Are the duties or responsibilities of the architect able to be altered from those set forth in the contract?

• A. Only with consent of the owner, contractor, and architect. Consent shall not be unreasonably withheld.
• B. Only with consent of the owner.
• C. Only with consent of the contractor.
• D. No changes permitted.

Answer: (A)

Changes to the architect’s duties aren’t automatic; they require a formal written amendment agreed by all the key parties—the owner, the architect, and the contractor. This ensures that any shift in responsibilities, scope of services, or added services is coordinated, costed, and scheduled with input from the people who are affected. The clause that consent shall not be unreasonably withheld protects everyone: the owner can’t block reasonable changes without good reason, the architect won’t be forced into unwanted duties, and the contractor’s involvement helps keep construction coordination intact.

If the change were allowed with only one party’s consent, it could lead to misalignment, disputes over who owes what, or changes that someone else bears the risk for without agreed compensation. And saying no changes are permitted contradicts how project needs evolve and how AIA contracts are intended to be administered.