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How and why architects organise their projects (Part 1)
Architecture is a field that involves a lot of planning, creativity, and technical knowledge. To manage all these aspects effectively, architects divide a project into different stages. These stages help to organise the work and ensure that everything runs smoothly from the initial idea to the final construction. They are not always rigid and can overlap, all dependent on many factors raging from design itself, planning up to client requirements. By breaking down the process into steps, architects can focus on each part of the project, making sure it meets the client’s needs and adheres to all necessary regulations.
Here are some points explaining why we work in stages:
Clarity and Organization – The stages provide a clear and organised structure for the entire architectural and construction process. This helps to understand what needs to be done at each step, reducing confusion and ensuring that no critical tasks are overlooked.
Effective Planning – By breaking down the project into stages, architects and project teams can plan effectively for each phase. This includes allocating resources, setting timelines, and establishing milestones to track progress.
Communication and Collaboration – Following a defined set of points facilitates better communication and collaboration among all stakeholders involved in the project, including clients, architects, engineers, contractors, and suppliers. Each party understands their role and responsibilities at each stage, leading to smoother coordination and fewer misunderstandings.
Risk Management – structured approach allows for better risk management throughout the project. Potential issues can be identified and addressed early on, minimizing the likelihood of costly delays or errors later in the process.
Quality Assurance – By systematically progressing through each phase, architects can ensure that the design and construction meet the required quality standards. Each stage provides an opportunity for review and refinement, leading to a higher-quality end product.
Cost Control – Following an architectural plan helps in controlling costs by enabling better budgeting and cost estimation at each phase of the project. Early identification of design changes or potential issues allows for more accurate cost forecasting and reduces the likelihood of budget overruns.
Payment Control – The Architect is compensated for each completed “chunk” of work, or workstage. This approach ensures clear milestones for payment throughout the project and reduces risks for both the architect and the client. It allows for greater transparency and control over costs as the project develops, and helps to avoid any possible misunderstandings between the parties.
Client Satisfaction – A structured approach to project delivery increases client satisfaction by providing transparency, predictability, and accountability throughout the process. Clients can track progress easily and have confidence that their objectives are being met systematically.
Overall, following architectural stages is essential for ensuring the successful and efficient delivery of architectural projects. It promotes organization, collaboration, risk management, and quality assurance, ultimately leading to better outcomes for all parties involved.
Different countries have different but similar systems. For instance in the USA AIA design services are divided into 7 stages, Poland IARP 5, in the UK RIBA plan of work is divided into 8 stages and Germany’s HOAI Leistungsphasen into 9.
All of these are a great way to manage your work and get you to the final product in one or another way. As I work internationally, it is crucial for me to know how to move around these systems. I personally use the American system as a base, which is very straight forward and easy to understand. I as well always move within the system framework of a country I work in. In the next post, I will explain a little bit more about it.
Stay tuned and catch you later,
Jarek Karpik