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This “classic” episode from our first season has been re-edited for the benefit of our newest listeners, as a way to keep these evergreen lessons alive, We hope you enjoy listening to this story as much as we do presenting it to you

In a charitable society’s new home for the aged, where a limited budget led to an inappropriate air conditioning system, residents faint from unbearable heat. Can an architect be liable for this failure when they followed the client’s verbal instructions, even though these instructions were poorly considered?

Discover why verbal deals are a trap, how cutting corners burns you, and why the architectural professional’s standard of care trumps client whims.

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Have you ever faced a claim that turned your architectural vision into a legal nightmare? Do the hidden risks of your practice haunt you? A single misstep—like a contractor’s error, a language barrier, or a neighbor’s grievance—can jeopardize your reputation and livelihood.

What if you could master these risks? Welcome to Season 4 of The Claims-Free Architect, brought to you by Pro-Demnity, safeguarding architects for four decades. This podcast empowers you to stay claims-free. Our 18 episodes blend new tales—like mansion fires from faulty fireplaces and condo chaos from rogue developers—with four classic stories from our first season, updated to match our current format.

Revisit lessons from a inadequately designed air handling system in a home for the aged causing residents to faint from extreme heat, a dream home that floods in the middle of winter, a historic preservation project where too many architects cause a stonemason ulcers, and a building that starts without permit and turns out to be a major headache for everyone involved.

From homes to high-rises, learn to sidestep financial, reputational, business and personal losses. If you're an architect, intern, or practice owner: subscribe to The Claims-Free Architect wherever you get your podcasts and build a claims-free future!

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In a building project where an Architect’s role has been marginalized, and where the chain of command is generally confused, can the Architect still be held responsible for errors by others that lead to catastrophe?

You’ll learn that even when Architects are not contracted to supervise construction, or to coordinate trades and consultants, they may inadvertently assume these responsibilities and any liability attached to them.

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What sort of problems arise when Architects and Engineers are unfamiliar with the physical context of a building site? How can they work together to ensure that things such as site drainage are adequately dealt with?

When Architects fail to familiarize themselves with existing site conditions, they and their consultants may be designing in a bubble. In this case, the site grading drawings were fine, but failed to note that the site was at the foot of a hill. Flooding was inevitable.

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How can a simple typographical error in a millwork order lead to a financial and logistical nightmare, not to mention the heartbreak of trashing 180 custom-made cabinets?

Architects don’t normally assume responsibility for ordering interior furnishings and fittings. But when they do, they should follow quality assurance protocols.

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When experts with questionable incentives make a simple problem worse by recommending drastic solutions, who is responsible for picking up the tab?

You’ll learn how a faulty valve caused major water damage to a new building. And when a toxic mould infestation ensued, “experts” were called in to assess the damage. This led to a costly legal battle.

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When a major building component, such as an exterior wall, fails during construction, who was supposed to check the shop drawings?

The cause of the near-tragedy becomes obvious, only after the wall has fallen over - it hadn’t been tied into the structure. You’ll learn how dereliction of duty triggered a catastrophic series of events.

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If an Architect provides better quality cladding materials than those the client requested, can the Client order those materials to be replaced at the Architect’s expense?

You’ll learn that unreasonable clients and guilt-ridden architects can make strange bedfellows and their relationship dynamics may lead to unnecessarily expensive lawsuits.

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• Access our Risk Education Library
• Speak with a Risk Services Expert if you’re an Ontario architect seeking guidance for a risk management issue.

Thank you for listening.