Us vs the GC: Why Construction Projects Turn Adversarial

About this episode

Matt Brennan explores the adversarial mentality between Architects and General Contractors in construction projects.

Why does Construction Administration so often feel like a battle between Architects and General Contractors? In this episode of What the RFI?, Matt Brennan takes a deep dive into one of the biggest challenges in the AEC industry: the growing “Us vs the GC” mentality that can develop during construction projects. Drawing from over 20 years of experience in Architecture and Construction Administration, Matt explores why project teams become adversarial, how communication breaks down on site, an...

People in this episode

Host: Matt Brennan

Topics covered

• Construction Administration
• Architects vs General Contractors
• Adversarial relationships
• Communication breakdown
• AEC industry challenges

Keywords

• Construction Administration
• Architects
• General Contractors
• adversarial mentality
• communication breakdown
• AEC industry

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: AEC, Architects, General Contractors

More episodes of What the RFI?

• RFI Horror Stories: Demolition Disasters & Construction Nightmares featuring Zach Rapaport | Halloween Special · November 3, 2025 · 1h 6m
• Live from CSI 2025 — Building Connections, Sharing RFI Horror Stories, and a Surprise Musical Performance · October 27, 2025 · 33 min
• Live from CSI 2025: The Future of Spec Writing, Collaboration, and Construction Innovation · October 20, 2025 · 44 min
• The Power of Networking: Building Your Support System · October 13, 2025 · 26 min
• InktoberArchitecture: Why Architects Still Need to Sketch in a Digital World · October 6, 2025 · 53 min
• From Vision to Detail: Toby Witte on Modern Architecture · September 22, 2025 · 1h 0m