Continuing the posts on the roles an architect takes on in his job; it’s an obvious one but one I’m sure most forget is ‘Architect as Accountant’:

I posted a FACT SHEET ON HOW THE BUILDER IS PAID and it’s the architects role in a traditional Client/Builder Agreement to undertake the following:

– Inspect that the works are in accordance with the contract documents
– Check that the builders valuation is correct
– Calculate payments to date, retention amount etc…
– Certify the correct amount for the client to pay

Now they’re not the most complex calculations out but they are incredibly important. If the architect over certifies then there is a risk that if the builder goes bust; there’s insufficient funds in the kitty to complete the works.

It is therefore essential that the architect takes this role sensibly and carefully as there can potentially be a lot at risk…

A short post today but probably one of the most important. Comments welcome as always…