Architect meetings: from client programming to construction

Where meetings fit in the work

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics says architects work mostly in offices, where they develop plans, meet clients and consult with engineers and other architects. They also visit construction sites to review progress.

Several duties BLS lists happen in meetings or on site:

Meeting clients to determine objectives and requirements for structures.
Giving preliminary estimates of cost and construction time.
Helping clients get construction bids, select contractors and negotiate contracts.
Visiting sites to check that contractors follow the design, the schedule, the specified materials and quality standards.

Client programming meetings: turn wishes into requirements

BLS describes architects discussing a project's objectives, requirements and budget with clients. The output of these early meetings is a written list the client can confirm, not a sketch.

Ask about how people will use each space, not only what rooms they want. Record each requirement with its priority and who asked for it. Send the list back for written confirmation before design starts.

Design reviews: one decision per open question

Send drawings before the review so the meeting is spent deciding, not seeing them for the first time. Bring a short list of the questions that need an answer today.

For each question, record the option chosen, who chose it and any condition, such as "if it stays within the estimate." BLS notes that designs must follow building codes, zoning laws and fire regulations. Flag any choice that still needs a code check.

Consultant coordination: track issues between disciplines

BLS lists structural, heating and ventilating, electrical, communications and plumbing systems among the drawings in construction plans. Coordination meetings exist to catch where those systems conflict.

End each meeting with an open-issues list. Give every item an owner, the drawing it affects and the date it's due. Start the next meeting by closing items, not by reopening the design.

Construction-phase meetings and site visits

On site, the job is checking the work against the design. Note what you saw, what doesn't match the drawings and what the contractor asked. Separate observations from decisions.

When a site question needs a design change, don't settle it in conversation alone. Follow the change process in your contract, and link the answer back to the original decision it changes.

A decision record that holds through construction

Months can pass between a client's choice and the day it's built. Keep one entry per decision with these fields:

Field	What to record
Decision	The choice in one sentence, with the option it replaced.
Approved by and date	The client or consultant who approved it, and the meeting where it happened.
Drawings and specs affected	Sheet numbers or specification sections that must change.
Cost and schedule effect	Any change to the estimate or timeline discussed at the time.
Status	Proposed, approved, built or superseded by a later entry.

Example: a flooring choice that comes back on site

For example, at a design review a school client picks rubber flooring for a gym over vinyl (fictional example). The architect records the decision, the approving facilities director and the affected finish schedule.

During construction, the contractor proposes a cheaper substitute. The architect opens the entry, sees the reason for the original choice and takes the substitution to the client rather than deciding on site.

Keeping project meetings together in Bridge

Bridge keeps a project's meetings, notes and decisions in one place:

Host client reviews on Bridge, where clients join as guests without an account. Or record an office or site meeting in person from your phone's browser.
Each meeting's notes include a summary, decisions and follow-ups. Check the decisions against what was said before you copy them into your record.
Create a custom recap template that matches your decision-record fields.
File each project's meetings in its own space. On paid plans you can share it with clients; they need a Bridge account and join as guests who can view meetings but not add them.

Sources & further reading

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