Case Study Library

When a major building component, such as an external wall, fails during construction, who was supposed to check the shop drawings?

If an Architect provides better quality cladding materials than those the client requested, can the Client order those materials to be replaced at the Architect’s expense? 

Fire experts may have trouble pinpointing the cause of a fire, but if the architects are contracted to perform site reviews, they will be in the “line of fire,” regardless of the actual source of the original spark.

Get the best advice, not the quickest advice. Avoid embracing hasty solutions to complex problems, even when there is enormous pressure to solve them as quickly as possible.

Agreeing to build a high-quality neoclassical masterpiece in the Ontario hinterlands, without the appropriately extravagant budget required, can only result in a deteriorating client relationship, and a dilapidated building.

Attempting to create a high-end look with subpar materials is likely to result in significant structural issues, costly repairs, and potential legal troubles.

Interpersonal conflicts can lead to litigation. In this this claim story, a project for a retirement home spirals into legal chaos.

Bid mishandling is a serious allegation. Learn how to preserve the integrity of the system and avoid this accusation.

How reliable is a survey? When a fire hydrant used as a survey benchmark is replaced by a new fixture, and a site is over-excavated as a result, who is responsible, and how does a seemingly minor 20 cm error in site levels lead to a massive $1.2 million lawsuit?

A retrofit presents special difficulties. In this case, a bid document requiring x-ray vision was unreasonable and unenforceable; a stipulated sum contract proved to be the wrong vehicle for unknowable site conditions; and a failure of mechanical and electrical co-ordination created costly delay and chaos.