Terms of Service

1. Definitions

In these terms, the following words carry the meanings given here.

• The Studio, we, us and our mean CSI ART BUILDING LTD trading as CSIArt, of 79 Wattville Road, BIRMINGHAM - B21 0DL, United Kingdom (GB).
• You and the Client mean the person, firm or company that accesses the website or commissions work from the Studio, together with any successor or assignee.
• Commission means a casting project agreed between the Studio and the Client, whether described as a commission, an order, a project or a casting run.
• Deliverables means the physical casts, panels, molds, drawings, photographs and documents produced by the Studio under a Commission.
• Site means the place at which Deliverables are to be installed or delivered.
• Specification means the drawings, schedules, finishes and other written requirements agreed for a Commission.

2. Acceptance of Terms

These terms apply from the moment you first use our website or send an enquiry to the Studio. A contract for casting work is formed only when the Studio confirms acceptance of an order in writing, for example by returning a signed quotation or issuing an order confirmation. Any earlier discussion, estimate or verbal indication is an invitation to treat and does not create a binding contract.

If you do not agree with these terms, please do not use the website or instruct the Studio. If you are acting for an organisation, you confirm that you have authority to bind that organisation to these terms.

3. Use of the Website

The CSIArt website is provided to describe the studio, display the range of casting services and allow visitors to make contact. You may view, download and print pages for your own reference and for the purpose of evaluating a possible commission.

You must not misuse the website in any way that damages it, interferes with its operation, attempts to gain unauthorised access to any part of it, or introduces malicious code. You must not scrape the site at volume, republish its content as your own, or use its contact channels to send unsolicited advertising. We may suspend or withdraw access to the site at any time without notice.

We take reasonable care to keep the site accurate and available, but we do not guarantee uninterrupted service. The site is provided on an as available basis.

4. Intellectual Property

All content on this website, including text, layout, structure, graphic elements, artwork images and the CSIArt name, belongs to CSI ART BUILDING LTD or is used with permission. Those rights are protected by copyright, design and trademark law. Nothing in these terms transfers ownership of that content to you.

For a Commission, the position works as follows. Unless a signed agreement states otherwise, the Studio retains ownership of all original artwork, models, molds, master patterns, tooling and intellectual property created in the course of the work. The Client receives a licence to use, display and maintain the installed Deliverables for the life of the building. The Client may not reproduce the artwork or the molds, or commission a third party to copy the work, without our written consent.

Where the Client supplies its own drawings or designs, the Client retains ownership of those and grants the Studio a licence to use them for the purpose of the Commission. The Client is responsible for ensuring it has the right to share that material with us.

We may photograph completed work and display it in our portfolio, on our website and in professional submissions unless the Client asks us in writing to keep a project confidential. We will always respect a reasonable confidentiality request.

5. Commissioning Casting Work

A Commission normally begins with a brief. The brief may be sent through our contact page, by email to connect@csiart.lol or by telephone on +19708160991. We will discuss the scope, visit or survey the site where needed, and then issue a written proposal setting out the services, the deliverables, the programme and the price.

The Studio provides casting services across the following areas: sculptural facade panels, relief and mural works, cast plaster fabrication, site-specific installations, art consulting and curation, and restoration and replication. A single Commission may combine several of these, and the proposal will identify each element clearly.

Any samples supplied before an order are indicative of the material and finish. Natural variation in plaster, aggregate, pigments and hand finishing means that a finished cast may differ slightly from a sample or from a previous edition. Such variation is inherent to the craft and is not a defect.

6. Quotations and Pricing

Quotations are valid for thirty days from the date of issue unless stated otherwise. Prices are quoted in the currency shown and exclude delivery, installation, access equipment, scaffolding, out of hours working and any applicable taxes unless expressly included.

Where the scope is not fully defined at the time of quotation, we may quote on the basis of a fixed design fee followed by a casting price confirmed once the Specification is frozen. We reserve the right to correct an obvious error in a quotation or invoice before the contract is accepted.

Material prices, energy costs and freight rates can move. If a significant change occurs before casting begins and it affects our cost, we will tell you and agree a revised price before proceeding.

7. Payment Terms

Unless otherwise agreed in writing, the following payment terms apply.

• A deposit of the percentage stated in the proposal is payable before detailed design and mold making begin.
• A second payment stage is due when the first cast is approved and the main run begins.
• The balance is due before dispatch or on completion of installation, as stated in the proposal.
• Invoices are payable within fourteen days of issue unless the proposal states otherwise.

Late payment may attract interest and reasonable recovery costs permitted by law. We may suspend work, withhold dispatch or retain molds where an undisputed invoice remains unpaid, and we will give written notice before exercising that right. Time spent on a suspended project may need to be rescheduled within the casting calendar.

8. Lead Times and Casting Schedule

Casting is a physical process with dependencies that cannot always be compressed. Plaster must be mixed, poured, set, cured and finished, and each stage needs its own time. Lead times quoted in a proposal are estimates given in good faith and run from the later of receipt of deposit, receipt of complete information and approval of the final Specification.

We manage a limited number of casting runs at once so that every Commission receives proper bench time. If a project is delayed by missing information, late approvals or site access restrictions, the casting slot may be reallocated and a new date offered. We will keep you informed and will work to recover programme where we reasonably can.

9. Client Responsibilities

The Client agrees to provide accurate and complete information, to respond to requests for approval within the timescale agreed, and to ensure that the Site is safe and ready for survey, delivery and installation. The Client is responsible for obtaining any planning, listed building, landlord or other consents required for the artwork.

The Client must ensure that the structure can safely carry the weight of the Deliverables and that the fixing method we agree is suitable for the substrate. Where we are not responsible for the substrate or the structural design, we rely on the Client or its engineer to confirm suitability. The Client must also provide reasonable access, power, water and welfare facilities at the Site where the proposal assumes them.

If the Client supplies drawings, dimensions or setting-out information, the Client is responsible for their accuracy. We will flag any obvious inconsistency we notice, but we are entitled to rely on the information provided.

10. Design Development and Approval

Depending on the Commission, the Studio may produce sketches, study models, digital files, finish samples and prototypes. The Client will be asked to approve each stage in writing before the next stage begins. Approval of a stage confirms that its design, dimensions and finish are acceptable and authorises us to proceed.

Changes requested after approval may require changes to molds, tooling or cast pieces, and will be treated as a Variation under clause 13. Once a mold is made, alterations to the profile can be costly, so we encourage the Client to take time at the model stage.

Where the Client insists on a design decision against our written advice, we will record that instruction, proceed as directed, and exclude from our warranty any consequence that we warned against.

11. Delivery and Installation

Delivery dates are estimates and depend on production completion, transport availability and Site readiness. Unless the proposal includes installation, delivery is made to the address agreed and the Client is responsible for unloading, storage and installation.

Where the Studio installs, we will follow the agreed method statement and work to the setting-out line confirmed on Site. The Client must ensure that the Site is cleared and safe for our team and that any required permits, inductions and access arrangements are in place. Additional visits caused by the Site not being ready may be charged at our standard rates.

Risk passes as described in clause 12. The Client should inspect Deliverables on arrival and report any visible transit damage within the period stated in the proposal, so that we can arrange repair or replacement promptly.

12. Risk and Title

Risk in physical Deliverables passes to the Client on delivery to the agreed address, or on completion of installation where the Studio installs, whichever occurs first. Title in the Deliverables passes only when the Studio has received payment in full for the relevant Commission.

Until title passes, the Client holds the Deliverables on our behalf and must not sell, charge or dispose of them. This clause does not affect the Client right to use installed Deliverables for their intended purpose once the balance is paid.

Molds and master patterns remain our property at all times, including after completion of the Commission, unless a written agreement expressly transfers them.

13. Variations and Changes

A Variation is any change to the Specification, the programme, the quantity or the Site conditions after the contract is formed. Variations will be priced and scheduled in writing before the change is implemented. If the Studio proceeds at the Client urgent request before a price is agreed, the Variation will be charged at our standard rates and the Client will be informed of the likely cost as soon as possible.

Changes may affect lead time as well as price. We will not unreasonably refuse a Variation, but we may need to move the Commission within the casting calendar to accommodate it.

14. Defects and Workmanship

We warrant that the Deliverables will be produced with reasonable skill and care and will substantially conform to the approved Specification. The warranty period is twelve months from delivery or installation unless the proposal states a different period.

The warranty does not cover damage caused by poor handling, unsuitable storage, movement of the supporting structure, water ingress, impact, alteration by others, or failure to follow the maintenance guidance we provide. Natural hairline variation, minor surface variation and colour change consistent with a plaster material are not defects.

If a defect appears that is covered by the warranty, the Client must notify us promptly in writing with photographs and a description. We will inspect, and at our option repair, recast or replace the affected item. This remedy is the Client sole remedy for defective workmanship, subject to clause 15.

15. Limitation of Liability

Nothing in these terms limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or for any other liability that cannot lawfully be limited.

Subject to that, the Studio total liability arising out of or in connection with a Commission, whether in contract, tort, misrepresentation or otherwise, is limited to the total fees paid by the Client for that Commission. We are not liable for loss of profit, loss of revenue, loss of opportunity, loss of use, delay, or any indirect or consequential loss, however arising.

We are not liable for the acts or omissions of third parties, including contractors, suppliers and carriers, except where we have failed to exercise reasonable care in selecting them. Where the Client has contributed to a loss, our liability will be reduced in proportion to that contribution.

16. Indemnity

The Client agrees to indemnify and keep indemnified CSI ART BUILDING LTD against any claim, loss, cost or liability arising from information, drawings, designs or materials supplied by the Client, from the Client breach of these terms, or from the acts or omissions of the Client contractors on Site. This indemnity does not apply to the extent that the loss is caused by our own negligence or breach.

If a third party claims that a design supplied by the Client infringes its rights, the Client will be responsible for defending the claim and for any resulting liability, and will cooperate with us in responding to it.

17. Force Majeure

Neither party is liable for a failure or delay in performing its obligations caused by an event beyond its reasonable control. Such events include natural disaster, severe weather, fire, flood, epidemic, civil disorder, war, strike, failure of utilities, transport disruption, government action and shortage of essential materials.

The affected party will notify the other promptly and will use reasonable efforts to reduce the impact. If the event continues for a prolonged period, either party may terminate the affected part of the Commission by written notice, and the Client will pay for work properly performed and commitments properly incurred up to that point.

18. Suspension and Termination

The Client may cancel a Commission by written notice, but will remain liable for work performed, materials ordered and commitments made up to the date of cancellation. Cancellation after mold making may carry a charge reflecting the irreversible work already done.

Either party may terminate immediately by written notice if the other commits a material breach that is not remedied within a reasonable period after notice, or becomes insolvent, enters administration or ceases to trade. We may suspend work and withhold Deliverables while an undisputed invoice is unpaid.

On termination, clauses dealing with payment, intellectual property, confidentiality, liability and governing law survive.

19. Confidentiality

Each party will keep confidential the non-public information of the other that it receives in connection with a Commission, and will use it only for the purpose of the project. This includes unpublished designs, commercial terms, site security information and personal data.

Confidentiality does not apply to information that is already public, that becomes public through no fault of the receiving party, that is independently developed, or that must be disclosed by law or by a professional regulator. We may disclose information to the extent needed to fulfil the Commission, for example to insurers or specialist subcontractors, provided they are bound to keep it confidential.

This obligation continues for three years after the Commission ends, and indefinitely for personal data, which is handled in line with our Privacy Policy.

20. Governing Law and Disputes

These terms and any dispute arising out of or in connection with them are governed by the law of England and Wales, as applied in the United Kingdom. The parties submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

Before beginning proceedings, the parties will attempt in good faith to resolve any dispute through direct discussion between senior representatives. If that fails, the parties may agree to mediation. Nothing in this clause prevents either party from seeking urgent injunctive relief where necessary.

21. Changes to These Terms

We may update these terms from time to time to reflect changes in our services, our processes or the law. The version published on this page is the current version. The terms that apply to a particular Commission are those in force on the date the contract is formed, unless the parties agree otherwise in writing.

Where a change is material, we will make it clear on the website. Continued use of the website after a change means you accept the updated terms. If you do not accept them, please stop using the site and contact us about any live Commission.

22. Contact Details

If you have any question about these Terms of Service, please contact the Studio. We are happy to explain how they apply to your project.

Written notices under these terms should be sent to the address above or by email to connect@csiart.lol. A notice is treated as received on the next working day after sending by email, and three working days after posting within the United Kingdom.