We are building a new home. Its under construction now with the foundations and floor joists completed. Our builder has informed since our architect never did a mechanics plan that he is now trying to do one. The problem is there is not enough space to allow for floor vents to be put on our floors, which is a huge issue considering most of our great room is open to the second story.
How could an architect forget to do this? Is he responsible? We are now told we are stuck with this mechanics plan because there is no other space to allow for something new since it wasnt designed with the the design of the home.
This is just one of many major issues we are dealing with. We actually had to take over our master closet, office closet and daughters closet to hold the units too.
It depends on what was in your contract. Most architects do not do mechanical plans themselves. Whether or not it was part of the architect's scope to hire a mechanical consultant and obtain drawings, depends on your contract with the architect.
Jun 8, 18 4:00 pm ·
·
geezertect
Typically, the mechanical sub does the HVAC design on single family homes. The general contractor is negligent for not asking the question or thinking about how he was going to solve the problem before he bid it, and certainly before he started construction. If the architect didn't make any provision for furnace and hot water heater locations, he doesn't look too bright either. Usually, you try to run floor joists in the same direction and locate the furnace near the center of the house so that a trunk line can be dropped (in the basement if there is one) and the duct runouts can go in the joist spaces.
Without seeing what was designed, it's hard to know who's more at fault.
I’m assuming this has a crawl space ? About running ducts in ceiling? Best thing is to hire a mechanical sub contractor there ASAP. You do not need a mechanical engineer for this job.
Years ago I had a client who didn't want to pay for me or any consultants to do any MEP drawings, nor for me to do any CA on her project, then tried to welch on my final invoice because her builder told her that I'd "forgotten" to plan where the waste lines from upstairs plumbing were going to come down. He'd convinced her that the only way to deal with this was to put them in a fake column enclosure in the middle of the kitchen. I had not forgotten, and had planned a solution, which I could have discussed with the contractor I'd she hadn't been too cheap to let him call me, fearing I'd bill her for the 15 minutes. Eventually she paid the bill when I started tacking on interest every month, but I'd assume she's still living with the column.
Jun 8, 18 6:15 pm ·
·
geezertect
And still telling people who ask about the column that it was all your fault!
New build-architect forgot to do mechanics plan!
We are building a new home. Its under construction now with the foundations and floor joists completed. Our builder has informed since our architect never did a mechanics plan that he is now trying to do one. The problem is there is not enough space to allow for floor vents to be put on our floors, which is a huge issue considering most of our great room is open to the second story.
How could an architect forget to do this? Is he responsible? We are now told we are stuck with this mechanics plan because there is no other space to allow for something new since it wasnt designed with the the design of the home.
This is just one of many major issues we are dealing with. We actually had to take over our master closet, office closet and daughters closet to hold the units too.
look at the signed contract, it should say.
It depends on what was in your contract. Most architects do not do mechanical plans themselves. Whether or not it was part of the architect's scope to hire a mechanical consultant and obtain drawings, depends on your contract with the architect.
Typically, the mechanical sub does the HVAC design on single family homes. The general contractor is negligent for not asking the question or thinking about how he was going to solve the problem before he bid it, and certainly before he started construction. If the architect didn't make any provision for furnace and hot water heater locations, he doesn't look too bright either. Usually, you try to run floor joists in the same direction and locate the furnace near the center of the house so that a trunk line can be dropped (in the basement if there is one) and the duct runouts can go in the joist spaces. Without seeing what was designed, it's hard to know who's more at fault.
I’m assuming this has a crawl space ? About running ducts in ceiling? Best thing is to hire a mechanical sub contractor there ASAP. You do not need a mechanical engineer for this job.
Years ago I had a client who didn't want to pay for me or any consultants to do any MEP drawings, nor for me to do any CA on her project, then tried to welch on my final invoice because her builder told her that I'd "forgotten" to plan where the waste lines from upstairs plumbing were going to come down. He'd convinced her that the only way to deal with this was to put them in a fake column enclosure in the middle of the kitchen. I had not forgotten, and had planned a solution, which I could have discussed with the contractor I'd she hadn't been too cheap to let him call me, fearing I'd bill her for the 15 minutes. Eventually she paid the bill when I started tacking on interest every month, but I'd assume she's still living with the column.
And still telling people who ask about the column that it was all your fault!
A properly designed home shouldn't even require such mechanics.
Yeah, maybe it's passively heated and cooled? That'd be a nice surprise.
Owner: It's the builder's fault.
Builder: It's the architect's fault.
Architect: It's the owner's fault.
Lawyer: Sue the builder and the architect.
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