Black Spectacles - PcM - Practice Exam

An architect's consultant has inadequate professional liability insurance. The consultant is declared negligent following a claim and damages need to be paid. What is a result of this scenario?

Many court cases have found that since the architect was contracted for the work they are ultimately responsible for their consultants. This includes the instance where a consultant's insurance policy is inadequate in the event of a negligible act. The architect may have an indemnification clause in their agreement with the consultant, but this might not exonerate the architect in the event that the consultant's professional liability insurance is found to be inadequate.

Throughout the design and construction phases, an architect must perform certain tasks to ensure the quality of the work. The performance of these tasks is known as quality assurance (QA). Which of the following are quality assurance (QA) processes? Check the four that apply.

Mock-ups, Code plan review, Peer review, Submittals

At a midterm fiscal review for a firm, the owner notes that the office is tracking to end the year with a loss. Which of the following changes can the owner make to mitigate the losses for the next 6 months without the loss of any employees ? Check the three that apply.

Reconcile aged invoices, Bill for reimbursable expenses, Reduce indirect time

An architect is working on a retail shop, coffee bar, and cafe project. The project is privately funded by the owner. The project is nearing the end of the bidding process and the owner has four bids from local contractors. Which of the following are roles of the architect when helping the client select a contractor? Check the four that apply.

Review and compare the bids, Comment on personal or firm experience with the contractor, Ask thoughtful questions at the interview, Review references from the contractor's completed projects

A client has hired an architect to design their first new apartment building. Which of the following pieces of information does the architect need from the owner to assess the viability of the project? Check the three that apply.

Schedule, Budget, Program

An architect is working on a project where the client is planning on building a residential townhouse subdivision on land that is currently zoned commercial.

1. Staff meeting 2. Submit formal application 3. Notice of Public Hearing 4. Adjacent properties notified 5. Planning Commission hearing

A firm is determining the billing rate for an employee who is paid $28 per hour. The firm's overhead rate is 130%, and they want a 15% profit. What should the firm's hourly billing rate be for this employee? Round to the nearest whole dollar.

A firm with an overhead rate of 1.3 will have a break-even rate of 2.3 (1.0 + 1.3). To determine a billable rate, the hourly pay of the employee should be multiplied by the break even rate ($28.00 x 2.3 = $64.40). To determine the required 15% profit, the break-even rate should then be divided by 0.85 (or the complement of the desired profit). This will establish an hourly billing rate of $75.76 ($64.40 ÷ 85% = $75.76; to check: $75.76 × 15% = $11.36 + $64.40 = $75.76)

An architect is working on a mixed use building and the project site is a vacant urban lot that is city-owned. The lot has been informally developed by the local community as an urban garden and children's playground. Members of the community have voiced their complaints about the proposed building development to the local planning commission and AHJ, and this has halted the approval of the project. Which of the following would be the most effective option to address the community concerns?

Also known as zoning bonuses, incentive zoning allows property owners greater development density or other bonuses if they agree to provide a benefit to the community in their development, such as a public park or plaza, a percentage of affordable housing, or public art. Suggesting this to the commission could resolve the issue. If the project retained a public park, but was able to build the lost square footage elsewhere on the site outside of the original zoning envelope, this would be an effective solution for all parties.

A system of quality assurance/quality control is typically put in place to avoid costly mistakes and claims resulting from incorrect information. Which of the following are methods to perform quality assurance on a project? Check the three that apply.

Self-checks, In-house third-party reviews, Peer reviews

A client has asked an architecture firm to design and deliver a prototypical building via the design-bid-build method. The building design is intended to be used for multiple projects. Which of the following documents would be appropriate for this contract?

B101

An architecture firm has been selected to design a high-rise building. The firm is trying to decide which project delivery method would be best suited for this project. Ideally, at what point in the project planning should the project delivery method be determined?

Before architectural fees are negotiated

An architect is hired to be the design architect for an existing project team that has an architect of record and an interior designer. Which of the following documents could apply to the design architect's scope of work? Check the three that apply.

C401 is an agreement between an architect and a consultant. This document is used when the architect hires consultants directly (as opposed to the owner hiring them), and acts to explain each firm's respective scope of work, how they will work together, and payment terms. B101 is an agreement between the architect and owner. It outlines basic and additional services, the scope of work, payment terms, owner's responsibilities, and other key terms that govern the owner/architect relationship. C101 is an agreement between two architects. This document is used when there are multiple architects working on a single project, and acts to explain each firm's respective scope of work, how they will work together, and payment terms.

An architect is writing a proposal for services to design a new event center. What is the first step the architect should make in determining the fee?

Calculate the cost to deliver the project

A firm's human resource management team will put together an employee handbook that outlines organizational expectations, benefits, payroll, etc. Which one of the following items would not typically appear in an employee handbook?

Contact lists of employees should be kept confidential and only accessible to human resources and applicable senior-level management.

An architect is working on the design of a multi-family housing project. The project is being completed using Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology. Which of the following is inherent to BIM and a major advantage of utilizing the technology?

Ease of 3D drawings

An architect has been awarded a contract to design and document a large educational building for a college. The client requires that the project be completed utilizing Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology and that a BIM model is produced for the owner's use after construction. Which of the following elements of the project can be studied using BIM technology? Check the three that apply.

Energy consumption, Project cost, Life cycle analysis

When a new startup firm meets with an accountant, the accountant starts to explain a tax that both the employer and employees are responsible for paying. Which one of the following taxes are both the employer and employees responsible to pay?

FICA

An architect is creating their firm's exterior wall commissioning checklist for use at the end of the construction documents (CD) phase. What information should be included in this checklist? Check the four that apply.

Foundation sections are complete, Confirm the owner's project requirements are included, Exterior elevations are graphically complete, Exterior wall specifications are finalized

A firm has entered into a contract with a municipality to design and execute any projects under $500,000 over the next five years. What form of compensation is most appropriate for this contract?

Hourly is best for projects when the scope is undefined, such as in this example.

A multi-family residential project is in the construction administration phase. The client asks the architect if a built-in bookshelf can be moved to the east wall of a resident's lounge, instead of the south wall where it is shown in the construction documents. The unit will remain exactly the same. How should the architect communicate the change to the contractor?

Issue written notice for a minor change to the work

An architect is preparing a fee proposal for a new client. What percent of the total fee is the construction documents phase in a traditional design-bid-build project?

In a typical design-bid-build project, the construction documents phase uses 40% of the overall design fee and man-hours.

An architect is creating their firm's commissioning checklist to be used prior to construction of an exterior envelope system. Which of the following performance and design criteria should be included? Check the four that apply.

Joints at system interfaces, Barrier issues, Structural support, Material/finish aesthetics

An architectural firm has been awarded a contract for a new art museum. The architect is determining the best technology to use for duration of the project. Which of the following should be considered when selecting technologies to utilize? Check the three that apply.

Knowledge management, Project delivery method, Project schedule

An applicant for a project architect position claims to hold a Master's degree in architecture from an accredited university, but after being hired, it is discovered that this is not true. How should the firm proceed?

Notify the jurisdictional licensing board

An architect is reviewing an owner's request for qualifications regarding past relevant experience as part of a request for proposal (RFP). The RFP has a word limit for each section, so the architect has to keep their description of their qualifications brief. If the architect can only highlight four examples, which of the following qualifications would be the best experiences to highlight for the prospective client? Check the four that apply.

Numerous examples of the firm's work can be found in the same town as the proposed project, The firm has extensive experience working on projects similar to the proposed project, The firm has designed many buildings in the same market as the client's company, More than half of the firm's clients become repeat customers

An architect is managing the construction administration of a large hospital project, and is having a hard time keep tracking of the administrative items. Which of the following types of logs would help the architect keep a record of these items?? Check the two that apply.

Phone log, Submittal log

A large corporate client issues a request for qualifications (RFQ) to a large list of architectural firms. What sort of information is usually requested as part of this type of submittal? Check the three that apply.

Previous client references, Letter of interest, Similar project experience

An architect has submitted a proposal for a high-end single family vacation home. The owner has responded with a request to negotiate the contract. During the negotation discussion, the owner requested a reduction in fee and the architect then suggested a reduction in scope. What type of negotiation is this?

Principled negotiation is also called interest-based, merit-based or integrative negotiation. This is the most effective method of negotiation. Entering into principled negotiations distinguishes the people from their problems and deals with each, often separately. The concentration is always on the underlying interests of the people at the table, thus reducing the possibility for personal conflict. This helps identify common ground, disarm potential tensions, and uses differences to develop options that address each party's interests. Using this approach allows all parties to gain as a result of the negotiation process.

An architect has begun construction administration on a small retail project. Which of the following are best practices for managing contractor requests for information? Check the three that apply.

Project management software, Standard file naming conventions, RFI log

An architect is preparing an agreement with a new client for a proposed healthcare facility. According to AIA Owner-Architect agreements, which of the following are owner's responsibilities? Check the four that apply.

Providing and updating the project budget, Furnish geotechnical report, Providing information and approvals in a timely manner, Furnishing civil surveys

An architect is provided a zoning map and zoning regulations for the location of a new development. Which of the following design criteria will be established by these zoning regulations? Check the three that apply.

Signage requirements, Building setbacks, Parking configurations

The developer of a large shopping complex is looking a construction manager for their project. Which of the following construction manager qualification can impact the success of the project? Check the three that apply.

Team chemistry, Constructability expertise, Construction experience

An architect is starting a new practice and must create a legal entity for the business. What are some considerations the architect should weigh when choosing a legal entity? Check the three that apply.

The amount of personal exposure to legal liability, Whether resources will be pooled between partners, Whether the firm will have other partners

The client is late to pay an invoice that the architect sent on August 20th for services rendered in May of the same year. The invoice clearly stated that payment is due within 30 days of the date the invoice was issued. Sixty days have passed since when the invoice was issued. What is the first step the architect should take to collect on the unpaid invoice?

The architect should first remind the client of the unpaid invoice in writing, and request payment.

A project is in the construction administration (CA) phase and the architect is informed that the specified mechanical exhaust fans are discontinued, and a new product must be selected. The newer models available are larger in size, but require less units in total. Who on the team makes the final decision of which new model to procure?

The architect should gather information from their team (such as the mechanical engineer, in this example) and prepare a list of pros and cons of each option, for client review. The architect should not make any decisions without client approval.

A client is developing a residential subdivsion in Texas. The client wants to work with just one person or entity as the point of contact for their project. What delivery method should the architect recommend?

The design-build delivery method puts the builder and the designer under the same contract, therefore providing the owner with one point of contact.

An architect is working on a new construction multi-family condominium project. The architect meets with the owner and stakeholders to discuss potential directions for the project, and they finally decide on a direction they all agree with. During what phase of design is this decision made?

The essence of the design is formed in schematic design, where one direction out of several possible directions is taken.

While reviewing local, state and federal building codes, the architect notices discrepencies between the requirements. Which code should the architect follow?

The most stringent building code should always be followed so that the local, state, and federal building regulations will all be met.

A newly graduated architecture student has interviewed with a firm that has a horizontal organizational structure. What can this recent graduate expect if hired by this firm?

To be assigned to work on a specific phase for many projects

A sole practitioner has just been awarded a large commission that will require extra help. The architect isn't sure if they have enough backlog to hire an employee, so they consider hiring somene as an independant contractor. Which are factors in determing if the hire is a full-time employee vs. an independant contractor? Check the three that apply.

Type of relationship, Degree of financial control, Degree of behavioral control

An architect has been hired to design a co-working office building and has issued construction documents. During the bidding process, the owner decides to make changes to the design and plan layout of the tenant spaces in the building due to changes in their budget. How should the architect proceed?

This is a major change to the deisgn and scope of the project and will require revised construction documents from the architect and all consultants, and likely revisions to permitting as well. A contract and fees for additional services must be in order before the architect begins work on the changes.

An architect is working on the design development phase of a mixed-use building with retail, a restaurant, a movie theater, a gym, and condominiums. The project team consists of a food service consultant, a gym consultant, and an acoustical consultant, as well as MEP and structural engineers. As the project manager, what are the main duties of consultant coordination that the architect should monitor regularly? Check the three that apply.

Uncovering and coordinating conflicts between the work of different consultants, Ensuring consultants are working from the current set of architectural drawings, Ensuring consultants meet all deadlines

An intern is spending more time than other interns doing general overhead tasks such as organizing the material library and archiving drawings. Which of the following performance measures for the firm will be adversely impacted by using the intern's time this way?

Utilization ratio

An architect is managing the fit-out on a new restaurant and is reviewing bids for built-in booths. The client wants to hire a company to create the booths for this restaurant, as well as all future locations within the local area. What type of contract should the architect recommend the client use for this scope of work?

When the quantity of an item is unknown, a unit price is a great pricing strategy to use. The contractor should know exactly how much it would cost to produce one unit, and then can be paid that amount for each item produced. This is also beneficial to the client in this instance because they have confidence in what the price will be for the booths at all future locations.

An architecture firm has set the following process for quality control throughout the documentation phases: One-and-one-half weeks before a design phase deadline, the project manager will meet with the team and prioritize tasks. The current drawing and specification sets are redlined by the project manager. Which of the following methods of quality control are described in the firm's process? Check the four that apply.

Working redline sets, Internal quality control review, Task checklists, Project team member check-in

The owner has asked the architect to help them evaluate what the potential consequential damages that could occur on their upcoming high-end furniture store project could be. Which of the following are examples of consequential damages? Check the two that apply.

he contractor incurs added overhead and insurance costs when the owner delays the project by 30 days, halfway through construction, The value of the project is less than anticipated due to non-conforming work

An architect is designing a new surgical wing addition to a hospital. Which of the following would be most prudent to study during the design process using building performance modeling?

per the International Building Code (IBC), surgical units and hospitals are essential buildings, are risk category IV, and have more stringent regulations, especially regarding their structrual perfomance and integrity. For this project, it woud be most prudent to study, optimze, and test the design of the structural system of the building using building performance modeling technologies. Model-based analyses refer to a wide range of simulations and studies that leverage building information models (BIMs) to predict facility behaviors and simulate design and construction impacts on building performance, structural integrity, project cost, energy consumption, and other facility life cycle issues.