Hi, I am confused about how much an architect should “intervene” in documenting unsafe construction conditions. What I learnt from quizzes and exams on Black Spectacles is that the architect should not document those in site visit reports.
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But when I took the NCARB test exams, some questions took me by surprise, indicating that the architect should not only document unsafe working conditions in a memo to the GC, but also include them in site reports? It feels like the architect is actually crossing the line and taking site working conditions into their responsibilities.
Can someone advise me on this topic? Thank you so much!
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Hey @zhaoxuan.yang,
Thanks for writing in! This is always a tricky topic and for ARE purposes, we typically advise that you should not document, talk about, or point out site safety issues. In practice, this is obviously pretty different. If you see an imminently unsafe condition, you probably should say something (like in our answer explanation, you would notify the superintendent, but would not document it).
The reason why you should not document anything regarding site safety is that it could be misconstrued in the future as you taking duty to be responsible for safety programs.
With that said, I’d recommend reaching out to NCARB about these practice questions to get clarification on their stance and how you should interpret this topic for ARE purposes.
Also, just a heads up - we do not allow screenshots of paid content to be shared, so I will be removing your image of the practice quiz.
Best,
Kiara Galicinao, AIA, NCARB
Black Spectacles
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Shouldn’t black spectacles be reaching out to NCARB to solve this mix up… seems like the paid study subscription website has the responsibility to be providing users with the proper information PER the exam…
Welcome to the Black Spectacles Community @kanner.emily! Thank you for writing in. The screenshots posted above were from the NCARB practice exams, not ours, which is why I advised the member to contact NCARB to clarify. Our stance on this topic is derived directly from The Architect’s Handbook of Professional Practice and the AIA Contract Documents, both of which are direct references of the ARE. The NCARB practice question above contradicts these.
We align all of our study materials with the objectives and references outlined in the ARE 5.0 Guidelines published by NCARB. We also stay up-to-date with any changes that NCARB makes to ensure that our content is as close to the ARE as possible. If you have any concerns about specific study materials, don’t hesitate to reach out - we’re happy to review and make appropriate adjustments or clarify any confusion.
Best,
Kiara Galicinao, AIA, NCARB
Product Coordinator
Black Spectacles
