January Lunch - Evolution and Demise of Construction Documents presented by Sheldon Wolfe

"Evolution and Demise of Construction Documents" takes an irreverent look at the history of construction documents; it introduces the Master Builder Coefficient, discusses the increasing importance of the contractor and the decreasing importance of the architect, and answers the burning question, “Why do we do what we do?”

Construction documents evolved slowly for many years, but standardization of format and content has since prevented logical evolution. Today's construction documents are mired in tradition and standards that are no longer applicable. Similarly, the roles of the architect and the contractor have evolved, but the logical changes in construction documents have been ignored in favor of a mythical memory of the good old days, when architects were master builders.

About the presentor: Sheldon Wolfe

Sheldon is a specifier with BWBR in St. Paul, MN. An architect for more than 30 years, and a specifier for more than 20, his experience includes 10 years in the public sector, and work at firms ranging in size from 2 to 140. Sheldon’s projects have included hospitals, healthy living centers, prisons, and university classrooms and laboratories. An active member of the Construction Specifications Institute, he served on its national board of directors, the national Technical Committee, and as Chapter and Region President.

During the past 15 years, he has written more than 300 articles about construction-related subjects, including the practice of writing specifications, technical documents, construction products, and the use of computers, e-mail, and the internet.