This Monday marked the launch of a new UK wide student body - The Architecture Students Network (ASN) which looks to replace Archaos founded in 1999. 

The ASN will be an independent network of student representatives from the schools of architecture within the United Kingdom. They will focus on supporting and promoting architecture student events, harnessing student opinion, and engaging with both national and international relevant educational organisations.

Our trainee architect Kirsty has been involved in launching The ASN who advised 'It's a fantastic opportunity for students from across the UK to connect and communicate between each of their respective schools, share ideas and experiences, and provides a single active body that represents all Architecture Students. I'm very pleased to have been involved and hope to contribute more as The ASN grows.'

It has taken over from and will continue the positive work that Archaos had been doing over the last decade. A statement from The ASN explained, ‘Building upon the positive work that Archaos has been doing over the last decade, the ASN would like to thank all of the students from Archaos, for their efforts in instigating fairer student working conditions and making a perceivable impact in clarifying information regarding the architectural education system in the UK.'

The ASN will be hosting a series of events this summer in partnership with various schools, and will be running the second Architecture Students Assembly, an opportunity for students of architecture to meet on an annual basis.

The next meeting of the ASN will be held at the University of Greenwich School of Architecture, Design and Construction on Friday 9th March 2012 and they would like to encourage students to represent the opinion of their respective schools at this meeting to contribute in the formation of an exciting new organisation.

The network is part of the easa010 (European Architecture Students Assembly) legacy and has grown from a generally shared desire for the establishment of a viable network that promotes communication between students in UK schools.

Visit The ASN website here.

Click here for more information on the EASA.

(by Kirsty Cassels)

With no idea what to expect I pulled up to Newton Primary School with a homemade consulting board game and a powerpoint prepared to give a short presentation to an unknown number of primary school children about Architects and what we do.

Of the small class, only a few turned up for the presentation but the computing suite was full of other children who were very interested in the buildings too.

Far more informal than I expected I sat down on my child sized chair with my lime green tumbler of water, asked the boys their names, chatted to them for a few minutes and then began to flick through the presentation. They asked a lot of questions and I got a lot of feedback and interaction.

They wished they could attend the colourful schools and were surprised at the scale models and how detailed they were. The boy’s latest project was to build a bedroom in a shoebox so we discussed the importance of scale and measurement and how they had designed theirs. There was also a section on structure and how that too was important for keeping things up.

The architecture that absolutely killed though was the futuristic buildings of Dubai. I showed a video of the proposed rotating towers in Dubai and Moscow and images of the floating cities. The sleek, futuristic, shiny buildings held their interest the longest and they were extremely enthusiastic asking a lot of questions before going off on a tangent about guns, cars and base jumping off the top of the Burj Khalifa…

It was only a short presentation followed by a little video I came across on YouTube called The Three Little Architects :

It's based on the well known story The Three Little Pigs. They really seemed to enjoy it, and I was thanked several times from the boys for coming before they ran out the door to play football…well, at least they have their priorities in order!

Big thanks to @innovusdecors @architectming @benjaminmurdoch and @colorcoat for project suggestions and @55n for loan of the consulting board game.

The obsession of some Council’s and some planning officials with achieving determinations within the magical two month period can often be at the expense of the quality of service provided to applicants and their agents. Certain authorities go to exceptional lengths to avoid determination periods exceeding two months.

A primary example of this is the requirement for undetermined applications to be withdrawn and a fresh application submitted where consideration of an application is incomplete or additional information is requested by the authority post submission.

Another device used by some planning authorities is not allowing relatively minor amendments to submitted proposals under the same application e.g. requiring a fresh application for a relatively minor amendment to a housing layout whereas previously it would be handled under the original application.

Such artificial manipulation of applications by planning officers can often be unduly punitive and harsh on applicants who have already expended considerable time, energy and money in bringing forward a professional application.

The various devices used by certain authorities to restrict the number of applications determined beyond two months can be directly linked to the pressure on them to enhance their statistical returns. 

Planning officers however must never lose sight of their principal purpose in processing applications i.e. the quality of the decision.  Quality of service to applicants should also be uppermost in their minds.

We find ourselves in a position where architects are cutting their fees to the quick in order to win work.  I'm not surprised because it is down to the simple economics of supply and demand.  Fees are being trimmed to extraordinary levels in order to win what little work there is out there.

So how low is too low?

That depends on many factors.  Cutting fees to win work has been employed by architects for years to attract new clients and to showcase their services to them with the hope of future work.  Working for little or no profit or in some cases making a loss can only be offset against a backdrop of a healthy order book of profitable work.

Supermarkets are masters at this, attracting customers into their shops with staggering deals for goods sold at a loss with the marketing strategy to entice customers into their shops with the hope that they buy more when they are in.

Suicide bids

I don't condone so-called 'suicide bids' but what concerns me is the sustainability of businesses who continually use this practice in the current climate; a practice which we all know is unsustainable.

Practices who continually cut their fees will find out the hard way but it's up to them to make these decisions.  A Practice who can't run it's business correctly deserves what comes its way.

Contributing factors in the current climate

This current recession has brought its own particular set of problems when you throw in the state of the public finances and the financial pressures on government funded bodies and Councils.  Add to the mix the new OJEU procurement rules and we have a set of factors that we have never seen previously.

European tender rules have seen Council’s look to framework agreements as the answer to their prayers for the procurement of consultancy services.  These agreements tend to last several years but more importantly are being won at extremely low fees.

Architects could find themselves locked into a fee levels for several years and if fees are too low in the first place they may find this difficult to sustain and everything could end in tears on both sides.

On the face of it clients must be rubbing their hands thinking that they are getting great value for money but have they stopped to think about the consequences? Are they getting the service they expect? Is the staff working on the project suitably qualified or experienced?

Professional Indemnity Insurance

This has probably never occurred to some clients but there is a duty of care on architects to ensure that jobs are suitably resourced by suitably experienced staff.

Such tender practices may also render the offending architect's PI Insurance void, which could in turn rebound badly on both architect and client.

If Architects are found to be negligent on these points when, heaven forfend, something goes wrong, the client could be left with more than a large bill when the insurers refuse to payout.

What’s the answer?

Given the financial pressures clients are under, it is very tempting for them to accept the lowest tender but care must be taken; short term gain could lead to long term pain.  Clients must think carefully when assessing fee bids and questions should be asked of prospective bid winners to provide evidence that they will adequately resource projects and provide assurances from the PI providers.

From a clients point of view they need to think before automatically accepting low fees without carrying out additional checks and assurances.

Architects need to take care not to get carried away cutting fees to unsustainable levels and to ensure that they adequately resource projects and carryout their business in a proper manner.

Drastically cut fees can have major consequences for both sides and come with a serious ‘health warning’. 

Both of the small cars featured in the programme cost in excess of £25,000 and have a range of 100-200 miles between charges; with the time for a full charge taking 8hrs and let's not start on the limited lifespan of the batteries before they need replaced at a substantial cost. They are far from being as practical or as cost effective as the current fossil fuelled alternative.

As an Architect, promoting and implementing sustainable technologies, the problem is the same. If I am honest, they are too expensive and can be limited in their implementation.

Now I passionately believe in sustainable technologies, I believe that they are essential for our future and as a Practice we promote and implement them wherever we can. It is disheartening when clients come to us full of good intentions and dreams of a sustainable building at the top of their agenda but when you start talking costs their Eco standards suddenly slip and we are looking down the barrel of carbon technologies again.

There are grants out there but they don't go far enough to plug the affordability gap and they are also difficult to secure.

Even if we get a client wanting to invest in sustainable technologies, many are put off by some practicalities; whether that is not being able to install a heat pump within an old property, having the wrong type of ground under their house or not wanting a noisy device in the house or garden that looks like a glorified fridge freezer.

We are in the middle of a period of transition. I applaud Nissan and Citroen for their R&D in this field and the fact that they have put these cars into production but we are only at the start of a very long journey.

The same is true with the sustainable technologies for buildings.

The building regulations have forced us to seriously consider and adopt sustainable solutions which has been a positive step. Changes in legislation have done more for the promotion and advancement of these technologies than leaving matters to people's eco ideals and market forces alone.

Every year the technologies improve and the costs come down. I don't know when we will be in a position when sustainable technologies will be as cost effective and efficient as the current carbon technologies but that day will come and given the progress made across all different manufacturing sectors in the past few years, I don't think it's far off.

Despite the negative publicity, well done to Jezza and Top Gear for featuring these new sustainable technologies (albeit in rather a contentious way) and showcasing the 'road' to a more sustainable future on mainstream tv.

This year we have decided to open the competition up and invite all comers to join in.

The coveted LMA Fantasy Football League trophy and mystery prize is awaiting the winner.

Taking part in the league is free!!!

Just follow these 3 simple steps :

1. Click on http://fantasy.premierleague.com/ and create an account.

2. Pick your team, remembering that you only have £100million to spend.  If you don’t want to select a team there is a option to allow the computer to select a team for you.

3. Once you have selected your team, next step is to join our league, LMA Fantasy League 2011/12, using this code : 643216-292516.

Alan Law is going for his 4th title and we don’t want that to happen. 

DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO COMPETE AND LIFT THE COVETED TROPHY?

Our Skirmishes Competion entry.  Let us know what you think.

(By Kirsty Cassels : trainee architect at LMA)

I started life after school as a student of Forensic Science at University of Paisley with hopes and dreams of a CSI style career. With increasing number of students and no jobs available, after a year I realised it wasn’t for me. Although interesting, it wasn’t challenging enough.

With the inevitable ‘I told you so’ from my mother, I succumbed to the bright Mackintosh Rose lights of Architecture – it’s more creative, involves design, organisation, management, an element of business, a grasp of physics and maths but most appealing to me - it’s a worldwide ever-changing subject rich in culture, art and history and allows me to travel the world.

Not keen on attempting the 7 year course full-time, I managed to secure a job at Lawrence McPherson Associates as a Trainee Architect.  I work 35 hours a week and during term time I’m let away early two evenings a week and attend lectures for one full day at Glasgow School of Art. I work on my coursework in the evenings and at the weekends and still manage to squeeze in some social and sporting activities.

So how does full-time study compare to part-time?

Full-time : there are many advantages to students being in the studio surrounded by their peers; a sense of community and open discussions encouraging them to grow and develop their design ideas; reviews permitting, they can involve themselves socially into the GSA; they have time to make models, site models, refine skills in computer aided design packages; most develop their own style of presentation by the end of their three years, and are beginning to find their own architectural styles.

Sounds like an ideal world? But will they struggle to find jobs? What separates them from hundreds of their peers? How do they secure somewhere for their Part 1 year out when fully qualified and experienced architects are being made redundant left, right and centre? To most the solution is un-paid work experience.

Part-time : consists of the same amount of coursework and deadlines but third year is split over two years, the second half being when full-time students are doing their Part 1 work experience.

There isn’t as much involvement socially but part-time students can still attend each year’s Study Trip, for example I’ve visited London, Paris, and Rome.

In addition to the design experience, presentation skills, 3D techniques and history and built environment studies that part-time students pick up from the university course - they benefit from four years of work experience in the real world and in an actual architects office. This enables them to gain a host of skills which can only be gained from working in a real work environment e.g. they can draw up and submit both Planning and Building Warrant applications; regularly use Regulations, average sizes, dimensions, suppliers, issue Interim and AI certificates, attend CPD seminars, use CAD packages – layers, xrefs, annotative text, blocks, plot styles etc – they have site experience and surveying skills. Part time students will also have created connections with architects, engineers, quantity surveyors, CDM co-ordinators, contractors, councillors, clients etc.

They don’t teach a lot of these practical skills at university, they are picked up once working and being involved in the day to day running of an office. This leads to four years additional experience for Trainee Architects. There is also the added benefit of being paid while you learn about architecture.

“Having a Trainee Architect working with us is mutually beneficial in that the trainee benefits from financial support, practical training and organisational development while the Practice benefits from the contribution of a committed individual with an undoubted and genuine interest in architecture, together with the educational progression resulting from their studies.” Jim McGinlay, Associate at Lawrence McPherson Associates.

Both parties benefit from the arrangement and for me vocational training in conjunction with practical work experience is a solution that has certainly aided my learning and I’m still enjoying the job and my studies. Many full time students in my year have decided to take their architectural studies no further and I don’t know if this is because they found the course taxing and emotionally draining or whether architecture no longer holds their interest.

For me working in a medium sized office (with up to 23 staff at one point) I also know how a small business is run; I’ve gained knowledge on admin and finance, how to create policies and embed management and quality systems into our office; I can tell you how to promote us as a brand; I’m frequently using advertising, website, graphic design and photography; I’ve learnt to use social media as a networking and promotional tool for the Practice and most importantly for the competitive and financially stringent future, I have extensive knowledge in Procurement and Pre-Qualification Questionnaires.

So what do you think?

If you run an architects office would you consider employing a Trainee Architect?

It’s cheap, enthusiastic and hard working labour. For at least the next 7 years!

Or would you suggest it to someone considering a career in Architecture?

There’s perks of being a student and having a full time paid job.

It could be a recession busting solution!

I was recently asked by a friend “What is a PPQ then?” after I had been talking about this new route for government procured work.

I thought about it for a second, how was I going to explain this without boring him to death with European procurement rules and processes then it hit me “It’s a bit like the X-Factor but without the auditions” I replied. It was a tongue in cheek response but he could relate to it and understood what I meant.

Now that was meant as a flippant remark but the more I have thought about it and the more involved I get with PQQ’s the more this analogy is true.

For those that don’t know what a PQQ is then it’s worth explaining them in a little more detail.  All publically funded work is subject to European tender rules. Basically, anyone should be able to bid fairly and transparently for all public work.  A PQQ or Pre Qualification Questionnaire (to give it it's full title) is issued to interested tenders to complete.  These PQQ’s are scored and the top scoring businesses are invited to submit a tender.

That simplifies the whole system but a PQQ for architectural services can be a large document and is generally 50-100 pages.  These PQQ's can take several days to complete.  In addition, in the current climate, there are more and more people chasing the same projects and the number of PQQ submissions for each project can be in the hundreds.

So we have a situation where lots of businesses are competing for an opportunity to price for work and the PQQ is designed to set them apart.  Substitute the PQQ with an audition and you get the X-Factor or any of those other reality dancing/singing competitions.

You don’t get to meet your potential clients face to face and everything depends on your performance in the PQQ to make sure you impress the judges just to get to the next stage.

Now the intention of a PQQ is good and it is still in its infancy but there appear to be flaws in the system.  Having now compiled and submitted PQQ’s for a few years, with varying degrees of success, the biggest issue we can see is that the process is bias towards larger businesses.

We are working here with the public sector who, rightly, are audited for the decisions they make but this leaves them to be very risk averse and the comfort of a large organisation with processes, procedures, layers of management and oodles of experience of jobs (generally larger that those being tendered for) gives them comfort.

The PQQ is your opportunity to sell yourself as it is nothing more than a beauty parade. The slicker, well presented PQQ’s that sell a business and make it stand out will be more successful than merely completing the questionnaire and filling it in.  You need to make yourself stand out and give the impression that you can deliver.  A good advertising campaign will generate sales no matter how good the product is in the short term.  This is not a sustainable marketing strategy but it works for PQQ’s as the first impression is all you get.  Once you are through to the next round, only price matters. So it’s structured to selling and not your actual capability to deliver.

Due to the infancy of the process there are obviously going to be teething troubles.  Another one of the issues we have come across is in the marking process.  Markers are supposed to mark each tender against a set of set scoring criteria; however, what happens is that PQQ submissions are scored against each other.  This is a basic flaw as you should be judged against a criteria and not someone else but this is where human nature comes into play.

I will give you an example of this.  We recently submitted for a project where there was a requirement for a professional indemnity level of £1.5m.  We carry £5m and should have gained maximum points; however, we were scored against a practice that carried £10m and we only received half marks!

Now that’s an isolated case but if this is your first PQQ you have marked, how do you know a good submission from a bad one unless you compare them against each other.  I am sure that this will sort itself out in time but with many of these PQQ’s for 4 year framework agreements; it’s a long time to wait until your chance again.

So let's go back to the X-Factor and you will see the similarity, you have one shot at your ‘audition’ so you have to sell yourself and prove that you have the X-Factor. 

So it’s all about how you sell yourself and not how talented you are.  Just as in the X-Factor, it's not the most talented acts that get through to the next round. 

Remember Jedward? 

I rest my case.

Following on from our blog about costomer feedback http://lmaarchitects.posterous.com/customer-feedback-do-you-want-to-know-what-yo, we provide our top 10 tips on obtaining and dealing with it.

1.         don't be afraid to ask for feedback

It shows you care about the service you provide.  You will be pleasantly surprised at the comments you receive and how constructive the comments will be.

2.         the way you ask for feedback is important 

Most people will genuinely give you feedback if you ask for help and ask nicely.

3.         create a feedback form with set questions 

This will allow you to ensure that the feedback you are getting is measurable across the board.

4.         act on the feedback 

Failure to do this will make the process a waste of time.

5.         follow up constructive comments 

Seek further information or clarification on comments to ensure you really understand the feedback you are getting.  Remember, you may be about to change part of your service and if you have misunderstood the comments you could be making things worse.

6.         request suggestions to improve your service

Even if the service you have provided was good, there may be a suggestion which improves your service further.

7.         ask for feedback even if a contract has not gone to plan 

The feedback may not be as bad as you thought and if it was you will gain something positive out of the experience.

8.         time when you request your feedback carefully 

Our experience is that requesting feedback as soon as a building is handed over to a client means that our feedback forms were full of complaints about the contractor and snagging.  We wait until the client has settled in and the contractor has dealt with the teething problems.

9.         keep a record of your feedback 

This will allow you to analyse feedback and see if the service you are providing is improving.

10.       carry out a telephone feedback session 

If your client doesn't have time to fill out a form they are generally willing to give you responses over the phone allowing you to complete the form.

http://www.lawrencemcphersonassociates.co.uk