About the Book
Providing an overview of specifying, from selecting materials and products to writing the specification documents, Specifying Buildings is a new guide to this important part of the construction process. Where it differs from most books is in covering the management of the specification process, making sure that the design intent is transferred to the building assembly as specified.
Covering a wide range of practices, Stephen Emmitt and David Yeomans have ensured the book has global relevance with specific differences between UK, Australia and the US identified. Case studies demonstrate how specifying works in practice. This book will prove invaluable to students of building, construction and architecture as well as professionals in the industry.
Table of Contents:
Preface. Specifications in context: Specifiers and specification, The written specification, An historical note, Architectural components and their selection, Contextual issues. Specifying design intent: Communicating design intent, Co-ordinated project information, Specifying quality, Prescriptive specifications, Performance specifications, 'Open' specifications, Different approaches to specifying, External influences. Information sources: Sources of technical information, Testing and research reports, Regulations, Standards and codes of practice, Trade associations, Manufacturers' information, Touching the product, Clients' specifications, Office standards and masters. Selection criteria. Detail design decision-making, 'Fitness for purpose', Aesthetics, durability and maintenance, Cost, Availability, Evidence in disputes. Specification writing: The specification writer, Writing the specification, Standard formats, Specification language, Clarity, brevity and accuracy, Typical specification formats, Staying up to date - a constant challenge. Managing the specification process: The specifier's milieu, Quality matters, The 'master' specification, 'Rolling' specifications, Project specifications, Resource allocation, Computer based specifications, Design reviews and co-ordination, Specification substitution, Attitudes towards new products. Specifying 'new' building products: New building products, Diffusion research, The generation of innovations, Early clues and questions, The postal questionnaire. Becoming aware of new products: The marketing campaign, Mass media channels, Interpersonal channels, Technological gatekeeping, Active and passive awareness periods, Resistance to new products. Monitoring the specification of buildings: Awareness of new products, Two gates, The specification of new building products, Contributing factors, Implications. A specifier observed: Observing detail design decisions, A search for new products, Pressure to change, Evidence of specification substitution, Talking about the act, Reflection on the observation, Towards best practice, A model of the specifier's decision-making process, Research matters, The need for comparative information, Establishing and maintaining best practice, Future directions, References. Appendix A - Postal questionnaire results and commentary
