It is two hours into a stage four design team meeting and we have just realised that some of the ductwork has to pass below the existing structure and this will have a significant impact on the floor-to-ceiling height. We have all been there, it has just been missed but now it’s a nightmare to sort out… 

And no one wants to compromise. Like a modern-day Western, we are all ready to fight back as soon as someone suggests our discipline should be the one to move.

The usual conclusion to this particular problem is to adjust the structure to make space for the duct, either by making the structure deeper so that a hole can be formed through it or by reframing the space. Both options are adding extra structure that could have been avoided if we had managed to coordinate a little sooner.

…