Written by a cost-control expert with more than thirty years of design and building expertise, this volume in the Professional Practice Essentials Series gives you practical, user-friendly guidance on how to better manager costs through all phases of a project. Dell'Isola first explains the basics of cost management-from estimating costs during the design phase to managing costs during construction and even after occupancy. He then covers all of the tools and techniques available to architects/designers and explains how best to use them. A number of useful case studies clearly show how the author's principles work in real-life situations.

Architects must be proficient in a variety of business practices to contribute to, manage, or launch a successful firm. They are responsible for the same kind of legal, financial, marketing, management, and administrative activities as any other professional. Within these broad categories, however, there are many details, including professional standards and documents, that are unique to the profession of architecture.

Written by two leading experts in the field this essential volume offers a step-by-step guide to understanding and evaluating the goals, risks and the rewards of starting a firm. Covers the basics of firm organisation, personnel requirements, legal considerations, fee setting, marketing issues and the essentials of strategic and business plans Addresses how to get started including how to create your first business plan, evaluate initial needs and costs, create a budget and a produce a list of action items to get started This volume is practical, applied, concise, portable, affordable and user-friendly

The majority of architecture and design firms employ fewer than ten people. As with any small business, the owner/principal of these firms must make plans for all of the eventual transitions that will impact the practice and any or all of the people therein. This book in the Professional Practice Essentials Series offers comprehensive advice on the subject, specifically tailored to the practicing design professional. Here, a noted consultant who specializes in architecture firm management addresses a host of vital transition issues, including growth, expansion, management changes, internal transitions, mergers, acquisitions, liquidations, retirements, and much, much more.

"Where do you turn if you are an architect or student wanting to deepen those skill sets that will make you a more successful professional? Well, taking a look at Ava Abramowitz's new book, "The Architect's Essentials of Negotiation" will be a step in the right direction." —Robert Greenstreet, Dean, University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee School of Architecture and Urban Planning This is an essential guide for architects and their clients and consultants who need professional advice on negotiations, from design development to agreements and fees. Contractors will want to read it, too, especially if they are involved with Integrated Project Delivery. This new edition offers updated insights related to negotiation, with references to the AIA Contract Documents, communication, collaboration, and handling disputes, change, and claims.

This guide integrates theory and practice to offer practical solutions for architects to improve their design management skills. This unique guide helps architects improve their management skills by addressing the relationship between the management of the design project and the design office. The author demonstrates how a professionally managed project, conceived and delivered within a professionally managed office ensures that client values are translated into construction without loss of creativity. Design Management for Architects divides into two parts. Part 1: Managing Creative Projects covers the context and infrastructure of projects; looks at client values; describes developing, detailing and realising the design; and shows how to learn from projects. Part 2: Managing Creative Organisations describes the business of architecture; explains how to manage creative people and the design studio – covering communication and knowledge-sharing, information management, financial management and attracting/retaining clients. This second edition has been extensively rewritten in response to student feedback and to the rapid evolution of design management in architecture. New features include: the ‘Why Management?’ question addressed in a design context Vignettes to demonstrate the value of design management practical advice is incorporated into each chapter under ‘Project to Office Interface’ more specifics on the design manager role, and the contribution of ICTs (including BIM) to effective design management. By integrating theory and practice, and offering practical solutions for architects to improve their design management skills, this book provides clear guidance to all designers and (design) managers.

The definitive guide to management success for sole practitioners and leaders of small design firms Owning and operating a small architectural design firm can be challenging, with tight project deadlines, on-the-fly meetings, rush proposals, and fluctuating workloads as part of the firm’s day-to-day activities. To help small firm owners cope with the chaos and prepare for the unexpected, here is The Architect’s Guide to Small Firm Management, a no-nonsense guide to repurposing daily demands into workable, goal-directed solutions. Crucial topics such as self-aware leadership, people management, technology, financial health, scenario planning, sustainable practice, and future trends are examined using real-life case studies and business model paradigms. This definitive text explores the whole system experience of a small firm practice to deliver organizational strategies proven to keep a firm’s creative mission on a steady, productive path. The Architect’s Guide to Small Firm Management addresses how small firm owners can: Deal effectively with unexpected circumstances and shifting work requirements Meet the demands of the marketplace while creating a satisfying workplace Set and achieve goals in an environment of constant change This book is a must-have for those facing the often harsh reality of managing small design firms in a difficult and changing economy. Entrepreneurial architects and designers will discover how to define their own personal and professional meanings of success, as well as how to refocus their business approach to replace long, unrewarding hours with manageable, satisfying ones.