On November 29, 2016 the Los Angeles Times published an article that Los Angeles County METRO settled disputed extra costs totaling $300 million with the contractor that had widened the 405 Freeway through the Sepulveda Pass, bringing the final total to 155% of the original $1 billion construction budget. The article went on to say the $300 million was due to poorly prepared bid documents that resulted in design changes, changes in scope, and schedule delays during construction.
This story points out how proper management, preparation, and construction know-how are critical for construction projects of any size.
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Bob Stewart founded Robert Stewart Architects in 1981 as a boutique architectural practice offering construction management via direct personal involvement assuring one-on-one client relationships.
Following graduation from the USC School of Architecture, Bob apprenticed with architects who practiced old-school, full service architecture that went beyond design and drafting. Bob was trained in all aspects of construction management from assessing project scopes of work, obtaining zoning and construction permit approvals, preparing and issuing bid packages, on-site construction observation, to construction close-out.
Bob brought this experience to Robert Stewart Architects and has expanded his expertise through hundreds of projects executed by his firm. These projects have been for individual and multiple repeat clients who are private developers, school districts, community colleges, City of Long Beach and City of Los Angeles Harbor Departments, park departments, non-profit agencies, churches, transportation and shipping companies, industrial companies, commercial companies, and of course, residential. For almost all of these projects we were responsible for construction management tasks as well as design and construction documents. As a result, Bob brings over thirty-five years' experience managing, designing, and budgeting construction projects.
Over these thirty-five years, Bob has represented his clients by communicating project goals and benefits to end-users, community groups, boards of directors, planning commissions, homeowner review boards, building departments and other agencies having jurisdiction. Bob has negotiated on clients' behalf zoning entitlements (variances, conditional use permits, site plan review, etc.), expanding leaseholds, shared parking agreements, land swaps, as well as typical construction permit approvals. Bob also has experience leading consensus-building workshops resulting in project buy-in and approval as well as typical presentations to boards and committees.