Explains construction professional practice in an appealing, succinct, and relatively informal way This book details the management of construction projects from beginning to end, concentrating on the principles underlying what construction professionals like architects do. It covers the entire process—from the initial meetings with clients through the design, recruitment of a contractor, contract management, construction, and handover—all without referencing legal cases, contract clause numbers, laws, statutes, or the complex jargon that can muddle comprehension. The first part of Professional Practice for Architects and Project Managers offers enlightening chapters that cover: professional standards, perks of the job, bonds and parent company guarantees, office meetings, letter writing, the RIBA Plan of Work, and Building Information Modelling (BIM). The second section teaches all about dealing with the clients, and includes chapters that discuss the extent of services, fee negotiations, conflicts of interest, and more. Next the book looks at such on-the-job responsibilities as surveys, ground investigations, cost estimates, work schedules, letters of intent, etc. The final section goes over everything readers need to know about dealing with a building contract in progress, informing them about advance payments, insurance, site inspections, contractor disputes, terminations, final certificates, and more. Details the entire process of managing a construction project, including dealing with clients, the design process, running a construction project, and more Highlights what the construction professionals do in their positions Shows how principles of construction management are applied in practice Written in a reader-friendly and accessible way Professional Practice for Architects and Project Managers is an excellent resource for architects and other construction professionals such as contract administrators, project managers, quantity surveyors, and contractors.

Endorsed by The American Institute of Architects, this work is about integrated practice in architecture, which is the collaborative design, construction, and life-cycle management of buildings.

The core task of the classic architect, in addition to architectural design and planning work, is management of the construction project: from planning operations and tendering, to scheduling and cost planning and construction management. These important practical tasks are usually only covered during studies by one subject: Construction Management or Construction Economics, and thus treated as less significant. But every architect must master these abilities in order to manage and realize his or her own projects successfully.

Learn the Tips, Become One of Those Who Know Building Construction and Architectural Practice, and Thrive! For architectural practice and building design and construction industry, there are two kinds of people: those who know, and those who don't. The tips of building design and construction and project management have been undercover-until now. Most of the existing books on building construction and architectural practice are too expensive, too complicated, and too long to be practical and helpful. This book simplifies the process to make it easier to understand and uncovers the tips of building design and construction and project management. It sets up a solid foundation and fundamental framework for this field. It covers every aspect of building construction and architectural practice in plain and concise language and introduces it to all people. Through practical case studies, it demonstrates the efficient and proper ways to handle various issues and problems in architectural practice and building design and construction industry. It is for ordinary people and aspiring young architects as well as seasoned professionals in the construction industry. For ordinary people, it uncovers the tips of building construction; for aspiring architects, it works as a construction industry survival guide and a guidebook to shorten the process in mastering architectural practice and climbing up the professional ladder; for seasoned architects, it has many checklists to refresh their memory. It is an indispensable reference book for ordinary people, architectural students, interns, drafters, designers, seasoned architects, engineers, construction administrators, superintendents, construction managers, contractors, and developers. You will learn: 1. How to develop your business and work with your client. 2. The entire process of building design and construction, including programming, entitlement, schematic design, design development, construction documents, bidding, and construction administration. 3. How to coordinate with governing agencies, including a county's health department and a city's planning, building, fire, public works departments, etc. 4. How to coordinate with your consultants, including soils, civil, structural, electrical, mechanical, plumbing engineers, landscape architects, etc. 5. How to create and use your own checklists to do quality control of your construction documents. 6. How to use various logs (i.e., RFI log, submittal log, field visit log, etc.) and lists (contact list, document control list, distribution list, etc.) to organize and simplify your work. 7. How to respond to RFI, issue CCDs, review change orders, submittals, etc. 8. How to make your architectural practice a profitable and successful business. About the author Gang Chen holds a master's degree from the School of Architecture, University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles, and a bachelor's degree from the School of Architecture, South China University of Technology. He has over 20 years of professional experience. Many of the projects he was in charge of or participated in have been published extensively in Architecture, Architectural Record, The Los Angeles Times, The Orange County Register, etc. He has worked on a variety of unusual projects, including well-known, large-scale healthcare and hospitality projects with over one billion dollars in construction costs, award-winning school designs, highly-acclaimed urban design and streetscape projects, multifamily housing, high-end custom homes, and regional and neighborhood shopping centers. Gang Chen is a LEED AP and a licensed architect in California. He is also the internationally acclaimed author for other fascinating books, including Planting Design Illustrated and LEED Exam Guides Series, which include one guidebook for each of the LEED exams.

An On-the-Job Construction Administration Resource for Architects Co-written by an architect and an attorney, this is the ideal desktop guide for architects, engineers, and other design professionals in need of expert advice on navigating the construction process and anticipating, avoiding, and managing liability risks. This invaluable construction administration resource leads you, step-by-step, through a typical project--from contract to closeout. Construction Administration for Architects provides tested techniques for proactively minimizing potential construction problems, and responding strategically when unforeseen events occur. Covering private and public sector work, this comprehensive handbook contains essential information for emerging professionals as well as in-depth strategies for experienced industry veterans. Useful tips, checklists, and real-world examples are included throughout the book. Construction Administration for Architects covers: Agreements and contracts Construction document details, such as specifications, drawing notes, project scope, credits, and cost estimates Requests for proposal, bidding, and construction contract negotiation Field testing, inspection, and certification of work Documents management, including requests for substitution, requests for information, submittals, and applications for payment Problems and disputes, such as poor workmanship, hidden conditions, and change order requests Contract closeout details, including schedule claims, retainage, and liens Post-construction warranty work and records retention Managing and limiting liability risk

"Ready or not, it’s high time to make BIM a part of your practice, or at least your vocabulary, and this book has as much to offer beginners as it does seasoned users of building information modeling software." —Chicago Architect The first book devoted to the subject of how BIM affects individuals and organizations working within the ever-changing construction industry, BIM and Integrated Design discusses the implementation of building information modeling software as a cultural process with a focus on the technology’s impact and transformative effect—both potentially disruptive and liberating—on the social, psychological, and practical aspects of the workplace. BIM and Integrated Design answers the questions that BIM poses to the firm that adopts it. Through thorough research and a series of case study interviews with industry leaders—and leaders in the making out from behind the monitor—BIM and Integrated Design helps you learn: Effective learning strategies for fully understanding BIM software and its use Key points about integrated design to help you promote the process to owners and your team How BIM changes not only the technology, process, and delivery but also the leadership playing field How to become a more effective leader no matter where you find yourself in the organization or on the project team How the introduction of BIM into the workforce has significant education, recruitment, and training implications Covering all of the human issues brought about or exacerbated by the advent of BIM into the architecture workplace, profession, and industry, BIM and Integrated Design shows how to overcome real and perceived barriers to its use.

This is your essential one stop shop for information on starting and running a practice. Case studies and advice from practitioners, big and small, run alongside outlines of all the key topics, to give you an insight into the problems and challenges others have faced when setting up a design business. Accessible and informative, this handbook is the ideal first point of reference when starting a practice. Architects have many different reasons for setting up in practice; equally, there are many ways of running your own business. This handbook helps you consider whether or not you should set up on your own, examining issues such as financing, office space, recruitment, IT and workingo ut a business plan. Some architects want to stay small, while others have ambitions to grow into large businesses. Some grow big accidentally. And then there are those who pick and choose their work carefully, and even turn down undesirable contracts, while others will grab at everything possible. This book woudl explore these different models and illustrate how different kinds of practice develop into successful businesses. Importantly, the book will stress that these issues are crucial - you may be the best designer in the world, but unless your business is well managed you will fail. On the other hand, some successful architects spend a lot of time looking for new work and attending to management issues, rarely finding the time for design work. This book would illustrate how architects have struck a balance between these two extremes.

Throughout its many editions, The Architect in Practice has remained a leading textbook used in the education of architects. While the content of the book has developed, the message and philosophy has remained constant: to provide students of architecture and young practitioners with a readable guide to the profession, outlining an architect's duties to their client and contractor, the key aspects of running a building contract, and the essentials of management, finance and drawing office procedure. The eleventh edition follows in that tradition. The text has been brought up to date to ensure it follows the new RIBA Plan of Work 2013 as the guide to the architect’s workflow. In addition, a number of changes to standard forms of contract were made with the publication of the JCT 2011 suite of contracts, and the RIBA Standard Form for the Appointment of an Architect 2010 (2012 Revision). These new forms are fully covered. In addition, the opportunity has been taken to reorganise the layout so that the content flows in a way that is more consistent with current architectural practice, and to deal with the increasing use of BIM. The eleventh edition of The Architect in Practice continues to provide the guidance and advice all students and practising architects need in the course of their studies and in their profession.

A young architect's search for new architectural values in a time of economic crisis. I paused at the stoop and thought this could be the basis of a good book. The story of a young man who went deep into the bowels of the academy in order to understand architecture and found it had been on his doorstep all along. This had an air of hokeyness about it, but it had been a tough couple of days and I was feeling sentimental about the warm confines of the studio which had unceremoniously discharged me upon the world.—from Down Detour Road What does it say about the value of architecture that as the world faces economic and ecological crises, unprecedented numbers of architects are out of work? This is the question that confronted architect Eric Cesal as he finished graduate school at the onset of the worst financial meltdown in a generation. Down Detour Road is his journey: one that begins off-course, and ends in a hopeful new vision of architecture. Like many architects of his generation, Cesal confronts a cold reality. Architects may assure each other of their own importance, but society has come to view architecture as a luxury it can do without. For Cesal, this recognition becomes an occasion to rethink architecture and its value from the very core. He argues that the times demand a new architecture, an empowered architecture that is useful and relevant. New architectural values emerge as our cultural values shift: from high risks to safe bets, from strong portfolios to strong communities, and from clean lines to clean energy.This is not a book about how to run a firm or a profession; it doesn't predict the future of architectural form or aesthetics. It is a personal story—and in many ways a generational one: a story that follows its author on a winding detour across the country, around the profession, and into a new architectural reality.