Professional Integrity and the
White Elephant Building Project
Paul Wong
This article describes highly possible situations that can happen in any part of the world.
Its main purpose is to alert Christian congregations about professional dishonesty, and
to assist religious organizations in making proper decisions when facing similar situations.
Every profession has its own code of ethics. In the medical profession the doctor takes the hippocratic oath which is to do his best to preserve the life of his patient. Lawyers are guardians of the law of the land, therefore their duty is to uphold and preserve justice in accordance with its existing laws. Accountants must be truthful and accurate in their accounting and reports. Architects and engineers are not only bound by their duty to design and build stable structures, but also to protect the interest of their clients.
Architects have been trained academically in college and professionally through internship so that they can practise ethically in the actual work place. There are three basic Principles of Ethics – [1] Compliance with the Law, [2] Functional Design, and [3] Economical Construction.
[1] Compliance with the Law
The building project must be designed, administered and constructed in compliance with the Building Codes and Regulations of the Authority in which the construction documents are to be filed for approval. The first thing an architect does is to go to that Authority to check on their Building Codes. Every city in America has its own set of rules and regulations.
Example: One authority in Texas, we shall call “City A”, may have its parking regulation for a church building based on four seats for one parking space. Another authority adjoining the first city, we call “City B”, may be based on 30 sq. ft. for one parking space. “City A” does not require fire sprinklers in the old buildings that are separated from the new buildings that are less than 6,000 sq. ft. “City B” requires 100% fire sprinklers for the old building when new buildings are added, regardless of their sizes. “City B” has strict and difficult building codes for the addition of church buildings.
If an architect who has integrity intends to file construction documents for approval in “City B” he would first have to get the information from their building department. After finding out there are extremely strict regulations that are not advantageous to the design that would meet his client's needs, he should immediately report this situation to his client and let him make the decision on the next step. If his client decides to discontinue with the project his professional fees would be limited to only few hours of work, but it would save his client's money on professional fees.
A dishonest architect would initially not disclose his finding on “City B” to his client because his professional fees would then be very small. Being a dishonest architect he would use the building codes of “City A” that has lax and easier regulations to design the building. An uninformed client would not know of his deception, but thought this architect had a great ability to find loopholes to circumvent the strict regulations of “City B”. The dishonest architect would make more money on his professional fees through this deception, but his client would lose money when the truth came out later.
“He who walks with integrity walks securely, But he who perverts his ways will become known.” (Pro. 10:9)
[2] Functional Design
The functional and physical requirements of a building project is essential to ensuring its success. An architect who has integrity will work closely with his client to develop a building design that is derived from a need, a purpose or mission, and a desired result. A building that functions as it is intended is the underpinning of a quality "whole" building the design of which must be functional in all spaces, and no space is redundant and cannot be used. This is the ultimate goal.
Due to the unusually high ratio of occupants to car parking spaces imposed by "City B" the concrete parking lot would not only occupy a very large portion of the open space, but also forces the building owner to provide a retention pond for the excessive rain water from the parking lot to flow there. The retention pond is undesirable for three reasons. First, it has to have a protective fence for small children. Second, there is an issue with mosquitoes. Third, there needs to be additional expenses for a maintenance program.
If the church already have adequate parking spaces to meet the needs of its congregation, the provision of any additional parking spaces would increase the cost of the project. “City B” has building codes that govern additions of religious buildings for parking spaces that far exceed the number that the church could actually use. Worse than that, the required number of parking spaces can be very high so that multi-storied parking structures are required. This is a clear example of excessive and unnecessary spaces that serve little or no purpose for the church.
A responsible architect who has integrity would not include any building component that is not functional in the project.
[3] Economical Construction
It is the total process of economizing construction project from inception to the completion. Here it refers to practising economical solutions while not sacrificing the benefits or comfort one can obtain from that particular project. Mies van der Rohe, one of the world's formost modern architect, had this concept of “Less is More”. Strive to have the least space in a building design and to obtain the most benefits in function for the occupants.
An architect who has integrity would design and construct a building that has minimum useless spaces. Economics in construcion is the process of achieving the best of quality in the least possible time and space with the lowest possible cost. Any architect who has integrity would not recommend to his clients to build the costly parking structures if they cannot fully use the spaces permanently and consistently.
The requirements in “City B” for 100% sprinklered spaces in both the new building and also in the old building is not only burdensome on the church finance but also extremely difficult for it to function properly. During the installation of the fire spriklers the high ceiling in the chapel has to be dismantled, the existing electrical wires and air-conditioning ducts have to be removed and reinstalled. Installation of new plumbing pipes for the new sprinklers will not only completely disrupt the church functions thereby causing the congregation to move to another place for its worship services, but also increase the limited building budget. No right-thinking and responsible architect who has integrity would recommend his client to continue with that building project.
The architect who has integrity would present a project that could meet his client's budget. His cost estimate cannot be guesswork that is based on dollars per square foot which anyone can do by searching the Internet. A more realistic and accurate cost estimate is to obtain non-binding bids from local bone-fide building contractors who have ongoing building projects in the area that the construction documents would be filed for approval. The building project needs true and accurate cost estimates and not “guesstimates.”
The White Elephant Building Project
A white elephant is an idiom for an expensive but burdensome possession of which its owner cannot dispose and whose cost (particularly cost of upkeep) is out of proportion to its usefulness or worth. The term derives from the story that the kings of Siam (now Thailand) were accustomed to make a present of one of these animals to courtiers who had rendered themselves obnoxious, in order to ruin the recipient by the cost of its maintenance. In modern usage, it is an object, scheme, business venture, facility, building project, etc., considered to be without use or value.
A conscientious Christian architect who has integrity could not remain silent and withhold the unpleasant truth from his client. He could never recommend to his client to continue with a “White Elephant Building Project. If the dishonest architect had performed substantial amount of work for his client he would have already received his big professional fees, and since he had informed his client the bad news about "City B's" tough Building Codes it is unlikely that he will be used again. The client should be wise not to continue with this monstrous “white elephant” parking structure. Building it would leave a permanent bad monument for years that will haunt the conscience of those who wanted it to be built.
This Article is a Presentation of Paul Wong to the For Comments please write to: [email protected]
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