My architect made an assumption about a crucial fire wall in a burned-out structure

[Paul Sweet]

How can an A/E design a repair or renovation without visiting the site, or at least have someone knowledgeable document it for him?

 

[arwat23]

How can an A/E design a repair or renovation without visiting the site, or at least have someone knowledgeable document it for him?

Very cheaply.

 

[Yankee Chronicler]

How can an A/E design a repair or renovation without visiting the site, or at least have someone knowledgeable document it for him?

Therein lies the problem. It's what I often describe as a race to the bottom. For many years, architects have competed for work not on the basis of the quality of their work but based on the lowest fees. Food and rent don't change, so the only way an architect can lower his/her fees is by doing more projects and less work per project.

As a licensed architect, in my opinion it is absolutely irresponsible for an architect to draw up fire repairs for a building without having been to the site and thoroughly documented the existing conditions. But what I think doesn't matter. As I posted above, legally architects (and professional engineers) are bound to practice according to the ordinary standard of care. And the "ordinary standard of care" is what another reasonable professional in the same geographic area would do under similar circumstances. Not what they should do -- what they would do.

I have often joked that I would be a great expert witness for the defense of any architect being sued for malpractice, because I can truthfully testify that they all suck. In my area, at least, the ordinary standard of care is no care whatsoever.

 

[LR419]

A note on the the plans that the "existing demising walls to remain" covers the architect,

Is there anything in IBC or IRC that defines a "demising wall" or requires it to be rated or extend to the roof? If it's intended to be a fire wall serving as a party wall per 706.1.1, or a fire partition separating units in the same building per 420.2, that's what it should be labeled. A competent contractor might be expected to notice that a fire wall or fire partition is partially missing, if that's how the existing construction is identified.

 

[ICE]

In the early days of my time as a fly in the ointment, a demising wall was a wall between a conditioned space and a non conditioned space. The common example is the wall between a house and attached garage. Now the term is used for many applications such as between tenants in a strip mall and separating row houses.

 

[BuildingOfficial89]

This is where lawyers get involved and really mess things up.

 

[Yankee Chronicler]

Is there anything in IBC or IRC that defines a "demising wall" or requires it to be rated or extend to the roof? If it's intended to be a fire wall serving as a party wall per 706.1.1, or a fire partition separating units in the same building per 420.2, that's what it should be labeled. A competent contractor might be expected to notice that a fire wall or fire partition is partially missing, if that's how the existing construction is identified.

"Demising wall" is a real estate term, not a building code term. A demising wall is a wall between two tenants in a single building.

In the building code, a wall separating two tenants may not need any rating or, depending on the occupancies, it may need to be a 1-hour or 2-hour rated fire partition or fire barrier, or it may be a firewall.

 

[Bonnylassie]

Thank you everyone for all that insight. Without wasting any more energy trying to understand how this debacle happened, I can provide a positive update! The Construction division (BSEED) for the City of Detroit, where I had a meeting with the head and his associate, and I poured put all my vitriol and best legalese talk, agreed at that meeting to phone his carpenter friends at the Union, to give me a glimmer of hope, and I left there greatly relieved! The Construction Division couldn't give me a penny, but they could make the phone calls to the Union and look for help for me. I heard back that they are going to help and use this as training. I will have another meeting on the 5th and will get the final say on it then from the students and the Union. If the labor is provided and the job done properly, with me paying for materials. I'll be happy with that. As for the architect, he continues to be silent and refuse all phone calls from BSEED, and I wouldn't condescend to contact him again knowing he would ignore me. I should stop wasting my time on him, but I would like to write a negative review and might look for that opportunity. Thank you again everyone who offered their educated opinions to help me, I so appreciated it! Will post a final update. And thank you for that distinction of demising wall vs fire wall--incredible. The architect used the term, demising wall, to water down the importance of it, I think.