INTRODUCTION TO STANDARD AGREEMENTS AND RELATED SCHEDULES

PREAMBLE

The objective of this document is to provide Architects and their prospective Clients an understanding of the necessary conditions for engagements for different types of services, deliverables Architects provide, the time table for service delivery & approvals, the scale of professional fees for their services.

Institute of Architects Bangladesh would be pleased to assist its members or any other person interested to avail professional services of an Architect.

The successful completion of a project requires a clear understanding of the Client’s requirements, the nature of services the Client requires and the responsibility of all parties involved.

The Architect’s primary professional responsibility is to act as the Client’s advisor and assist him at different stages of design and construction of a building, interior, landscape and urban design project.

The Client has an important role too. He must provide adequate information on the project, the site, his budget and fully understand and approve the Architect’s proposals & services at different stages of the Works.

The most successful projects are those done in an atmosphere of mutual understanding & goodwill. Clear statement of Client & Architect’s obligations to each other is fundamental to the creation of such an atmosphere, and is essential for the success of any project. Therefore, the Agreement for any project should fully define the services, responsibilities, deliverables, time table and the basis of fees. If the Agreement is not comprehensive it may create uncertainties for either or both the parties during the course of the assignment.

The demands of the profession over the years have become much more complex in nature and much wider in scope. However in its broadened scope and baffling complexity, Architecture has generated specializations such as Urban Design, Landscape Architecture and Interior Design. Architectural Conservation, Construction Management has also lately emerged as specializations. Each of these compliments and supports each other.

The services of an Architect during the normal course of a building project are described as Comprehensive Services. The services and deliverables under comprehensive services are common to large and small projects and none of these should be omitted if the project is to be completed successfully.

Some Clients may require partial services like Architectural and Allied Design Services or Basic Architectural Design Services. The scope of such curtailed services should also be defined in the Agreement between the Architect and his Client.

Moreover, Architects also need the services of allied professionals or may need to form Joint Venture Partnership with another Architect or another allied professional for their projects. Therefore, to protect the interest of all the parties, it is important to have a written contract with clearly defined roles and the scopes of those services.

 APPENDIX-I: Fee Proposal Template for Building Projects

Appendix-II: Fee Proposal Template for Interior Design Projects

IAB Recommended Scale of Fees and Reimbursable Expenses