Allford Hall Monaghan Morris (AHMM) is one of the UK’s largest architectural practices. They have expertise across multiple sectors, with teams working across commercial, residential, healthcare, education and civic developments in the UK and internationally.
In our recent NBS webinar Transforming Specification Writing with NBS, Dr Stephen Hamil (Innovation Director at NBS) spoke with Patrick Crocock (Specification Lead at AHMM) and Ruth King (Senior Architect/Specification Specialist at AHMM). They explored the challenges around sharing knowledge, robust specification writing and utilizing digital processes to gain efficiencies when producing and coordinating documentation on complex projects. Patrick and Ruth support over 300 colleagues on projects.
Chorus Premium allows practices to improve the quality of specification writing across their projects and to gain efficiencies in the time that is required to assemble and issue these. This article gives some expert insight into how the specification writing specialists at AHMM enable their colleagues to achieve some of the following benefits.
Right: Great Cumberland Place: Following completion of the restoration and extension of the commercial premise, AHMM were appointed to complete the fit out of the commercial areas with the Project Architect noting that ‘the specification was instrumental in securing the design intent and delivery of quality’.
Planning the specification writing
Before opening the NBS software, the team at AHMM focuses on the planning process to ensure that the specification writing gets done properly. In the webinar, Ruth describes how they have a standard design responsibility matrix, which allows the specification writing duties to be agreed. Initially, when working with the design team prior to the construction contract, this matrix provides the basis for discussion between architecture and engineering teams regarding where responsibility will sit for the specification of the expected elements and systems that will make up the project. Subsequently, when the contractor is appointed, if AHMM is to be novated and work for the contractor, then this design responsibility matrix forms the basis of their appointment and clearly lays out which aspects of design will form part of specialist contractor packages.
Furthermore, the specification writing team at AHMM has built up a mature set of master specifications and expert knowledge from previous projects in the form of specification notes, which can be used by the project architect. The specification writing team will assemble the baseline specification for the project based on these masters; this means that the project architect can focus on the decisions specific to the project, knowing that the fundamentals are in place for a successful outcome.
Ruth demonstrates the specification planning process at AHMM
Consistent quality
Whether using the latest technology or not, the quality of the writing and editorial approach are key to producing a robust specification. Basing a project specification on a library of content templates, such as NBS, helps achieve this; however, there will also be specific phrasing that has been agreed across a practice, as well as terminology that is contract-specific. The ‘Variables’ functionality in Chorus Premium enables specification writers to achieve this consistency. In the webinar, Patrick highlighted how phrases with the same meaning, such as ‘the client’ or ‘the employer’, exist multiple times across the AHMM master specifications. The meaning of these phrases can be contract specific and can even change pre and post contract. By using ‘Variables’ to define these centrally, hundreds of changes can instantly be made, depending on project requirements or contract terminology. Another example could be where standard legal text is used to introduce each system or section in a specification – or where a phrase changes mid-project, such as finishes being ‘to be confirmed’ early in a project, then being cross-referenced to ‘interior designer’s schedule’ later in a project.
Patrick demonstrates the Chorus Premium ‘Variables’ functionality
Change management
Understanding exactly how the specification changes through a project is a fundamental part of what many call ‘the golden thread of information’. Change management is a big consideration for all projects under the new building safety regime. However, this is an essential aspect of any project categorized as higher risk when working with the new Building Safety Regulator. Under the new regulations, specification changes may be ‘major’, ‘notifiable’ or ‘recordable’. Chorus Premium allows revisions to published specifications to have any changes highlighted – to the level of whether an individual line has been removed, amended or deleted. In the video below, Ruth demonstrates how AHMM uses the Chorus Premium ‘Detailed revisions’ functionality to highlight itemized changes for QA purposes.
Ruth demonstrates the Chorus Premium ‘Detailed revisions’ functionality
Speed and efficiency
In the webinar, it can be seen that AHMM has hundreds of project specifications and a sizeable library of master specification content that has been built up over several years. With all levels of Chorus, project-level ‘Specification search’ functionality is available. However, with Chorus Premium, all specification content, across projects and masters, is indexed for searching using the ‘Organisation-wide search’ functionality. This means that anyone across a practice can quickly search across all of the knowledge within this specification content. Patrick demonstrates how AHMM uses ‘Organisation-wide search’ within NBS Chorus in the video below.
Patrick demonstrates the ‘Organisation-wide search’ functionality in Chorus Premium
Digital coordination
The final part of the presentation showcased a feature that is available in all editions of Chorus. The ability to link a specification with a 3D model allows the information in the design and specification to be synchronized for efficiency and accuracy. This allows engineers and architects to issue drawings and schedules from the 3D model with confidence that they are fully coordinated with the specification. Recent enhancements here include: (a) the coordination of more parameters, such as manufacturer, product reference and specification notes; and (b) the availability of plug-ins for more software partners, which currently includes Autodesk, Graphisoft, Vectorworks and Bentley Systems.
Ruth demonstrates how AHMM links the model and specification using the NBS plug-in within Autodesk Revit
The full webinar is available online: Transforming Specification Writing with NBS.
Chorus Premium features that provide tangible benefits to specifiers include the following:
- Detailed revisions.
- Organisation-wide search.
- Variables.
- Single sign-on.
- Set group permissions.
- Master change notifications.
- Tagging (coming very soon).
