Guideline 10. Project and design management

In most artwork projects – where there may be only one design consultant – the artist will be able to handle the design management and coordination roles themselves.

Should the project be more complicated – involving several consultants or items of performance specified work the co-ordination becomes far more complicated, and the artist should consider appointing a separate design manager or coordinator.

This guideline has been written for Commissions North by Arup Newcastle, the regional office of Ove Arup and Partners International.

Click on a heading below for more information or scroll down the page to read the whole guideline.

• Coordination
• Project management
• Work stages
• Ove Arup and Partners International

Coordination

Traditional construction projects involve several consultants, including architects, structural engineers and mechanical and electrical engineers.

The design team leader – traditionally the architect – manages the contribution of each of these to the overall design. One of their most important roles is to coordinate each of the individual design packages to ensure that they are dimensionally consistent and complete.

There are two distinct elements that will require coordination on many artworks projects:

• Design
  The individual sections of the design must be co-ordinated so that they agree dimensionally and functionally. Establishing exactly who is responsible for which areas of the design early on will enable any un-designed areas to be identified and addressed before they become problematic.
• Construction
  If different contractors are responsible for different aspects of the construction, it must be clearly understood who is responsible for installing each element of the works, and who is responsible for the interface between the packages. For instance, the interface between the foundations and a steelwork frame requires the installation of holding-down bolts to connect the two elements together. If the bolts were specified as cast-in anchors, these would typically be the responsibility of the contractor for the foundation works; if post-fixed anchors were required, these would typically be the responsibility of the steelwork erectors.

Project management

Artwork projects need to be managed to ensure their smooth operation from inception to completion on site. This project management role typically involves:

• Planning regulations
  It may be necessary to arrange for suitable approvals for the works through the local planning department and building control.
• Ground investigations
  Arrange ground investigations of the site, if specified by the structural engineer, to enable the foundations to be designed and installed.
• Site surveys
  Arrange for a dimensional and photographic site survey as appropriate.
• Contract administration
  Arrange and manage the contracts with the consultants and contractors (and possibly the artist) for the works
• Tender actions
  Compilation of tender information, to enable competitive tenders to be returned, and recommendations to the client to be made.
• Planning supervision
  For projects over a certain size, or ones involving significant demolition, it may be necessary to appoint a planning supervisor in accordance with the relevant Construction Design and Management regulations. This role (if required) can be performed either by the project manager or by a dedicated planning supervisor, who is often also an architect or engineering consultant.

Most artwork projects are sufficiently small to enable either the client or the artist to perform the role of project manager themselves. Other artworks may require the appointment of specialist project managers to run the project smoothly. A suitable individual might include one of the design consultants – an architect or engineer – if they have sufficient relevant experience.

Work stages

Most artwork projects can be broken down into separate stages, with the level of information required at each stage clearly defined.

These roughly equate to the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) project stages:

• Inception (RIBA Stage A)
  Establish the brief for the artwork and select the artist.
• Outline proposals (RIBA Stages B&C)
  The artist should consider the brief’s requirements – including the site, function, timescale and budget – and produce an outline proposal that is feasible, functionally, technically and financially. Limited input may be required from consultant engineers at this point to determine the technical feasibility of the proposals. Quantity surveyors will be also be able to assist with the initial cost estimates. It is inadvisable to change the brief beyond this point.
• Scheme design for preliminary tender (RIBA Stage D)
  The design should be developed sufficiently to allow preliminary tenders to be obtained for the works, or to allow sufficient cost certainty to enable the project to continue. Further input may be required from the consultant engineers to enable a sufficiently detailed design to be produced. Should the artists not be fabricating the artwork themselves, it is conventional to obtain a number of tender prices from specialist contractors. The more detailed and complete the information that is passed on to the contractors, the more competitive the prices returned will be. See guideline on fabrication and installation for more information on arranging tenders.
• Detailed design to construction status (RIBA Stages E to H)
  The design is completed – sometimes in conjunction with the Contractors, for performance-specified work – with appropriate input from the consultants and issued to the contractor – if the artist is not responsible for the construction work. Any consultant engineers will typically be responsible for producing a designer’s risk assessment and for developing an outline method statement for the installation of the works.
• Fabrication and installation (RIBA Stages J&K)
  Following an appropriate order being placed by the client, the artwork is fabricated and installed on site, using specialist contractors as required. At this stage the contractors will be responsible for all the on-site operations, including the development of the method statements and all the relevant health and safety Issues. It is unusual for the consultants to have any site supervision requirements, unless specifically noted in their scope of works.

As can be seen above, there is increasing certainty as the project progresses, both in terms of technical feasibility and cost estimates. On complex projects it is advisable to appoint consultants and quantity surveyors on a stage-by-stage basis in case the scheme becomes unfeasible or too costly. This helps to minimise the risk involved with the project and limit the client’s exposure.

Ove Arup and Partners International

This guideline has been written for Commissions North by Arup Newcastle, the regional office of Ove Arup and Partners International, which employs several consultant engineers who have been involved in artwork projects worldwide.

Arup also have considerable experience of project management, project co-ordination, computer visualisation, fabric structures architecture, acoustical engineering, and planning supervision.

Matthew Birchall and John Gregory, Arup Newcastle, will be able to advise on individual projects, if required. For more information, visit www.arup.com, email matthew.birchall@arup.com, or telephone 0191 261 6080.