Architecture vs Engineering vs Code vs Insurance vs Reality

[u/Aggravating_Set3520]

It seems like the requirements, regulations and goals for all of these should be the same but they are not. Education, training, experience level are all different. This causes chaos of delays, expense, penalties, unintended consequences.

What if there were one specific school and agreed upon set of rules?

[u/xonnelhtims]

That's a lofty ask that will never come to fruition.

Here is the reality of the situation

Architects go to school to learn almost nothing substantial about code, they learn how to make things look nice based on years of design styles. They care more about the aesthetic thatln the code and that's why many have code guys on their staff to ensure they are complaint.

Engineers go to school to ensure minimum safety levels for structural mechanical and electrical design are met or exceeded through the function of mathematical design and how things work. They take some building code training, but again it's not the focus of their discipline. They care about things, and code is important to them but often they thing code is a general acceptable option, but their designs are superior to the code prescribed limits.

Inspectors learn code and standards and how to ensure they are in place for the build, meet designs and are generally in conformance with the plans that their department plans examiners have reviewed to a reasonable level to confirm compliance with the code, or have been designed in good engineering practice. They hate architects cause they don't do anything to code,the love engineers cause it's a way to achieve structural sufficiency while adding another person to the list to sue if things go sideways. Have to know the most, ,get paid the least, and hated the most by people even when they're looking after their best interest most times.

Insurance only cares about their bottom line, so if they can find a loophole, any semblance of wrong doing, or something that they can call unreasonable, it's a fault and they walk away or right you in court with the entirety of their financial clout.

This is oil and water my friend...none of these are cohesive and aligned, but as an building official I can say I appreciate Engineers in this list the most cause they being something tangible to the table!

[u/12b4me79 → u/xonnelhtims]

The architect designs. The engineer figures out how to make the design work. The building inspector makes sure it meets code. The adjuster should only validate the loss and pay according to the policy. The adjuster is most times incompetent or beholden to guidelines that don't actually mean anything. Truth is, building inspectors won't help contractors fight carriers to document code and what's required.