PROBLEM 21

METHODS FOLLOWED IN EMPLOYING ARCHITECTURAL SERVICE FOR SCHOOL BUILDINGS

Problem: The Board of Education of Bureauton, N. K., has announced its intention of erecting two junior high schools and an elementary school. The sum of $900,000 has been voted for this purpose upon the advice of expert educational consultants who had previously developed the school building program for the community. The problem of selecting the architectural service required in the planning now confronts the Board of Education.

The superintendent of schools has laid before the Board of Education the methods used in neighboring communities in employing architectural service. These are as follows:

Method No. 1.-A local architect of recognized general ability in the profession has been chosen in Cities A and B. Professional educational consultants have been selected to assist him and the superintendent on the educational side. The architect gives a continuous service of supervision to the construction of the building he has planned.

Method No. 2.-In City C, the local architects have had no experience in planning school buildings. Hence, the architect of the adjoining metropolis, with considerable experience and a good reputation, was chosen to render the service. This architect developed the plans after consultation with the educational authorities and personally supervised the construction when important phases of the work were in process of development. The Board of Education engaged a clerk of the works to represent them during the entire period of construction.

Method No. 3.-In City D, various architects prepared the plans and specifications from preliminary sketches and sug

gestions made by a supervising architect in the regular employ of the Board of Education. The building architects then supervised the construction of their buildings under the general direction of the supervising architect.

Method No. 4.-In City E, a separate building architect was employed on commission for each building, who prepared plans from standard schedules of rooms, room layouts, and specifications provided by a schoolhousing department. After the plans for the building were adopted, the supervision of construction was handled entirely by the department, the project architect being called in only for conference.

Method No. 5.-In City F, all plans and specifications were prepared within the department, which includes a full-time staff of architects, engineers, draftsmen, and inspectors in the regular employ of the Board of Education. This department also supervised all construction.

Method No. 6.-The architects of City G formed an association for the purpose of coöperating with the Board of Education in the construction of school buildings. The Board of Education entered into a contract with the association, and paid commission to the association. The association assigned the preparation of plans to its members and assumed responsibility for the supervision of construction.

In each form of organization, the Board of Education reserved the privilege of securing a revision of the plans or consultation with respect thereto from expert structural engineers, heating and ventilating engineers, and educational specialists in school planning.

Assignment

1. What are the services which a school board has a right to expect from an architect?

2. Develop a checking list showing these services in detail.

3. Apply this checking list to each of the methods above described.

4. Can you make a recommendation to the Board of Education on the basis of the answer to Question 3?

5. Is there any indication that overhead costs would be greater under one plan than under another?

6. Is there reason to suppose that the cost of construction would be less under any one plan than under another?

7. What are the professional fees paid the architect for his service?

BIBLIOGRAPHY

BRUCE, W. G. School Architecture: A Handy Manual for the Use of Architects and School Authorities. Johnson Service Co., 1906. (Revised 1910) DONOVAN, J. J. ET AL. School Architecture-Principles and Practices, pp. 33-34. Macmillan, 1921.

GREGORY, V. J. Minneapolis Strikes the Economy Road. American School Board Journal, 69:55, 132, December, 1924.

HULL, O. R. The Administration of School Building Programs. (Thesis) University of California, Berkeley, July, 1925.

LOCKHART, G. L. Some Points to Be Considered in Selecting an Architect. National School Building Journal, 3:94-96, August, 1922.

Methods of Selecting School Architects (Editorial). American School Board Journal, 40:8, February, 1910.

Selection and Service of Architects. American School Board Journal, 50:25-26, 75, May, 1915.

SMITH, H. D. Columbus Plans for Obtaining Well-Rounded Coöperation in Designing School Building. Architectural Record, 51:462-64, May, 1922. The Architect-What Is He? Why Employ Him? How Select Him? How Deal with Him? American School Board Journal, 58:54, April, 1919.

Unfair Comparisons (Editorial). American School Board Journal, 56:38, January, 1918.

PROBLEM 22

DIRECT SELECTION OF AN ARCHITECT

Problem: The Board of Education of Farley, N. K., has reached that place in the promotion of a school building program where the selection of an architect is essential.

After much discussion, the Board has decided to send out to a group of twelve architects a letter embodying its method of selection. Experience within a reasonable distance from the community, personal knowledge of what certain architects had accomplished, and school buildings reproduced in educational and architectural magazines formed the basis for the selection of the twelve architects to whom letters were sent. The main points which the Board of Education wished to make that were stressed in this letter to the architects were as follows:

The Board, in a preliminary way, has decided upon the kind of building that will meet the requirements. Sketches are not desired. The architect who is best qualified will be selected. You are asked to appear before the Board and answer the following:

How long have you been engaged in your profession as an architect?

What has been your training and experience? Included in this question, the Board desires information as to what buildings you have designed, including buildings other than school buildings.

The Board would be pleased to see photographs of some of the more important buildings which you have planned and erected.

Give the approximate cost of the various structures which you present as examples of your work. Also, state the names of the general contractors for such buildings, and state whether or not you had charge of the supervision of the construction.

What are your facilities for handling work of this kind?

Give such other information as you yourself would like to have if you were about to employ an architect for a building of this kind.

The above information should be submitted in writing, and should be left with the Board; but the Board desires you to appear personally at the proper time if you are interested in this work.

Ten of the twelve architects responded to the request of the Board of Education for this information.

Assignment

1. Comment upon this method of selection of an architect. 2. Having received the answers from the architects, what is the next step the Board of Education should make?

3. To what degree are the figures on cost enlightening to the Board of Education?

4. What important questions have been left out of the Board's list?

5. What should be the facilities which a Board of Education has a right to expect from an architect for handling the work on a school building project?

6. What is gained by the personal appearance of ten architects before a Board of Education in application for the same work?

7. Set up a plan which you, as superintendent of schools, would recommend to the Board of Education for the selection of an architect.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

BEACH, W. W. Selecting a School Architect. American School Board Journal, 48:9-10, 68, April, 1914.

BRUCE, W. G. School Architecture: A Handy Manual for the Use of Architects and School Authorities. Johnson Service Co., 1906. (Revised 1910)

Securing School Architectural Service. The Competitive Plan System or the Direct Employment of Architects-Which? American School Board Journal, 68:80, 82, 84, 87-88, January, 1924.

DONOVAN, J. J. ET AL. School Architecture-Principles and Practices, pp. 33–34. Macmillan, 1921.

Facts and Suggestions. A Circular to Persons Interested in Building Operations. Iowa Chapter of American Institute of Architects, Publication No. 22, March, 1922.

MILLS, W. T. American School Building Standards, pp. 9-23. Franklin Educational Publishing Co., Columbus, Ohio, 1915.

New Plan for Employing School Architects. American School Board Journal, 62:75-76, 79-80, June, 1921.