Question 1

What functional types of Buildings do you have experience on?

Accepted Answer

• RSMS is most familiar with type I and type II construction specially as applied to healthcare, institutional, education and major office complexes.
 • Specific teams with experience in type III, IV and V construction form are always available for small projects like single/multi-family residences.
 • In terms of functional building types, we have experience of 22 years on :
    • Health Care, Behavioural Health, MOB Buildings & Clinics
    • Tenant Improvement
    • Commercial
    • Education
    • Correctional Facilities
    • Mixed Use
    • Residential

Question 2

Can you provide references?

Accepted Answer

Yes, we can provide references of decision makers of practices who can vouch about our credentials and share with you their experiences. Just drop us an email and we will send you the information and credentials of our references.

Question 3

How does this relationship work?

Accepted Answer

It’s essential that one considers RSMS as a part of your internal project team. Its just that this part of team sits in a different geographical location and in a diff time zone. This approach will allow the information to flow just like it would in your internal office.

Question 4

How is RSMS services unique?

Accepted Answer

RSMS always keep the same team deployed till the project is complete.
For clients, who give more than 1 project the same set of people are deployed so that learning from one project are automatically applied to the other projects.

Question 5

How does one begin the first project?

Accepted Answer

• When scope is defined
    • Step 1: Identify from the Sheet List, the sheets that you want RSMS to work on and then assign hours against it.
    • Step 2: Share a sample PDF for a project that illustrates your documentation approach
    • Step 3: Set a deadline that you would like to follow and communicate it to RSMS
 • When scope is not defined
    • Step 1: Estimate the man hours based on your estimated fee & budgeted expense
    • Step 2: Allocate the manhours for RSMS and cap it with not to exceed number and then agree on weekly timecards (with progress made)
or
 • A statement that says:
    • “We have a 40-hour job for 1 person (FTE) that includes working on Floor Plan & RCP.
    • Floor Plan Related Task: 20 hours at max.
    • RCP & Misc. Related Task: 20 hours at max.
    • Please let us know if you can handle it. The base drawings are attached in the email.

Question 6

Describe your familiarity with building codes and particularly the IBC.

Accepted Answer

• We have helped our architectural clients on projects located in Alaska, Washington, Idaho, Oregon, California, Colorado, Ohio, Texas, Virginia, Illinois, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. We have therefore become very familiar with the applicable codes in each of these states and with the IBC.
 • We have effective understanding of code requirements in terms of fire and life safety issues (like travel distances, exit requirements, fire rating, suite sizes, smoke zones, occupancy separation etc). We also understand implications of ADA requirements.
 • It must be noted though that we rely on you for maintaining full control of all code issues and be responsible for their applications. Our staff is here to assist and provide additional informed support

Question 7

What’s the simplest way to “assign task to RSMS”?

Accepted Answer

The easiest way could be a simple statement like:
 • For a Typical Floor Plan: “here is the floor plan, please dimension it”
 • For a Typical Life-safety Drawings: “Here is our code analysis, please create life safety drawings and also call out the partition tags in the main floor plan”
 • For a Typical RCP: “The floor needs to have 2x4 tiles, and restrooms would have gyp ceiling. Give us a drawing that we can pass on to the consultants for putting the diffusers and lights”.
 • For a Typical Door Details: “Use our standard drawings from XYZ project and give us a standard door detail sheet”.
 • For a Typical Schedules: “People, please generate a finish schedule for the project in Excel and send it to us” or “please generate a door schedule and send it back. We would in turn forward it to the hardware consultant”
 • For a Typical Plan related work: “Here are the structural drawings, please coordinate it with the floor plans, identify the conflicts and let us know”
 • For a Typical Coordination task: “Here are the structural drawings, please coordinate it with the floor plans, identify the conflicts and let us know.

Question 8

How do you charge?

Accepted Answer

We are flexible. We can work with either of the 2 options:
 • Option 1: Hour based average fee (with or without Not to Exceed)
 • Option 2: Lumpsum agreed fee

Collab Studio Architects

Erstwhile RSMS Architects

Frequently Asked Questions