Architect launches construction-centered Web site

What about a multimillion-dollar commercial building? Not usually, said architect Ben Webb.

That exclusion hasn’t made much sense to Webb for the last 20 years. Now, he’s doing something about it.

Webb, a licensed architect, registered interior designer and licensed real estate broker, is launching a Web site designed to help builders make a comprehensive owner’s manual for each of their projects.

“At the end of construction, basically all we do is hand the owner a set of keys to the front door and say, ‘Congratulations. It’s been great working with you.’ And we walk off,” Webb said. “It leaves the owners hanging.”

Manual of Operations Management, found online at www.mom-warranty.com, was scheduled at press time to go live Feb. 19. The Web site is targeted at construction industry professionals, such as architects and contractors.

According to Webb, professionals would use the Web site to input information about every aspect of a project, including subcontractor names and contact information, manufacturer information for the materials used, warranty details and suggested maintenance practices.

After a building is completed, MOM generates an owner’s manual, both on paper and in CD-ROM form. Webb said most manuals will contain about 70 pages, and the CD-ROM version will have a search function.

The information in the MOM system could save building owners from costly mistakes, Webb said.

For example, if a building owner experiences a roof leak after five years of occupancy, that owner might hire someone to fix the roof because general contractors usually only warranty projects for a year. However, the roof could have a 20-year manufacturer’s warranty that would become void if unapproved work is performed.

Webb, owner of Webb and Associates LLC, envisions MOM as a customer service tool that will foster confidence in clients and lead to repeat business for construction professionals.

Tim Rosenbury, executive vice president and architect at Butler, Rosenbury & Partners Inc., called MOM “an intriguing idea” after hearing its description.

“The service level among architects and contractors to clients on commercial buildings is fairly uneven, and this may help to make it more even because it gives a framework and common structure for it,” Rosenbury said.

Webb spent $25,000 and invested $70,000 in man-hours developing MOM. Local firm Wire Traffic LLC designed the Web site.

MOM service costs $250 annually, which includes its use for two projects. Additional projects cost $50 each.

Webb is releasing four editions of MOM over the next six months, beginning with this one that focuses on commercial construction. Future versions will focus on residential construction, more technical commercial construction aspects, and LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, certified construction.

Webb wouldn’t disclose revenue projections, but he expects MOM to become widely accepted.

“I want to be the Wal-Mart of this thing,” he said. “I want everybody to understand that this is a bargain, and they can go in and have easy access to it.”