A One-of-a-Kind Reference for Students and

Recently Licensed Professionals

The Official Guide to the 2007 AIA Contract
Documents
By John Mouton

As a student of the ever-evolving building design and construction

enterprise, I am constantly seeking to understand the current, and emerging,
states of practice. As an instructor and a researcher continually engaged in
the pursuit and dissemination of knowledge, I find that the value of a
reference is defined by its comprehensiveness, its ability to be understood,
and its simplicity of use in finding a specific fact or explanation. The Official
Guide to the 2007 AIA Contract Documents fulfills all of these criteria
admirably.

I teach in Auburn University’s interdisciplinary design-build master’s degree

program, which admits students with undergraduate degrees and/or
experience in architecture and construction. The objective of the program is
to prepare students to contribute to and lead collaborative, multidisciplinary
teams that work to meet the objectives of their clients and projects. The
roles, responsibilities, and risks of each team member, including the client,
are delineated by contract. The Guide is a unique resource that will help
students discover the importance of clearly defining the obligations of all the
professionals involved in a project. Mentors can also use the book to
formulate inquiries that will help their successors understand the application
of the documents.

Alan Stover’s historical essays should be required reading for newly licensed
professionals; his work captures the evolution of design and construction
practice through the development of the documents. In addition to being
concise and easy to read, the essays provide a context for understanding the
current editions of the AIA contract documents. Our design-build students
research and develop historical timelines based on Stover’s work. Students
and practitioners alike will benefit from the perspective he provides about the
significance of our work and our profession.

The AIA standard documents (and families of documents) frame the roles and
responsibilities of the participants in the design and construction process
across the spectrum of delivery methods. Focused on providing a contractual
platform for practice as well as dispute avoidance and resolution, the text of
the AIA contract documents is matter-of-fact and formatted specifically for
the intended use. By providing a rationale for every clause and provision of
the current documents, the book presents a clear understanding of how to
use them as well as how to modify their terms and conditions.

The Guide also includes thoughtful reference to and explanations of

document development, the families of documents, case law, and standard
documents as the standard platform for building design and construction
contracts. The educational and supporting resources as well as the
appendices, which include sample documents and synopses, combine to
provide a comprehensive reference for anyone involved in the building design
and construction enterprise.

John Mouton holds the John E. Wilborn Chair in Building Science in the College
of Architecture, Design, and Construction, Auburn University.

Learn more about the Official Guide to the 2007 AIA Contract Documents and
how to purchase a copy.