B101 Initial Information: Project Parameters, Budget, Delivery Method, and Contract Framework (Articles 1-2)

How AIA B101-2017 Articles 1 and 2 establish the foundational project information that shapes every subsequent contractual decision. Covers the initial information table, owner's budget, delivery method selection, the architect's scope under Article 2, and how these early provisions allocate risk between owner and architect.

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Overview

Before a single line gets drawn, the owner-architect agreement needs to capture the project's DNA. AIA Document B101-2017 does this through Articles 1 and 2, which together form the initial information framework that every later contractual provision builds on.

Article 1 functions as the project's identity card. It records the physical parameters, the owner's budget, anticipated milestone dates, the chosen delivery method, and sustainability objectives if any exist. These aren't throwaway details. They become the baseline against which scope changes, redesign triggers, and fee adjustments get measured throughout the project.

Article 2 defines the architect's scope and responsibilities at a high level, establishing what the architect is and is not accountable for. It also addresses the standard of care, the relationship between the B101 and A201 general conditions, and the architect's role during construction.

For the PjM exam, these two articles matter because they represent the moment where project management and contract law intersect. Getting initial information wrong, or leaving it vague, creates downstream disputes about scope, budget overruns, and redesign obligations. The architect who fills in Article 1 with precision protects both the client relationship and the firm's financial exposure.

Every question about "what should have been established at the start" traces back here.

Essential

AIA Document B101-2017 is the most widely used owner-architect agreement in U.S. practice. It sits at the center of the A201 document family, linking the architect's obligations to the general conditions that govern construction. Articles 1 and 2 come first for a reason: they lock down the project parameters and architect responsibilities that every other article depends on. ## Article 1: Initial Information Article 1 captures the project's starting conditions. Think of it as the contract's fact sheet. Both parties fill it in during negotiations, and those entries become contractually binding reference points. The key provisions include: Project physical parameters. The site location, the building program, and the physical constraints the architect will design around. Vague entries here cause problems later when scope disputes arise.

Professional

An architecture firm wins a commission for a 45,000 SF community library. The owner is a municipal agency with a voter-approved bond of $18.5 million for total project costs. The project manager sits down to fill out B101 Article 1. The first decision is the budget for cost of the work. The $18.5 million bond covers everything: land acquisition, soft costs, FF&E, contingencies, and construction. The construction budget isn't $18.5 million. After subtracting soft costs, land, and owner contingencies, the construction budget might be $13.2 million. That $13.2 million is what goes into Article 1. If the PM enters $18.5 million, the firm appears to have a comfortable budget cushion. But if $13.2 million is the real construction number, the PM just set a false baseline that won't trigger redesign protections when they're needed. The delivery method choice carries similar weight.

TLDR

Article 1 records the project's initial conditions: physical parameters, owner's budget for cost of the work, milestone dates, delivery method, and sustainability goals
The budget figure in Article 1 becomes the baseline for redesign obligations under Article 6. Enter the construction budget, not the total project budget
Delivery method selection (DBB, CMAR, DB) determines which AIA agreement forms apply: B101/A101 for DBB, B133/A133 for CMAR, B143/A141 for design-build
Article 2 holds the architect to the professional standard of care, not perfection or a warranty
B101 Section 3.6.1.1 protects the architect: modifications to A201 by owner and contractor don't affect architect's services unless B101 is also amended
The architect has no control over construction means, methods, techniques, sequences, or safety procedures
Agreement selection scales with project complexity: B101 (standard), B103 (complex), B104 (abbreviated), B105 (short form), B102 (custom scope)
Switching delivery methods after execution is an additional services trigger requiring a contract amendment
Standard of care modifications (changing "ordinarily" to "highest") dramatically increase architect liability exposure

ELI5

Think of signing a contract like filling out a travel itinerary before a long trip. You need to know where you're going, how much you can spend, and what vehicle you're taking. That's exactly what B101 Articles 1 and 2 do for a building project. Article 1 is the itinerary. It answers the big questions up front. How big is the building? What's the construction budget? When does the owner want things done? How will the project be delivered? Are there any green building goals? You write all of this down before anyone starts designing. Why does this matter? Because that budget number becomes your speed limit. If the owner writes down $10 million and the bids come back at $12 million, the architect might have to redo the drawings for free to get the project back under $10 million.

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B101 Initial Information: Project Parameters, Budget, Delivery Method, and Contract Framework (Articles 1-2)

2 min read205 words

Setting the Stage: B101 Articles 1 and 2

Every question about "what should have been established at the start" traces back here.

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