One year! Qingdao City, Shandong Province pilots the "Architect Responsibility System", and pilot projects can apply for exemption from random inspection of construction drawings

Recently, the Qingdao Municipal Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau issued the "Guiding Opinions on the Pilot Work of the Architect Responsibility System in Qingdao" (hereinafter referred to as the "Opinions"). The "Opinions" proposes to learn from international common practices and the practices and experiences of domestic advanced cities, actively explore and improve the architect responsibility service model that conforms to international practices and local characteristics, and accelerate the realization of Qingdao's engineering construction field in line with international standards.

It is reported that the architect responsibility system is a design consulting team led by a registered architect (unless otherwise specified, hereinafter referred to as architect) who is the design host or chief design officer of civil construction projects. Relying on the design company where it is the main body of implementation, and in accordance with the contract, it provides design consulting and management services for the whole process or major stages of civil construction projects, and provides construction products and services that meet the requirements of the construction unit and the public interests of the society.

The "Opinions" mentioned that architects and their team members, or their design units, consulting agencies, etc., should have relevant qualifications and qualifications required by laws and regulations. Architects should meet the following conditions in principle: 1. Have good professional ethics and professional ethics, without bad integrity records; 2. Possess a first-level registered architect qualification; 3. Possess engineering senior or above professional and technical qualifications; 4. Have more than 15 years of practical experience in engineering design; 5.2 Work experience of project leader, construction person in charge, supervision person in charge, general contracting of the project, and whole process consulting project person in charge of projects that are similar in nature, type, scale, and technical complexity to the pilot project for 2 or more projects.

In principle, the architect team members should have the following conditions: 1. Have good professional ethics and professional ethics; 2. Have the qualifications and practice experience that match the content of the design consulting services undertaken; 3. Have the ability to bear risk responsibilities and contract obligations.

The "Opinions" also clarified the basic service content of the architect team-the scope of services of the architect team implementing the architect responsibility system is the whole process or part of the main stage of the construction project (Should include at least three stages: engineering design, bidding and procurement, and contract management). Encourage pilot projects that adopt the architect responsibility system to entrust a team of architects to complete all or part of the service content of planning and design, planning consultation, engineering design, bidding and procurement, contract management, operation and maintenance, and other additional services.

In addition, in principle, the pilot project of the architect responsibility system shall be independently determined by the construction unit, and shall be reported to the competent construction authority of the project location in a timely manner. In the early stage of the pilot project of the architect responsibility system, each district (city) construction authority may determine the pilot project based on the beneficial promotion principle and the willingness of the construction unit.

Civil construction projects throughout the city can refer to relevant requirements and implement the architect responsibility service model on a trial basis. Priority will be given to the Qingdao area of the China (Shandong) Pilot Free Trade Zone, the China-Shanghai Cooperation Organization Local Economic and Trade Cooperation Demonstration Zone, and the Qingdao West Coast New Area. Give priority to the promotion of the architect-responsible service model in government-invested public utilities such as small and medium-sized commercial and cultural services, education, medical care, health care facilities, urban renewal, and beautiful villages. Encourage social investment in civil construction projects to independently declare and adopt the architect-responsible service model.

It is worth emphasizing that simple and low-risk construction projects that implement the architect responsibility system can apply for exemption from random inspection of construction drawings in accordance with the notification and commitment system. For other construction projects, the relevant approval procedures may be given priority in accordance with the relevant requirements of the notification and commitment system approval, and the construction unit and the architect and his team may submit applications for the review and filing of construction drawings in stages and stages.

At the same time, learn from the professional liability insurance system for professionals in the world, and actively explore the architect responsibility insurance system. Encourage the construction unit of the pilot project to insure the potential defects of project quality, and the design unit to insure the engineering design liability insurance, encourage the design unit to actively insure the architect team, and incorporate it into the enterprise design liability insurance system.

Some people in the industry believe that the implementation of the architect responsibility system is another new measure of approval reform that reflects "the government makes subtraction and the market makes addition". On the one hand, the government has further streamlined administration and delegated powers, simplified the approval process, improved service efficiency, and saved costs for project units. On the other hand, entrusting professional matters to professional people will help to give full play to the professional expertise of architects and stimulate the vitality of the industry. It is reported that the "Opinions" will be implemented from the date of issuance, and the trial period is one year.