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OfficeIQ - Builders glossary Category: Architecture and Buildings Date & country: 03/12/2007, UK Words: 254

Accommodation strategy
The document that describes a company's business projections and translates them into property needs. 

Acoustic engineer
Someone qualified to deal with sound, including insulation and noise levels. 

Acquisition
Buying, or taking on the lease of, a property. 

Agent
A vague term for someone connected with buying, selling or letting property (a more specific title should usually be used such as commercial agent, letting agent, acquisition agent or selling agent). 

Air-conditioning
A system that can heat, cool, ventilate, clean and control the humidity of the air in a building. 

Alienation
The ability to assign or sub-let. 

Architect
Someone qualified in all aspects of building design and construction (must be registered by the Architects Registration Board ARB to use the title Architect. 

Architect's Instruction
A legal document authorising a change to the project once it has begun or making an aspect of the project clearer. 

Artists and craftsmen
A contractual term for tradesmen employed directly by the client, rather than the fitting-out contractor. Also known as Artists and tradesmen. 

Asking rent
The rent set at the beginning of a negotiation. 

Assignment of Lease
The transfer of all your obligations and rights previously held under an existing to lease to a new tenant. 

Atrium
A large, glazed area in an office building designed to let light into the lower floors (small ones formerly known as light wells!). 

Attendance
Provision of backup such as scaffolding or temporary access to tradesmen. 

Attenuation
Sound reduction. 

Audio-visual consultant
A person qualified to design television, sound, film and electronic presentation equipment. 

Bespoke offices
Ones that are built for a particular occupier.

Blocking and stacking diagram
A plan or illustration showing how departments would be distributed within the building.

Booking system
Process of allocating workstations or rooms to individuals.

Break clause or break option
Part of a lease, which allows you or your landlord to give up your property at an agreed time its end date.

Brief
The document that describes your requirements with regard to your business needs now and in the future. (See Action 5)

Budget
An initial statement of the total cost you have agreed of for a project. (See Action 6)

Builders' work
general work not specific to any particular trade package.

Building management system
A computer system that controls heating, cooling, lighting and power to maximise energy efficiency.

Building Survey
A report that covers all aspects included in the remit of a building surveyor.

Building Surveyor
Responsible for assessing the general condition of a building. (See Action 39)

Bus bar
A continuous electrical conductor that allows connection to it at any point.

CAD
Computer aided design.

CAD model
A computer-generated three-dimensional image of a building, room or other feature.

Capital Allowances
Certain elements of a fit-out or refurbishment that are tax allowable if proved necessary for the running of a business.

Carrier
A telephone company that provides phone lines.

Catering consultant
A person expert in kitchen equipment design.

Cellular offices
Separate rooms for individuals or small groups of individuals.

Certificate of Practical Completion
A written statement confirming the date on which the contractor completed the work to the stage of practical completion.

Chartered surveyor
A member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. (e.g. Commercial agents; building surveyors; and quantity surveyors.)

Churn
Change in the office.

Circulation space
The area in a building used as corridors, staircases, etc.

Clear desk policy
The requirement to return all personal items to storage at the end of a period of use of a workstation.

Co-location
Sharing computers at a remote location to act as servers for more than one organisation. See server farms.

Collateral warranty
A contract that is tied to another, to extend some or all of the benefits of the original contract to a third party.

Comfort cooling
System that can cool the air in a building.

Commercial agent
A professional who is qualified to deal with issues such as acquisitions, disposals, leases, rates and valuations. (See Action 8)

Commissioning
The process of adjusting and preparing the systems in a building for use - especially air-conditioning.

Common areas
areas in a building such as stairs, lifts and corridors that are shared with other tenants. Also called common parts.

Common parts
Areas in a building such as stairs, lifts and corridors that are shared with other tenants. Also called common areas

Communications consultant
A person expert in dealing with employees' concerns over office reorganisation. (See Action 39)

Competitive tendering
The process of obtaining competitive quotations for goods or services.

Concept design
The essence of a design, showing the direction and flavour, without detail. (See Action 42)

Construction lawyer
A qualified professional with expertise in construction law, such as collateral warranties, contracts, development and fit-out projects and appointment of the professional team.

Construction management contract
The contract where a professional manages the process of appointing sub-contractors, for trade packages. These sub-contractors have a direct contract with the client. (See Action 14)

Construction manager
One who administers a construction management contract. Contamination: the pollution of ground or building. Usually caused by a previous use such as gas production or storage of chemicals.

Contingency
A sum of money included in a budget that is set aside for unforeseen circumstances. The monies can only be spent with the approval of the client.

Contract administrator
The same as a supervising officer.

Core
A vertical element in a building containing lifts, stairs, ducts or risers.

Cost breakdown
A written document detailing the costs of the project. Cost controller: a person whose role is to manage the project cost from budget to final account.

Cost plan
A written statement detailing the projected cost of a project.

Damper
A mechanical device for closing or regulating the flow in a duct.

Defect
A fault or problem.

Defects liability period
The period after practical completion when the contractor is required to put right any defects that may appear.

Demountability
The ability to be dismantled and re-erected easily.

Design & Manage
Similar to Management Contracting - the appointment early on of a contractor, who will sub-contract work and be responsible for the performance of the design team and sub-contractors.

Design and Build
A project where one firm takes responsibility for the design and construction. (See Action 14)

Design and build company
A firm that specialises in design and construction.

Design and fitting-out specialist
A firm that specialises in the design and construction of office interiors in new or existing buildings, but does not construct buildings.

Design waiting time
The maximum period of time you would normally need to wait for a lift.

Detailed design
The development of the concept design to a stage from which construction can begin for all or part of the project.

Developer
A company whose business is providing buildings for investment or for selling to investors.

Disaster recovery
The ability to continue working in the event of a major disruption of office systems caused by bombing or natural disaster.

Disposal
The act of vacating your existing premises and transferring the responsibility to another party.

Distributed team working
Same as virtual office - an office outside the normal working environment, formed by linking computers in different locations to allow interactive working remotely.

Dry riser
A vertical pipe onto which fire hoses can be connected, which is empty when not in use.

Duct
A space set-aside for services. May be vertical or horizontal.

Electrical layout
A plan showing the position of sockets, lights etc.

Element
A particular category of building work such as plastering, furniture or flooring.

Elemental breakdown
A written document detailing the costs of the project, divided into elements.

Employer
Contractor's term for client.

Ergonomist
A specialist on EU regulations regarding adequate working conditions - a major Health & Safety issue.

Essential team
The minimum team needed for any office move or reorganisation.

Facilities
Office equipment and buildings.

Facilities manager
A person who is responsible for the management of office equipment and buildings.

False floor
A floor, which is not part of the structure of the building, such as a timber floor, or a raised floor.

Fan-coil
A unit with a fan and radiator for heating or cooling air.

Feasibility study
A design and costing exercise to check whether a scheme would be appropriate for further development and implementation.

Final certificate
A certificate stating the date on which all defects were cleared at the end of the Defects Liability Period. This will trigger the balancing of payments at the end of the contract.

Finishes schedule
A written document detailing all the colours and materials to be used in the interior design.

Fire-fighters lift
A lift which is designed specifically to transport fire fighters and which will operate independently of the main passenger lifts.

Fitting-out contractor
Company specialising in the construction of office interiors in new or existing buildings. (See Action 38)

Flexible Working
The freeing up of work to allow it to be done in more than one location.

Floor box
A terminal in the floor with sockets for power, data and telephone connections.

Form of contract
The legal arrangement under which you choose to acquire the services of the essential team and that records the rights and obligations agreed between the parties.

Furniture specialist
A company providing desks, chairs, partitions and storage equipment for the office market. (See Action 39)

Goods lift
A heavy-duty lift for transporting equipment and supplies.

Handover
The process of returning the completed project back to the client at the end of a building contract. This is not always the same as practical completion.

Handset
The receiver and the dialling equipment of a telephone.

Head lease
The original lease directly between the landlord and tenant. (The tenant may not necessarily be current occupier if the building has been sub-let or if the lease has been assigned).

Heads of terms
The most important points that will be agreed when a lease is drawn up.

Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
The body that publishes and gives guidance on the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 1994 (CDM).

Home working
Working from home.

Hot desking
The use of a workstation by more than one person at different times.

Hoteling
A system which controls access to workstations and meeting rooms, allowing booking and servicing to order, like an hotel.

House rules
Protocols, systems and agreements that allow people to work flexibly.