Project Management
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It is the practices policy that one of the Partners becomes the lead Designer and lead Project Manager for each project that comes into the office. He takes responsibility for ensuring that the architectural design and management of your project is to your satisfaction at all stages. The appointment of the individual partner will be agreed with you, and he will establish your brief and the scope of services, budget and fees etc… at an early stage.
The partner in charge of your project will work with our professional staff to develop the architectural and technical works, and supervise the building contract. These staff members may deal with you or your organization on routine matters during the course of the project, but the overall responsibility lies with the partner.
The practices management style is to keep in touch regularly with the individual client, client’s representative or organization; all members of his own team within the office; other members of the design team; local authority officers; building contractor and subcontractor firms. Design Team meetings will include the client body, and are held with a view to establishing responsibilities of all parties at an early date. The client will be kept informed at all stages of the design process, with copies of all relevant correspondence and minutes of meetings.
An important element of office management is that projects are delivered on time and within budget. To ensure this, it is essential that the client is involved at all stages of the design decisions and project planning. In this way, clients will be kept fully informed of any potential difficulties that may arise in a project programme or costing, and, if necessary, appropriate action can be agreed in a timely manner with the client and all the members of the design team.
The Partner in charge of any project will meet with the clients at the initial stages to agree the project timescale and a programme of works. Appropriate action is agreed with the client should this timescale is delayed for any reason e.g. delays in planning,Third Party Appeal, etc. Regular meetings are held internally within the office to assess the workload and to ensure that specific deadlines will be met.
It is a policy of the practice, as soon as a new project is commenced to put a project plan in place and to identify a target date for completion which will also involve key target dates such as, completion of sketch design, meetings with the client, lodgement of planning application and fire safety certificate, production of budget target, tender date, commencement of construction, certification and completion.
In regard to cost in use, the office works with mechanical and electrical consultants to ensure adequate levels of day lighting and minimization of unnecessary heat loss and all designs are carried out with lifecycle costs and costs in use, in mind. The firm has extensive experience in dealing with the building environment in Ireland and in ensuring that buildings which we design are able to withstand the climatic variations experienced in the West of Ireland.