Remodeling Magazine (December 1995) "Luck of the Draw" by Harry Elson & Jason Gold Everybody knows that architects make drawings to communicate their ideas and instructions to clients and contractors. Just as important and a lot less well known are the drawings that contractors and suppliers provide to architects. Even on a small job these shop drawings are important. For suppliers of commercially manufactured goods, the contractor can simply hand over the manufacturer's cut sheets verifying model numbers, colors and other specs. But custom-made items such as cabinetry and metalwork, the fabricator must produce original drawings showing all dimensions, details and finishes. Why are shop drawings necessary if the architect's drawing are clear and complete? Two recent examples answer that question. The first instance involved the renovation of a small but luxurious Manhattan apartment. Though the kitchen was tiny (44 square feet), the client wanted "to be able to cook Thanksgiving dinner" there, and required a full complement of full-size, top-of-the-line appliances. The cabinetry contained this mass of machinery had to be precise in dimension and detail for the whole composition to work. Of course, we were up against an extremely tight schedule (so what else is new). The cabinet sub's shop drawings arrived incomplete, lacking in detail and out of scale. The second submission wasn't much better but, hoping for the best, we approved them. Big mistake. When the cabinetry came in, the overall dimensions were fine, but the details, finishes and hardware were wrong. All were specified in the architectural drawings, but the production shop saw only the subcontractor's shop drawings. Needless to say, the job schedule went out the window, along with job profits and customer cool. We learned our lesson, and never again will allow construction to proceed based on inadequate shop drawings. The second example involved the renovation of an art gallery. The design centered around a complex piece of cabinetry that relied on skewed planes and an unusually mix of materials for its effect. Once again, there was tremendous time constraints - we had only two weeks, between exhibitions, to do the work. This time the cabinetmaker (who also was general contractor) supplied detailed, CAD-generated shop drawings that expanded on the already meticulous architectural drawings. He did the drawings well in advance of the cabinet-making and installation, so we were able to work together to perfect the design and construction. With each refinement, however minor, he was able to update the computer drawings until we were all satisfied that every detail had been addressed. The construction went without a hitch. The cabinetry was perfect. The job was finished on budget and two days early. The client was ecstatic. And so were we. That cabinetmaker, Gary McGraime of McGraime Woodworking, has become our regular general contractor for apartment renovations and small commercial jobs that are the backbone of our practice and, now, of his.