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question about multiple projects in the same building/same client

gruen

OK, I'm a small office.

Usually I do a single project for an owner - IE: addition to a home. Sometimes I do multiple projects for the same owner - like, several homes for them. 

Naming these projects is easy. I just give them a sequential number (IE: 1540 is the 40th project of 2015) and name them per their street address. In other words:

"1540 27 Main" is the name of the 40th project of 2015, located at 27 Main Street. 

I am in the process of negotiating a long term TI contract for an owner. He owns multiple office buildings and needs an archi to do the TI's for them. I'll be essentially doing multiple projects in the same building, probably over the course of many years.

I'm wondering how other people deal with two issues:

1) naming / numbering the projects

2) keeping a master base file of the existing conditions of the building. 

3) better to do the project in CAD or REVIT?

I figure, for naming, I could either:

1) continue doing sequential numbering, and the "name" is always the same:

1540 27 Main (first project in the building)

1603 27 Main (second project in the same building)

OR

2) everything ends up in the same project: ie: always 1540 27 Main

I prefer the first method - so the most recent project always contains the most recent data. EXCEPT - if I"m doing more than one at a time, which is very possible in this case. 

I'm thinking CAD might be best, in order to harness the easy copy/paste function into new projects. REVIT can be more tricky to re-use data from old projects. 

How do you manage this? 

 
May 6, 16 4:37 pm
JonathanLivingston

I think you need a 3rd piece of information in your project title for the tenant but continue to roll the date as each tenant is a new project. Your client will probably want each tenant billed separately or itemized as they often have a certain credit / allowance as part of their lease. 

Something like: 

1540_27 Main. 

1603_27 Main_Donut Shop

1721_27 Main_Unit 308. 

That way you can search by the date, building and specific tenant. 

Re revit Vs cad. We do this frequently with linked revit models. Ie Core and shell are one model each tenant is another model with the base building linked to it. Any revisions to the core ans shell required by the TI get updated in the original project file. So the core and shell live in the 1540_27 Main folder. I would do the same with xref's in cad. 

May 6, 16 5:45 pm  · 
 · 
SpontaneousCombustion

I do lots of these, and name the projects by the department or type of work involved, and with standard project numbers (2013-034 Thingamajig Headquarters: Accounting Department; 2015- 008 Thingamjjig Headquarters: Roof Replacement;  2016-012 Thingamajig Headquarters: Conference Center Addition)

The master base file is always the conformed model from the most recent previously completed project.  If there are multiple simultaneous projects then whichever ends first will be updated in the model before the next.

Revit vs. CAD: seems like a firm-specific decision.  I've been all Revit since 2008 so no question for me on that for me.

May 6, 16 6:59 pm  · 
 · 
curtkram

i think master base file is where you add value.  always update the base, even if it's another architect that does the work

the building owner makes money on signing leases, so get out in front with lease outline documents, area exhibits, whatever helps them get the lease signed.  when you know the building better than anyone else, you'll be first in line to get the next project.

you should probably keep different project numbers for anything that isn't a quick time and expense sort of thing.  i did decimals, so if i start working on the building as the 30th project in 2016, it would be 1630.01, then 10 years later it's 1630.56.  or whatever.  creating a new project number each time is fine too (1630, 1631), as long as it works for your accounting.  they'll probably pay be the invoice instead of by the project number.

multiple tenants means multiple business names.  i would advise you sort them by suite number rather than tenant name, because suite numbers stay closer to the same over time.

good luck.  i wish you the best.

May 6, 16 8:24 pm  · 
 · 
gruen
Awesome advice-thanks all.
May 7, 16 8:35 am  · 
 · 
∑ π ∓ √ ∞
Gruen, I do this:

1601.00 - Name
16 is the year
01 project in the year
.00 if I have multiple projects for same client
May 7, 16 9:28 am  · 
 · 

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