And it makes for a better project. (44:00)
The different challenges of constructing modern-style buildings versus traditional-style ones, the key traits to look for in a good Contractor, and having the right team. (51:31)
The importance of [hiring a Contractor with the right experience] is ten-fold in a modern home because you can’t hide anything. If you miss one thing, it reads. If you walk in a modern home that was not done well, you can see every flaw. When I talk about the framing, you’re doing level 5 drywall that is the full wall. You don’t have any trim to hide anything. Also a lot of times with modern you’re dealing with very small attic space, joist space, or thin wall sections, so your room to run any of the equipment necessary of a home is minuscule. (52:25)
Working with unlicensed 'Contractors'. (01:08:52)
Typical Contractor fee structures and their pros and cons. (01:12:16)
The education of Contractors and the benefit of learning construction management in school. (01:20:00)
The benefits for Contractors and Architects having experience in different types of building projects even if they are not the focus of their business. (01:33:31)
Sam shares her thoughts on design-build projects and Contractor-Client and Architect-Client contracts. (01:39:03)
