How do interiors specifications work?

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Author Message David Axt, AIA, CCS, CSI Senior Member Username: david_axt Post Number: 1039 Registered: 03-2002 Posted on Friday, March 27, 2009 - 05:24 pm:    I have incorporated a few interiors type products into my specifications and even written a few new specifications. BTW when I say "interiors type products" I don't mean carpet, tile, paint, etc. I mean more furniture, movable walls, etc. Anyhow how do interior designers spec items? It seems like things are very closed proprietary and very loosey goosey. John Regener, AIA, CCS, CCCA, CSI, SCIP Senior Member Username: john_regener Post Number: 435 Registered: 04-2002 Posted on Saturday, March 28, 2009 - 12:26 pm:    In my experience on hospitality projects, what interior designers call "specifications" do not resemble CSI's Sectionformat/Pageformat. What I found them to produce are what I call "abstracts" (for a better term). They are pages for individual products (a chair, a table, a lamp, etc.) ... the typical FF&E stuff. There was a picture of the object and then descriptive information ("specifications"). These were bound into a book: the interiors specifications. I don't think this is a bad idea. I think it might work for other disciplines also: audio/visual equipment, food service equipment and perhaps much of the process equipment that is now included in Monsterformat. Anne Whitacre, FCSI CCS Senior Member Username: awhitacre Post Number: 867 Registered: 07-2002 Posted on Sunday, March 29, 2009 - 03:37 pm:    interiors products by their nature are proprietary -- and typically if "open bidding " is required, a good interior designer would have to provide 3 (or more, depending on the client) fully selected products. There aren't production standards for things like chairs and tables equivalent to ASTM standards for VCT or wallboard. it would be possible to generically specify moveable partitions, and perhaps wire management systems, but that's probably about it. I don't think that specifying a chair by manufacturer's information is "loosey goosey" because doing it that way is pretty specific. this is one arena where you really don't want the contractor picking out the products... Robin E. Snyder Senior Member Username: robin Post Number: 248 Registered: 08-2004 Posted on Sunday, March 29, 2009 - 07:43 pm:    They may seem loosey goosey by our standards, but they are typically picking a very specific item with a very specific aesthetic. So, there is no need to include any type of performance information, since they don't want any alterates selected. They want the item they have selected, period. I work on large projects with numbeorus interior designers and I don't do anything with their FFE specs. They get bound into a book and supplied to the Contractor separately from anything in my scope. I review and coordinate installation of "hard finishes". One architect defined my scope (relating to ID) as, "if you turn the building upside down and shake it, anything that falls is outside of your scope." Its not perfect, but it is a good way to start. Lisa Goodwin Robbins, RA, CCS, LEED ap Senior Member Username: lgoodrob Post Number: 15 Registered: 08-2004 Posted on Tuesday, March 31, 2009 - 09:19 am:    Robin, I love that description, "if you turn the building upside down and shake it, anything that falls is outside of your scope." Ronald L. Geren, AIA, CSI, CCS, CCCA, SCIP Senior Member Username: specman Post Number: 752 Registered: 03-2003 Posted on Tuesday, March 31, 2009 - 11:09 am:    The only problem is that with the quality of construction that I've seen on several occasions that description would include the entire building. :-) Ronald L. Geren, AIA, CSI, CCS, CCCA, SCIP RLGA Technical Services www.specsandcodes.com ken hercenberg Senior Member Username: khercenberg Post Number: 18 Registered: 12-2006 Posted on Thursday, April 09, 2009 - 05:04 pm:    My understanding is that, depending on the project, certain boutique interior design firms can rely on receiving a percentage of the FF&E product sales. The owner pays list price for items that the designer gets at a reduced price, with the desinger pocketing the difference. This is for work entirely outside our realm, after Substantial Completion. I have heard of ID's providing design services for free with the understanding that they will be receiving their income from their share of the material sales. I've never once heard anyone complain about a conflict of interests. This was years ago. I don't know if that is still in fashion. Wayne Yancey Senior Member Username: wayne_yancey Post Number: 191 Registered: 01-2008 Posted on Thursday, April 09, 2009 - 05:42 pm:    Ken, It is still in vogue in my area. Design fees + markup on FF&E = Escalade and condo at Whistler.