As I'm not, by trade, an architect (or anything else for that matter), a little study is in order, so I don't get stuck in a stickler with my building conversion project out here in the country, as I did in the last one. So with help from the UK professional body for architects, RIBA, and the internet, here it is in layman's terms: how to manage an architectural project.
Firstly, it's not (as I had thought) only two stages:
1. Planning to do stuff
2. Doing it
It's 11 ! Thankfully, they're not numbered, they're lettered, so it seems a little more friendly:
A - Appraisal: does your idea even stand a chance? Or if multiple ideas, which are feasible?
B - Design Brief: what you going to do?
C - Concept: sketch some plans and see what it's going to cost. Maybe change your mind.
D - Design Development: make it legal - apply for planning permission
E - Technical Design: work out all the details, like how to build it
F - Production Information: the same as stage E, but something extra for architects to bill for (or..?)
G - Tender Documentation: work out what you're going to ask builders, plumbers, carpenters etc to do
H - Tender Action: ask builders, plumbers, carpenters etc to give you a price, and choose whose going to do the work
J - Mobilisation: ask them to come to work
K - Construction: build, crack the whip if they don't
L - Post completion: check the building is all ok and get it legally certified
Click here for a more formal description.
Is it better than a 9 to 5?
One of my aims in this project is to work out if I can make a better living from this than just going back to the office. So I'm keeping a detailed time-sheet. Here it is summarised to date. It seems I like to spend half my time doodling with ideas ("concept"), pretty much the same as I did when I worked 9 to 5, only then I was keeping quiet about it.
Ok, back to "work"...
No comments:
Post a Comment