INDUSTRY RESOURCES FOR ARCHITECTS & ENGINEERS

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Building Blocks: DESIGNPRO Insurance Group Blog

Building Blocks is our comprehensive resource library designed specifically for architects, engineers, and design professionals navigating today's complex practice environment.

Each article addresses critical aspects of professional practice—from contract negotiation and risk management to client relationships and project delivery—providing actionable insights that help protect your practice while enhancing your professional success.

Whether you're a seasoned practitioner looking to stay current with industry best practices or an emerging professional building your knowledge foundation, these posts offer practical guidance on the business and legal considerations that impact every design project.

Written by our Risk Manager, Eric Pempus Esq. FAIA, NCARB, each article draws from extensive experience in both legal practice and architectural profession to address topics ranging from leadership strategies and professional associations to technical documentation and moral rights—all with the real-world challenges of design practice in mind.

Client’s Decision to Change Project Design During Construction, Contrary to their A/E’s Professional Judgement

Here is the December 2023 issue of the Building Blocks - A Case Study of the Fox Guarding the Chicken Coop.

Legalese in Professional Construction Industry Agreements

Legalese contains long, wordy, complicated sentence structures utilizing passive voice and obsolete formalisms, and the usage of Latin, archaic or unnecessarily long words when simpler and clearer language exists. (Even the prior sentence could be considered too long, and looks a bit “legalese.”)…

Should an Architect or Professional Engineer Retain a Surveyor & Geotechnical Consultant for their Projects?

It would be very poor risk management if the architect or engineer would agree to their client’s request for this scope of services for their project. Read the entire article in the October Building Blocks Newsletter.

As-Built Drawings vs. Record Drawings. Does it Matter What We Call Them?

It is not hard to imagine, even with the smallest building, that no construction project is built exactly without any changes from its design. That being said, this risk management article is meant to encompass the topic of all of the “Record Documents” for a construction project—not only drawings,…

A Risk Management Conversation with A.I.

This month Eric O. Pempus, FAIA, Esq., NCARB explores A.I. and his personal experience of having a risk management conversation with Chatbot. With much focus on the safety of A.I. in the news recently, this is a timely topic. Read the Building Blocks August issue for Eric's in-depth conversation…

Peer Review of Professional Design Firms

This is Part 2 of a two-part series covering the topic of peer review. This month we will cover peer review of professional design firms.