Site Selection
- Work with Owner to review and compare potential sites for the project
Consultant Selection
- Work with Owner to establish optimal procedure for selecting consultants
- Develop “short-lists” of consultants, based on reputation, specialty, and due-diligence reference review
- Develop RFP for consultants
- Distribute RFP to consultants
- Accept questions during bid process from consultants, provide written response to consultant questions
- Review consultant fee proposals, develop comparative matrix with ranking and recommendations for consultants
- Work with Owner to prepare consultant contracts
- Coordinate contract review and acceptance by all parties
Lease Review
- Work with Owner and Owner’s Attorney to review facility issues in leases
Negotiate with landlord on facility issues - Coordinate consultant and contractor contracts to assure coordination with lease provisions
Design
- Establish Structure for Team, including Procedures, Lines of Communication, Schedules
- Due Diligence, Oversight of Architectural/Engineering/Design Programs
- Due Diligence, Oversight of Schematic Design Drawing Generation and Client Approvals, and Any Early Stage Approvals
- Due Diligence, Oversight of Design Development Drawing Generation and Client
- Approvals Due Diligence, Oversight of Construction Document Generation and Client Approvals
Contractor Selection
- Work with Owner to establish optimal procedure for selecting contractor
- Develop “short-lists” of contractors, based on reputation, specialty, and due-diligence reference review
- Develop RFP for contractors
- Distribute RFP to contractors
- Accept questions during bid process from contractors, coordinate written response to contractor questions
- Review contractor fee proposals, develop comparative matrix with ranking and recommendations for contractors
- Work with Owner to prepare contractor contracts
- Coordinate contract review and acceptance by all parties
Budget Analysis and Control
- Work with Owner and consultants to establish initial project budget
- Work with Owner and consultants to verify project budget at agreed-upon project benchmarks (example Schematic Design, Design Development, 50% Construction Documents, 100% Construction Documents)
- Work with Owner and consultants to reduce scope and/or value engineer project as required to keep project within agreed-upon budget
Schedule Analysis and Control
- Work with Owner and consultants to establish initial project schedule
- Work with Owner and consultants to verify project schedule at agreed-upon project benchmarks (example Schematic Design, Design Development, 50% Construction Documents, 100% Construction Documents)
- Work with Owner and consultants to establish initial project schedule
- Work with Owner and consultants to verify project schedule at agreed-upon project benchmarks (example Schematic Design, Design Development, 50% Construction Documents, 100% Construction Documents, and on a weekly basis during construction)
- Work with Owner and consultants to reduce scope and/or value engineer project as required to keep project within agreed-upon schedule
Construction
- Develop schedules of contractor deliverables
- Track project budget and schedule on a weekly basis
- Hold project meetings during construction on a weekly basis, issue minutes of meeting
- Monitor and expedite the shop drawing approval process
- Coordinate the services of Owner’s testing firms
- Review items of change and change orders including Contractors’ proposals, changes in quantity, contract time and price
- Review contractor applications for payment
- Maintain a central control file of design, engineering, and construction contracts, correspondence reports, and change orders
Furniture Procurement
- Work with Owner to establish optimal procedure for selecting furniture
- Develop “short-lists” of furniture manufacturers and vendors, based on reputation, specialty, and due-diligence reference review
- Develop RFP for furniture
- Distribute RFP to furniture
- Accept questions during bid process from furniture manufacturers and vendors, coordinate written response to furniture questions
- Review furniture fee proposals, develop comparative matrix with ranking and recommendations for furniture
- Work with Owner to prepare furniture contracts
- Coordinate furniture delivery and installation
- Coordinate furniture punchlist
- Work with furniture manufacturers and vendors to assure completion of punchlist items
- Review applications for payment from furniture manufacturers and vendors
Equipment Procurement
- Work with Owner to establish optimal procedure for selecting equipment
Develop “short-lists” of equipment manufacturers and vendors, based on reputation, specialty, and due-diligence reference review - Develop RFP for equipment
- Distribute RFP to equipment
- Accept questions during bid process from equipment manufacturers and vendors, coordinate written response to equipment questions
- Review equipment fee proposals, develop comparative matrix with ranking and recommendations for equipment
- Work with Owner to prepare equipment contracts
- Coordinate equipment delivery and installation
- Coordinate equipment punchlist
- Work with equipment manufacturers and vendors to assure completion of punchlist items
- Review applications for payment from equipment manufacturers and vendors
Close Out of Project
- Review closeout documentation from contractor
- Check warranties, guarantees, and service contracts
- Review shop drawings, cuts, and operating manual file
- Review final lien waivers and affidavits
- Review final pay request
- Assist in expediting final punch list activities
- Assist in obtaining certificate of occupancy
- Assist in establishing dates of Substantial and Final Completion
- Assist in the purchase, delivery and installation of furniture and equipment
- Assist Owner with move-in
Expert Witness Services
Expert witness services in design and construction are required by attorneys litigating disputes involving architectural defects, construction defects, scope of work disagreements, standard-of-care questions, code compliance, project delays, and cost overruns. An effective expert witness in the areas of design and construction combines extensive hands-on design and construction experience with the credentials, written record, and communication skills necessary to render credible opinions and testify clearly to judges, juries, arbitrators, and mediators. The right expert helps counsel evaluate the merits of a case early, develops well-supported opinions, and presents complex technical issues in plain, persuasive language.
Empire Projects, Inc., through its president, William N. Bernstein, AIA, has provided design and construction expert witness services on more than forty cases in the United States and internationally since 2006. Mr. Bernstein is Yale-trained, NCARB-certified, LEED-accredited, and the author of two books and over forty articles on architecture and construction. The firm, through Mr. Bernstein, AIA, has provided expert witness services in the areas of design and construction across a wide range of project types, including apartments, banks, condos, coops, healthcare, hospitals, hotels, houses, offices, residential, restaurants, retail, schools, and townhouses. In addition to project types, the firm, through Mr. Bernstein, has provided expert witness services involving ADA, premises liability, and standard of care.
