Introduction

Nothing gives greater in-the-moment insight into how Landscape Architecture projects are built than seeing construction in progress and in person. This involvement through the construction of a project is important for all parties involved in the construction phase: the Owner, the Contractor, and the Landscape Architect. This blog post will discuss why “seeing is believing” and what JBC looks for when we visit one of our projects as its being built.

Why do we make site observations?

JBC believes that site observations are a critical service that we provide to our clients and their construction partners on our projects. Being able to observe how the various trades interpret our Construction Documents allows us to protect the integrity of the design, protect the Owner’s financial investment in the project, and help solve problems that come up during construction.

Validating the integrity of the design involves looking at (seeing) the level of care that the Contractor is taking. One example that often comes up is whether existing trees are being protected. In some cases, these shady spots become “storage yards” or parking areas even though the Drawings and Specifications may clearly show how to fence off and protect delicate rootzones.
Protecting the Owner’s financial investment requires us to look at the materials being used. This will be discussed in greater detail, but we always want to make sure there haven’t been any unauthorized product substitutions.
We also expect that there will be ‘surprises’ of some sort during construction. Whether it’s a buried foundation, poor soil, or some other circumstance no one expected, there will inevitably be something that comes up during Construction. Being able to see the issue first-hand, and then collaborate on a solution that is cost-effective and sensitive to the Project’s schedule is a value to both the Owner and the Contractor.

What do we specifically look for?

JBC’s primary goal for all our site observations is to verify that the Contractor has correctly interpreted our drawings and details and is constructing the Project accordingly. We do this by checking for the following:

We verify that the products and materials being installed are the same products and materials that the contractor has submitted and that we approved. JBC includes a submittal review and approval process in all our specifications. We want to verify that the contractor is using the products we specified or, if they can demonstrate that there’s an equivalent product, we can approve a substitution. In many cases there is an underlying reason why we select a given product or brand that the Contractor may not be aware of (such as having the same brand of irrigation equipment on other properties) and going through the submittal process allows us to bring all those issues into the light.
Once construction starts, we look for those same products and brands to be present on site and being installed as the project continues. We look for shipping labels, brand ‘marks’, labels and printing on pipe, bags of materials, etc. If a certain material doesn’t look correct, we will take samples and send them to our specified testing laboratory to be evaluated.

We are also balancing the ‘big picture’ (how well they are sequencing and protecting the work) with a ‘narrow focus’ on workmanship and quality. As mentioned above, is the Contractor being sensitive to the constraints of the site? Is the work logically sequenced and protected as it is completed? Have the required tests been performed or on the schedule to be performed? These are the big picture items. We also want to make sure that the folks installing everything are also aware of the requirements of the Drawings. For example, are the irrigation pipelines being built with good quality joints, with a minimum of primer and the correct amount of glue visible at the joint? Is the pipe clean and laid straight? These are just two very specific examples, but they demonstrate the overall quality of the work and are the sorts of things that we want to see.
Site observations are also learning opportunities for us as we observe alternative or new methods from good contractors. Many of these ‘tweaks’ get incorporated into our details and specifications for the next project and this allows JBC to stay current with the latest trends in materials and equipment that is being used on construction sites.

What are other considerations for making a site observation?

JBC always tries to respect the fact that the Project site is, in essence, the Contractor’s ‘office’. This is where dozens (or hundreds) of people work every day, usually in the elements and around hazardous equipment, utilities, and chemicals.

We make sure that we know the Contractor’s safety protocols before arriving. This protects JBC staff, the Contractor, and the Owner. No one wants an injury to occur on a project and by being aware of the safety protocols and wearing our PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) we greatly reduce the risk of injury. While on the site, we always try to watch out for hazards and make eye contact with any heavy equipment operators or drivers before encroaching into or crossing their work path.
JBC also tries to balance being problem solvers while making sure we look out for our clients’ interests. We prefer to bring up issues as they’re discovered so that everyone (Owner, Contractor, and JBC) can quickly address an issue, especially if it’s related to quality or unexpected materials.
Lastly, we believe it is important to take lots of photographs and provide the Owner and Contractor with a detailed Site Observation Report; this helps document that ‘moment in time’ and capture the conversations and directions that are given during the visit.

Summary

JBC believes that performing construction site observations preserves the integrity of the design, protects the investment made by the Owner, and provides opportunities to solve problems as they emerge in the construction phase of a project. JBC is a strong advocate for all Landscape Architects to be involved throughout construction for these reasons but also because it is such a practical way to learn new things. It is truly a classroom for the most practical type of continuing education and the instructors are the folks tasked with turning our designs into reality.

Get out there on a construction site!

Blog

Seeing is Believing

JBC