At the FIRENZ Conference Michael James made the case for more communication and greater collaboration throughout the design process to ensure safety compliance is a logical outcome for all parties involved in the project. Michael observed that when architects and engineers work well together, design projects are more efficient, compliant and successful.
“This applies whether the design project is modest or is extremely complex,” he said. “Poor design coordination results in costs escalating by a factor of ten at each point in the design phase. Achieving safety compliance is never negotiable and can never be compromised.”
Michael further observed that the New Zealand Institute of Architects (NZIA) and Engineering New Zealand, including the Society of Fire Prevention Engineers (SFPE), are committed to making sure engineers and architects collaborate and coordinate well. The two professional bodies are developing a programme of joint education for their members, to help design professionals see the benefits of co-ordination and give them the tools they need to implement co-ordinated design processes.
This will go a long way to addressing what Michael describes as the knowledge gap between architects and engineers, between what we respectively know and what no-one knows when we don’t communicate and co-ordinate effectively. Much of Michael’s presentation explored the range of current and evolving technologies for enhanced communication between engineers and architects to achieve efficient, compliant and therefore successful projects.
See Michael’s presentation here.