By Caitlin Sweeney, July 14, 2019
Life of an Architect podcast at A’19
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) released its revamped Interiors family of documents allowing the architect to account for the risks and responsibilities of designing a building’s interior, while working with contractors and FF&E vendors. Also, the revised contracts are now suitable for use on any type of project beyond commercial, including residential, retail, entertainment and hospitality.
“The AIA Documents Committee is committed to providing fair and balanced standard contracts and forms that will help all parties to a construction project achieve their goals. The 2019 update of the Interiors family of documents is an important step toward modernizing the AIA’s offerings for projects that focus on interior design and furniture design,” said Mike Koger AIA, Esq. Manager & Counsel, AIA Contract Documents.
One of the most notable changes among this set of updated contracts is the new document, B254-2019, Standard Form of Architect’s Services: Purchasing Agent Services for Furniture, Furnishings, & Equipment (FF&E), which allows the architect to purchase FF&E on behalf of the owner, if the owner wishes to hand off that responsibility.
Other notable changes include:
During this year’s AIA Conference, A’19, Mike Koger AIA, Esq. – Senior Manager and Counsel, AIA Contract Documents, and Salvatore B. Verrastro AIA, FCSI, CCCA, CCS, NCARB, and a Principal at Spillman Farmer Architects, sat down with the Life of an Architect podcast and discussed the Interiors documents, tips on how to avoid common contract mistakes, and the key areas that you should pay attention to in your own contracts. Listen to the podcast or read through the main talking points here.
Architect Magazine explains how interiors projects are typically contractually different in this interesting article highlighting the 2019 Interiors documents. “The seemingly minor details of furniture, furnishings, and equipment in an interiors project can have a big impact. In 2019, AIA updated its Interiors Family of contract documents, which account for the potentially complex legal issues inherent in interiors projects—be it a centuries-old renovation or a new shell building, devoid of interior walls and finishes.” Read the full article here.
Watch free webinar > Designing and building out a building’s interior space is a unique practice with its own risk and responsibilities including the fact that its governed by the Uniform Commercial Code. View this on-demand webinar to learn how the entire family of AIA Interiors documents were updated to make them easier to understand, suitable for projects beyond commercial buildings and now allows the architect to provide a more cohesive design for a project.
After the 2019 documents release, the previous editions of the documents can continue to be used for up to 18 months.