MArch Master of Architecture Master of Architecture: Standard Professional Practice Of Architects 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An architect's certificate of substantial completion formally establishes:
- The date the contractor receives final payment
- The point at which the owner can occupy and use the project for its intended purpose (Correct answer)
- The end of the architect's construction administration services
- The date all punch-list items are corrected
Correct answer: The point at which the owner can occupy and use the project for its intended purpose
Substantial completion marks when the work is sufficiently complete for the owner to occupy or use the project for its intended purpose, starting warranty periods.
Question 2: When two licensed architects form a partnership to practice architecture, which statement is generally true in most US states?
- Only one partner needs to be licensed
- The firm name must include only the licensed partners' names
- The entity must register as an architectural corporation, not a partnership
- The partnership itself may need to be registered with the state licensing board (Correct answer)
Correct answer: The partnership itself may need to be registered with the state licensing board
Most states require architectural firms—regardless of entity type—to register with the state licensing board in addition to the individual licenses held by partners.
Question 3: A geotechnical report identifies poor soil conditions requiring deep foundations. Under standard practice, who bears primary responsibility for this additional cost?
- The architect, for not specifying adequate foundations in the initial design
- The contractor, for underestimating site conditions
- The owner, as the provider of site information and subsurface conditions (Correct answer)
- The structural engineer, for failing to anticipate the soil issues
Correct answer: The owner, as the provider of site information and subsurface conditions
Under AIA A201, the owner is responsible for providing accurate site information; unforeseen subsurface conditions typically result in a change order at the owner's cost.
Question 4: Which ethical canon in the AIA Code of Ethics requires architects to give proper credit to other architects for their contributions?
- Canon I: Obligations to the Public
- Canon III: Obligations to the Profession
- Canon IV: Obligations to Colleagues (Correct answer)
- Canon V: Obligations to Clients
Correct answer: Canon IV: Obligations to Colleagues
Canon IV addresses obligations to colleagues, including giving credit for professional contributions and not misrepresenting others' work.
Question 5: A contractor submits a request for a 30-day time extension due to unusually severe weather. Under AIA A201, the architect should:
- Automatically grant the extension because weather is an act of God
- Deny the extension because weather risk is the contractor's responsibility
- Evaluate whether the weather was truly abnormal and document its impact on the critical path (Correct answer)
- Refer the decision solely to the owner without providing a recommendation
Correct answer: Evaluate whether the weather was truly abnormal and document its impact on the critical path
The architect must determine whether the weather was genuinely unusual (beyond normal conditions) and whether it actually delayed critical-path activities before granting an extension.
Question 6: Which act prohibits discrimination in places of public accommodation and requires accessible design for new construction and alterations?
- Fair Housing Act
- Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) (Correct answer)
- Rehabilitation Act of 1973
- Architectural Barriers Act of 1968
Correct answer: Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
The ADA Title III requires places of public accommodation and commercial facilities to be accessible, directly affecting architectural design standards.
Question 7: In a design-build project delivery method, the primary contract is between the owner and:
- The architect only
- The contractor only
- A single entity responsible for both design and construction (Correct answer)
- A construction manager who holds separate contracts with designer and contractor
Correct answer: A single entity responsible for both design and construction
In design-build, one entity—a design-builder—contracts with the owner for both design and construction services, creating single-point responsibility.
MArch Master of Architecture Master of Architecture: Standard Professional Practice Of Architects 3
An architect's certificate of substantial completion formally establishes: