Getting There by Design

by Allinson,Kenneth

• ISBN13: 9780750626231
• ISBN10: 0750626232
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Nonspecific Binding
• Copyright: 1998-02-17
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

There was military project management. There was construction project management. Then there was business project management, a tool described as 'the wave of the future'. Where are architects in all this, professionals whose work has always been project-driven? there is design management in engineering, product design, graphics, packaging, management theory and even in politics. Construction consultants talk about managing design. When are architects going to become committed to managing design? Getting There by Design adopts an architect's view to design and project management. It sets out the fundamental principles and shows how they are applied, dealing with these two topics as one indivisible subject. 'Getting There by Design' demonstrates how to: - make project efforts goal-oriented - set up a planning and monitoring basis to architectural projects - put the architect's fee calculus on a rationale basis - diagnose your firm's practice culture - develop successful teams Put your practice onto a more effective basis. Ken Allinson is an architect in private practice and principal of 'Architectural Dialogue'. He also teaches design studio and lectures on design and project management. He was formerly an associate at DEGW London and the Terry Farrell Partnership. He has practice experience in Europe, the USA and Japan and is the author of 'The Wild Card of Design' (1993).

Table of Contents

Preface	v
PART ONE: THE PROJECT CONTEXT	3	(46)
The subject: purposive action An introduction.	3	(4)
Thinking about managing projects Five fundamental points.	7	(5)
Value added Value added by design is a potential be realised.	12	(6)
Design artistry A concept of professional competency.	18	(5)
One time, on time A contemporary management focus.	23	(3)
The life-cycle concept The internal dynamic of projects.	26	(2)
Getting it right, first time, up front Leverage in the project life-cycle.	28	(4)
Managing design Aspects of managing design inputs to a project.	32	(6)
A project recipe Summarising the project situation and its management.	38	(2)
A parable How badly things can go wrong!	40	(9)
PART TWO: DECISIONS AND TECHNIQUES	49	(50)
Simplified decisions The importance of simplifying decision-making.	49	(6)
Heuristic The ancient art of simplified problem-solving.	55	(4)
Scheme sign-off gateway A key point of change in the project history.	59	(4)
The WBS A fundamental PM technique.	63	(4)
Picturing it Planning is a mapping of future intended actions.	67	(5)
Fishbone framing A simple technique for identifying main activities.	72	(7)
Synchronised efforts `Pass the baton' and `concurrent' planning.	79	(3)
Monitoring and control The planning is done and the job is underway -- now what?	82	(9)
Disparate perspectives Project criteria depend upon your viewpoint.	91	(3)
Props and pitfalls Two (twin) aspects of the project situation.	94	(5)
PART THREE: MANAGING COSTS AND FEES	99	(32)
Change, understanding and risk The relationship between these factors.	99	(3)
Costing technique overview The issue of fee scales and the concept of the response slope.	102	(9)
Variety and complexity Acknowledging these two factors.	111	(2)
Practice cost benchmarks Deconstructing the former RIBA fee scale.	113	(9)
Bottom-up The Standard Form of Agreement and fee estimating criteria.	122	(4)
Heuristic trapezoids A simple technique of usefulness to architects.	126	(5)
PART FOUR: CULTURES AS ACTION SYSTEMS	131	(50)
Commitment as action Looking at the project process in terms of commitments.	131	(3)
Contractual relations Three fundamental types of contract.	134	(4)
Cultural architectures Culture as an organisational architecture.	138	(3)
Cultural stereotypes Common stereotypes.	141	(8)
Cultural layers From suits to boiler suits.	149	(2)
Taylorism The grand-daddy of scientific management.	151	(3)
Professionals on the job Seminal research into how firms can satisfy staff.	154	(2)
Quality An important issue and an abused term.	156	(4)
Teams Understanding the importance of the team concept.	160	(4)
Me manager; you ox Motivation theory.	164	(2)
Leadership and team dynamics Waves in the life-cycle.	166	(15)
PART FIVE: CONCLUDING SECTION	181	(14)
Head in the clouds/feet on the ground	181	(2)
A brief project management dictionary	183	(8)
A network primer	191	(4)
References	195	(7)
Notes	202	(3)
Index	205