Emma Gibson – PROMPT 1

Alicia and I discussed how budget influences architectural praxis. The topics we covered led to three ethical questions/circumstances: 

  1. How do you develop a budget with a client that considers what the client wants to spend money on and the realistic costs of building? There are circumstances where a client prioritizes certain aspects of the project (in Alicia’s example it was a marble countertop) over more functional aspects of the project (prioritizing waterproofing on the exterior). It is the role of the architect to work with the client to develop a budget that considers both. 
  2. How do you know if you are getting accurate pricing for a project? In other words, how do you know if the contractor is being transparent about pricing? This involves trust with a contractor and knowing when to reach out to other contractors when a price seems too high or low. Senior members of a firm are best qualified to assess when this is necessary because knowledge of pricing usually comes with experience.  
  3. What kind of budget should you develop to keep the project on track and avoid unexpected costs for the client later on? Alicia brought up two different kinds of budget contracts: cost plus and change orders. Cost plus contracts consider what the client wants and adjusts for additional costs like labor and materials. Change order contracts can be contentious because they change every time the client makes changes. 

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