Management and Practice - Essay Example

MANAGEMENT AND PRACTICE due: Introduction The architecture profession involves building positive associations with the targeted entities. This kind of relationship is built by getting involved in the client’s life. We have three advantages in this project. First, our clients know what is expected of them and are keen on communicating with us. Also, a previous Sheffield Architectural graduate worked for Lambeth Living last year and established the link between us and the organisation. Second, although we are based in Sheffield a number of our group use to live in London. Third, we are a group of non-profit students. These advantages free us from many constrain, and at the same time lower the fences of the people and make it easier to communicate. Cooperative Work and Communication Communication is defined as the sharing of data between one or more people to come to the same comprehension. As argued by Sims (2002), communication assists in making decision and implementation of the resolutions (p.136). An efficient manager, for this reason, has to have excellent communication skills. For example, in the Orangery project, many people communicated through twitter which is simple and quick. All happy groups are alike; each unhappy group is unhappy in its own way. The group members in the ‘Live Project’ came from different backgrounds when we first meet as a group. This can bring different techniques and ideas to the team. Conversely, it is a disadvantage, as it is proven that a cooperative group made of members with high IQ scores performs worse than the team of ordinary IQ scores (Rothwell 2010, p.116). The reason, why the high IQ teams performed poorly, was triggered by the fact that much time was wasted on hypercompetitive discussions. This was because the group members tried to compete with each other for cognitive star ranking. Also unlike most cooperative group we are ten students who have very little knowledge of each other. The first thing we did was to interact; so as to know each other more. And then create communication methods such as social media, phone, e-mail and Google drive. The wall has also proven to be an effective way of communication both internally and to other people. These methods are not only for work sharing, but also to build up bonds between one another which has proven to be the cornerstone of the later development of the project. In comparison to normal practice, as a group of student we are more driving focused and share the same interest. We also used a system of change chairs where the responsibilities were divided among the ten architectural students in the ‘Live Project’. Luckily, most of the members had experience in group work. We knew from the beginning of the event that if one or more persons in the group fail to provide thoughts, time and effort, it may result in slow down of the group’s success. Likewise, the communication in a group is hindered by the individual’s differences (Aquinas 2006, p.191). In the development process, the members are assigned tasks according to their capabilities. We divide works among ourselves every morning in recorded short group meeting before 9 and re-group meeting in the afternoon so that everyone got clear targets to be achieved, yet no individual is overloaded with work. Each member is aware of what is expected of us in the project. Likewise, the cooperative group enhances maximum utilisation of details by the group. There is more pooling of knowledge and information as well as better use of members’ expertise. The cooperative group collaborates to achieve a common objective, and there is minimum possibility of duplication of results (Rothwell 2010, p. 117). Also, the group meeting records can be checked by members that could not attend the meeting or be checked back whenever is needed. Another disadvantage of cooperative group is that opposition, conflict and disagreements may arise between the stakeholders. This skirmish is a result of differences in values, concepts, policies and emotions. As stated by Furnham (2005), conflict is sometimes beneficial to the performance of the group and unavoidable (p.401). From the perspective of the interactions, conflict should be motivated and condoned because the amicable cooperative serene group is likely to be lazy, apathetic and do not react to innovation. In addition, group think is another factor that may limit decision making in the cooperative group. It is caused by the emphasis on agreement and consensus that makes the members be reluctant in analysing a group member’s concepts critically (Aquinas 2006, p.189). As a group of architects, we unavoidably have disagreements quiet often. In the case of conflict, we will first have a group discussion within the group. If the conflict still cannot be resolved, we will seek the advice of from other group or tutors without telling them who is behind each thinking. The bonds between group members have also been established by several group events and group lunches together with everyday work in the studio. The main role of the architect is to act as the media between stakeholders. We potentially hoped that the cooperative work spirit can be carried out after we hand over the project to the ‘Orangeries’ Friends’. This would lead to share advice, insight and details and assist in solving problems difficulties in the future development. In the project, conflict had arisen from differences in views by the general public. The stakeholders did not have the same objective as they are presenting on behalf of their interests. In order to break their communication barrier, we have created means of communication that include installation and a consultation event to provoke reaction to this forgotten land. We also provided a detail contact list and an online website so that the future team is going to be able to continue engage with the stakeholders and the general public. We are hoping by these means the other stakeholders will add value to the cooperative group interactions. Communication through various methods will be utilised to keep the residents at par with the progress of the project. As we left the project at stage D. Orangery site is still a big project that needs every detail to be looked into putting into consideration the concerns of the stakeholders in order to achieve the objective of transforming it into a modern site. The budget is considered as one of the key barrier in the project development. We considered the possible ways of increasing land value from the very beginning, as well as researched on potential funding that may readily available for continuous smooth running of the project. On reflection, for a successful project cooperative group will play a paramount role. The cooperative team will provide a viable decision that will address the hardships encountered. Currently, the architecture practice is faced with the industrial revolution that necessitates the installation of equipment for sanitation, heating and ventilation and hence the need for collaboration with various professionals (Schmidt 2010, p.205). In this project, there are various stakeholders and communication is critical. The language used must be simple to be understood by everyone especially the general public. The creative and imaginative skills of an architect will be important aspect to transform the site in accordance to the modern trend that will be suitable in the future. This will be demonstrated through architecture models that will give a clear picture of the system’s architecture. Various views of the construction will be provided to make it easy for the stakeholders to comprehend the design. From the perspective of management expertise, the architect deals with accounting, strategic planning and personnel management that are part of the management. The planning and organisation expertise are very important in effective management. The architect as the project manager has to deal with project reports, contracts, project documentation and requirements details that he/she should be able to trace without wasting time. The architect organises meetings and acts as the team leader of the group (Heldman 2013, p.11). It is proven in the development process that time and budget management is imperative to the success of a project. As an architect, time management is critical to allow for regular site visits to make sure the project is operating on budget and time. The financial and accounting skills are significant because the architect is responsible for giving advice to the client on budget. Nevertheless, the conflict management skills are paramount in solving problems. The architect needs to be able to identify, describe and solve the difficulties. Architects Responsibility A successful architect is one that can communicate efficiently and comprehend environment, history and cultural issues (Australian Institute of Architects 2014, para 2). Moreover, he/she must be able to view the clear picture, as well as pay attention to little particulars. In addition, must have an in-depth understanding of the pertinent topic and capable of writing convincingly in simple language. The individual should have excellent research and investigative expertise and capable of performing when under stress from legal proceedings and hearings (Demkin 2004, p. 115). In the project, we deliver the client with the concepts, devices and designs that are prepared within a budget and the proposal can be affordable. Potential investment on the site has proven to be valuable because the site is positioned in a high affluent area that has a great house prices as well as social and historical importance. We give strategic advice and assist the client to attain their goal of reactivation of the Orangery site. We work together with the client and TRA to ensure the whole development process are economical and safe when we have the idea to cover up the orangery to attracting local involvement. In the proposals, we are concerned with alterations or extensions to established buildings, and designing new structures on the site. Given the Orangery is listed and in good condition we advised the preservation and renovation of the Orangery. In addition, we proposed the design of the neighbouring spaces and landscapes for both long term and short term uses. Architect’s responsibility to the local people and community Besides architects has the responsibility to the locals as they are the end users of the build environment. The role of the architect is to ensure that the different design master plans are appropriate for the specific condition of the community (Chansomsak & Vale 2009, p. 113). Moreover, the architect should evaluate the ecological and social aspects in design and planning procedures. Likewise, the architect must collect information about the community in view of the available natural resources, established conditions, culture and lifestyles (Chansomsak & Vale 2009, p. 113). Architect’s responsibility to the environment from the perspective of global warming As an architect, attention is given to the built environment that plays a chief role in maintaining the standard of the universe. The architect role is to comprehend the interactive and multidimensional effect of the construction environment. Therefore, the architect should focus on the long-term outlook on the use and creation of natural resources resulting in sustainable development (Prasad & Samuels 2013, p.xxxviii). Finally, it is also the architect’s responsibility for the environment for carrying out research on the materials and technologies. In addition, he/she ensures that the constructions are environmentally sustainable. The architect also assesses the building location surroundings and design brief to decide the best orientation and location. In addition, he/she makes sure the environmental effect of the project is controlled. The architect is responsible for comparing the design brief with the abstract design to create technical specifics for the project in collaboration with the project team. Likewise, the architect prepares the detailed specifications and drawings for the constructor. The architect is in charge of lodging the drawings to receive local authority construction approval. The role of an architect The architect plays various roles that can be small-scale project, freelance or employment in multinational companies operating iconic markers. The architect is in charge of the construction project from its conception till end. The role begins with creation of ideas together with the client, examination of the needs of user and the building. In addition, establishing budgets and assessing the effect on the local habitat. Likewise, the architect selects the suitable site and collaborates with contractors on site. Furthermore, it is the responsibility of the architect to ensure that the construction is conducted as per to the appropriate standards. Above all the architect makes sure the building is sustainable (Jones & Trent 2014, para 6). Inspirations The architecture practice involves many activities that need both management and communication skills. The Architects oversees the project and manages various individuals that participate in the construction. For this reason, a competent architect needs to be effective in management and communication. Particles of sand gained will create a towering Bibliography AQUINAS, P. G. (2006). Organizational behaviour: concepts realities applications and challenges. New Delhi, Excel Books. AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS. (2014). Becoming an architect. Retrieved January 26, 2015, from http://architecture.com.au/architecture/national/becoming-an-architect CHANSOMSAK, S., & VALE, B. (2009). The Roles of Architects in Sustainable Community Development. Retrieved January 28, 2015, from http://www.tds.tu.ac.th/jars/download/jars/v6-3/06_The Roles of Architects in S Community Development_Sant.pdf DEMKIN, J. A. (2004). The architects handbook of professional practice: update 2004. Hoboken, John Wiley. FURNHAM, A. (2005). The psychology of behaviour at work: The individual in the organization. Psychology Press. HEIDENREICH, S. (2012). Englisch für Architekten und Bauingenieure-English for Architects and Civil Engineers: Ein kompletter Projektablauf auf Englisch mit Vokabeln, Redewendungen, Übungen und Praxistipps-All project phases in English with vocabulary, idiomatic expressions, exercises and practical advice. Springer. HELDMAN, K. (2013). PMP: project management professional exam study guide. John Wiley & Sons. JONES, C., & TRENT, N. (2014, April 1). Architect: Job description. Retrieved January 26, 2015, from http://www.prospects.ac.uk/architect_job_description.htm ROTHWELL, J. D. (2010). In mixed company: small group communication. 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