Intro to Specifications
An Architect draws a building and it magically appears in physical form. The contractor knew exactly what pieces to buy. The contractor knew how to install them. But how? Specifications—the bridge between what has been drawn and what gets built.
Q: So, what are Specifications? How do I write one? How do they affect the construction of a building project?
At a thousand-foot view, the average person knows that an Architect’s job is to design buildings. But the path from an Architect’s initial sketch to a building’s final product is far more complicated than that.
Before I started practicing architecture, I thought the process looked like this: an Architect creates a set of drawings, the Architect gives those drawings to the Contractor, and the Contractor builds the design from the drawings.
While this is partly true, it’s not the whole story. To say it another way, it’s like trying to bake a cake without eggs. Better yet, it’s like trying to bake a cake without the recipe at all.
In baking, a cake with all of the ingredients could make it taste unusual or degrade the structure.
In building, specifications were the missing ingredient in my understanding of construction.
Let’s unpack what specifications are and how they affect the profession.
What are Specifications?
Specifications are written (rather than drawn) records that establish the technical information and installation procedures of products found in the drawings.
Specifications are a part of the Contract Documents. Contract Documents define the scope of work for the Contractors to build a building and are used for bidding the project. They are called “Contract Documents” because they act as part of the contract between an Owner and a Contract, between an Owner and an Architect, etc.
In simpler terms, the drawings act as a graphic representation of the work, while the specifications are the instructions of what components need to be purchased and the relevant requirements to install them properly.
Why do Architects Hate Specs?
There is a common misconception among younger, emerging Architects and designers that Specifications are somehow less important than drawings.
This mentality is likely due to a few key factors:
Most architecture schools don’t teach their students how to write specifications
Specifications are complicated
Specifications aren’t as fun to write as drawings are to draw
In my own experience, I didn’t go to school to write specifications. I went to school to become an Architect.
That doesn’t mean specifications ever did anything to me personally. I think I’m just better wired to convey information through a creative drawing process.
The kicker is that you realize very quickly on ‘real’ jobs in a ‘real’ office setting, that the specifications are just as important as Drawings to the success of a project.
In fact, they are weighted equally with drawings in terms of their importance to a set of Contract Documents. This is both the case for their importance in a Court of Law and in terms of how the information is conveyed to the Contractor.
But why?
It goes back to the Contract Documents.
In a contract that two parties sign, the supporting documents attached to the actual contract become binding just as though they were written in the primary sections of the contract.
If the specifications weren’t weighted equally, then any party (e.g. Owner, Contractor, Architect) could simply say that “this part” or “that part” of the contract didn’t matter over another. The result: complete chaos.
When it comes to how construction contracts are written, drawings = specifications in terms of importance.
Chicken and Egg
Let’s look at this from a different angle. Say you’re working on a restaurant project and you need to design a series of bi-fold doors that will allow for seating areas to extend into the outside spaces.
Your first move could be to sketch an elevation of what the overall building might look like with your swanky new doors. You may even sketch your idea in plan to better communicate your idea.
With sketches in hand, what type of door are you using?
Sure, we’ve assumed a bi-fold door, but from what manufacturer? What type of material will it be? What sizes does it come in? Are there any special power requirements? Does it require additional structural support? Does it have any special hardware or locking requirements? And so on...
Depending on what your answers are, you might find that the original sketch you had so meticulously planned out has changed wildly. In fact it may deviate so much that you need to find another product type altogether.
Remember, knowing what product you’re designing into a project is just as important as the drawing you use to articulate the design intent.
Specification Structure 101
Alright, alright - specifications are important. Cool. Where do we start? How do we write them?
MasterFormat®
In the United States and Canada, the MasterFormat (by the Construction Specifications Institute or CSI) is a numbering system cataloging each Specification by Division and Section.
Think of a “Division” as the chapter of a book and the “Section” as a sub-chapter within each Division.
The overall look of MasterFormat® has changed over time. As of 2020, the Divisions are as follows*:
The “Front End” Divisions
Division 00 — Procurement and Contracting Requirements
Division 01 — General Requirements
The “Architectural” Divisions
Division 02 — Existing Conditions
Division 03 — Concrete
Division 04 — Masonry
Division 05 — Metals
Division 06 — Wood, Plastics, and Composites
Division 07 — Thermal and Moisture Protection
Division 08 — Openings
Division 09 — Finishes
Division 10 — Specialties
Division 11 — Equipment
Division 12 — Furnishings
Division 13 — Special Construction
Division 14 — Conveying Equipment
The “MEP” Divisions
Division 21 — Fire Suppression
Division 22 — Plumbing
Division 23 — Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning (HVAC)
Division 25 — Integrated Automation
Division 26 — Electrical
Division 27 — Communications
Division 28 — Electronic Safety and Security
The “Site” Divisions
Division 31 — Earthwork
Division 32 — Exterior Improvements
Division 33 — Utilities
*There are other Divisions above Div. 33, but you are unlikely to see them on most architecture projects.
How Divisions Work
Each Division covers a series of Sections. For example, you will find the Specification Section “08 1400 Wood Doors” under “Division 08—Openings”. The naming convention includes the “08” for the Division # and the four-digit # that identifies the particular section.
This cataloging system is helpful in the long term to understand, not necessarily memorize. As you work on more projects, you’ll become comfortable with the Divisions and what is likely to be found in each.
Going back to our example above, “Wood Doors” is found in Div. 08 Openings because it is first and foremost a door product intended to provide an opening in a wall. While a Wood Door is in fact a wood product, Div. 06 Wood, Plastics, and Composites relates more to carpentry, millwork, etc.
If you get confused, think of the primary function of the product at hand, then search the Division that best fits that function.
How Sections Work
Fundamentally, a specification is made of three, distinct (but equally important) “Parts.” Each part deals with a different aspect of the product being specified. When combined, they become a single specification.
Part I is called “General.” This is the section where you define the administrative procedures and list any related Specifications that deal with the product you’re specifying. Think of this as the introduction.
Part II is called “Products.” This is the section where you define the quality and components required. Think of this as the technical information of the product itself.
Part III is called “Execution.” This is the section where you define the preparation and installation requirements for the product. Think of this as the instruction manual of how the product must be installed.
8 Steps to Writing a Specification
When it comes to sitting down and writing a Specification Section, I find that there are 8 simple steps that may work for us all.
Once you complete all 8 steps—start at the beginning of the process, write the next section, then the next, and the next, until you have a full Specification book covering your entire project.
Some steps will be easier than others. Some steps will take more time. But none of the steps are particularly difficult on their own. They only demand that you be engaged with the task at hand.
Step 1 — Define the Scope
Clearly define a project’s scope intent with the Owner.Step 2 — Evaluate the Job
Assess what products may be required on the job.Step 3 — Product Research
Find preliminary ‘Basis of Design’ products and review them with the Owner for their approval based on performance, cost, and design intent.Step 4 — Public or Private
If you’re working on a Private Job, continue to Step 5. If you’re working on a Public Job, find two more products that are Equal in quality, performance, and design intent. (This step is necessary to make public bidding fair to potential bidders)Step 5 — Write Part I
Determine what Quality Assurance requirements, Submittal requirements, Warranty requirements the product must comply with.Step 6 — Write Part II
Determine any Performance Requirements for the product and accessories specified.Step 7 — Write Part III
Determine any Execution requirements based on what was specified in Parts I and II.Step 8 — Coffee Break
Have a nice, refreshing cup of Coffee and do it all over again.
Congratulations! If you’ve completed these steps, you’re on your way to writing some high-quality specifications for your project.
Final Thoughts
Specifications take what you’ve dreamed up on the page and make that dream possible for someone to build in real life. Specifications are another part of the design process, not an afterthought.
Consider the following:
You learn much more through the proper writing of specifications than you will in the refinement of your drawing skills alone.
If you treat specifications as just another set of tasks, the process will likely become boring and uninspired.
If you treat specifications as just another set of tasks, the process will likely become boring and uninspired.
Personally, the more that I write specifications, the more engaging I find them to be.
Don’t take them for granted. Specification writing can be the key to unlocking your potential as a designer and as a well-rounded Architect.
Additional Resources
(Article) Types of Construction Specifications // Archtoolbox
(Video) Types and Uses of Construction Specifications // Federal Highway Administration
Take This Essay on the Go
