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Jay,
I have run into similar situations in my work experience, (I’ve worked at 4 firms and have ten years + of construction experience) where registered LA’s are “designing” things but have no practical knowledge of how the thing will actually stand up or be built and a very narrow knowledge of construction in general.It seems often-times the old saying “design is in the details” gets forgotten and people concentrate on the pretty picture and figure all the construction issues can be worked out in the field.
They will get worked out in the field, but by an annoyed contractor who will use his/her best judgement or take the cheapest avenue and perhaps end up compromising the design.
I think unfortunately the problem starts with the way LA programs are set up at the university level. Little emphasis is placed on detailing and construction documentation as a design exercise. It seems that it is viewed as a necessary evil that needs to be accomplished in order to get a project built. I don’t think that many LA’s realize how much design gets done in the construction documents at the detail level. Its probably a pipe dream but I think all LA programs need to have a hands-on construction aspect to the curriculum.