Principal User group/ Committee of Management: Meredith Historical Society

Purpose

To provide relevant information & support about local attractions, producers, businesses etc. to visitors to the area.

To provide appropriate toilet facilities for visitors and travelers.

To provide display/exhibition space for local artists, producers, historical groups etc. and a space to house a permanent display about the life & times of Sir Henry Bolte, a prominent "Meredithian".

Construction area = 103.0m2 Covered Terraces = 106.0m2

Accommodation to include:
• Exhibition space both internally & externally
• Information desk
• Toilet facilities, Male/Female/Disabled
• Storage

Planning

Zones & overlays
• TZ - Township Zone
• Schedule to Township Zone
• DDO - Design Development overlay
• Schedule to DDO

Project Budget

• $380,000

Site

• Owned by the Crown. Managed by GPS

Week 1 - Introduction to Projects

Several potential projects have arrived in your office.

You are to select one of these projects for this assignment.

(A package of information for each project will be available on CloudDeakin)

After this, you are to take initial steps towards securing them as projects for your practice.

This will firstly involve understanding the site conditions and parameters (including relevant planning issues).

Ultimately, it will involve instigating a contractual relationship with a prospective client (coming to a written agreement about fees, services, staging and other issues).

The client may be the owner of the site or a construction/project manager appointed for the project (you can choose which, depending on your own preference or disciplinary background).

The practical implications of each project vary.

For some, future negotiation to obtain Development Approval (town planning) may be contentious. For some, meeting environmental and landscape considerations will be a challenge.

For others, correlating client desires with their budget may be the most challenging aspect.

In each case the client is attracted to the idea of working with a young architect / landscape architect / built environment professional, with whom they might develop a long-term professional relationship (though they are a little worried about committing their project to an inexperienced professional).

Between Week 1 and Week 2

Familiarise yourself with the documents associated with your chosen project.

Also study class material that relates to Architects/Landscape Architects' Fees, Staging of Services and Pre-Design Services

Week 2 - Fees, Terms, Conditions

This week you need to consider how you would proceed with this project.

The client would like to know what services you could provide, when you would be able provide these services and how much you would charge for them.

For your practice this will involve analysis of the following:

1. The brief for the project:

From you analysis can you identify:

- Any potential issues with existing conditions?
- Possible Development Control (Planning Permission) issues?
- Any issues with Client's spatial requirements/wishes?
- Any queries about the Budget (has one been provided? If not what you should do?)
- The Projected/Desired Timeline for the project (and is this feasible)?
- Any ambiguities or omissions in the documents that are important to investiage/discuss at this stage?

Overall, does the project seem feasible? And if you are unsure about this, what should you do?

2. Your possible Services for the project:

- What would your services be for such a project (thinking as an architect/landscape architect/other built environment professional)?
- How would you stage these services?
- Depending on your own disciplinary background, what other consultants/expertise would the project need?
- How much would your charge the client for your services?
- On what basis would you charge?
- What would be the terms & conditions of an agreement for fees and services with your client?

As the architect/landscape architect you should also be aware that the client might be approaching other architects/landscape architects (and also perhaps draftspersons or other types of construction/planning practitioner).

Why should they use an architect/landscape architect (and why they should use you as their architect/landscape architect)?

Students should discuss the above aspects of each projects in groups based on their chosen sites.

(for campus students these groups can meet in seminar sessions. For online students discussion threads relating to particular projects will be set up).

Between Week 2 and Week 3

Prepare a written summary of your initial findings in relation to the Brief and possible Services (in point form).

Note especially important aspects that would require further investigation or negotiation with the client before an agreement is made for the project.

Also prepare a block plan / model / diagram of the chosen project.

This is not a design for the site, but for the purposes of ascertaining whether the parameters of the brief are feasible in an architectural or landscape sense.

Consider the following:

- The amount of constructed floor/landscape area/volume required in the brief.
- How this relates to the site area and constraints (as evidenced in the provided documentation).
- How this relates to the relevant Planning Scheme: zoning requirements, site coverage, setback limits, height limits or other conditions
- How this relates to the budget (cost of construction per m2, other costs associated with the project, inclusions, exclusions)
- Any other relevant factors.

With each of these aspects, consider how you would locate relevant information (e.g. status of the land under which Planning Scheme? or Will X m2 of a particular type of building/landscape construction be feasible within the client's stated budget?)

Also study class material that relates to Ethics, Professionalism, Copyright and Moral Rights.

Week 3 - Ethical Positions

This week you are asked to consider the broader professional and ethical implications of your chosen project (and by extension your own position as an ethical professional).

Part 1: Professional / Individual Ethics

Students should discuss these aspects of each projects in groups based on their chosen sites.

For campus students these groups can meet in seminar sessions.

Online students should use the discussion threads relating to particular projects.

Firstly, each group should consider the role of the architect or landscape architect.

From this viewpoint, analyse the site in relation to architectural/landscape architectural ideals and motivations.

As an individual, put the site into the context of your own ethical position.

Each group should then take the role of a client (whether they are the owner or a construction/project manager for the project).

From this viewpoint, consider the site again, and analyse what might be different (or similar) about the project from their point of view.

Again, as an individual, put the site into the context of your own ethical position.

In both cases considerations may include reference to:

- practicalities
- ecology
- technical/material/structural issues
- professionalism
- aesthetics
- economics
- culture
- society

and any other aspects of the project you believe to be important.

Part 2: Copyright / Moral Rights

An unexpected development has happened.

The client has obtained documentation for a previous design on your chosen site.

Drawings of this previous design will be provided (via CloudDeakin) as a basis for this second part of the assignment.

They would like to know if the architect / landscape architect can work with this existing design, can modify it, or would be advised to start again with designing for the site.

As an architect / landscape architect you need to carefully consider how you should react to the issue of the existing design.

Most importantly, what are the ethical considerations in this scenario? For example:

- Are there issues of copyright?

- Moral rights?

- Other aspects to consider?

If there are ethical considerations, what are they and how might they be resolved?

Between Week 3 and Week 4

Prepare a written summary of your professional / ethical considerations of the site (from both designer and client points of view) and the issue of the previous design (in point form).

This will later be included in the Assignment 1 submission.

Combine these considerations with your earlier investigations into the project brief and site and further consideration of relevant Class material in preparation for discussion of your draft agreement. (especially notes on Staging of Projects and Pre-Design Services).

Week 4: Draft Agreement

In this session you are to discuss final terms of a Fee / Services agreement for your chosen project. Discuss and finalise what you would put into such an agreement
Consider the following:

- Is a feasibility study required? Why or why not? (if so what would this study entail, how long would it take, what would its outcome be and what fees you would charge for the study?).

- Otherwise, indicate what services would you provide and how would you stage these services.

- Consider long each stage would take (and the overall delivery of the project).

- Consider the outcomes of each stage (presentations to client? permits? commencement of construction? Conclusion of project?)

What difference would it make if the client was the owner of the site or a construction / project manager?

- Determine the fees you would charge for these services (inclusions? exclusions?)

- Describe the basis of these fees.

- What other consultants, authorities, etc. would need to be involved.

- Consider any contingencies and anything else that should be agreed upon at this stage For example:
- To what degree would your fee include design changes/options?
- What would happen if the client decided to stop the project midway through the process?
- How often would you invoice your client?
- What would happen if their payment was delayed?
- What would happen if your design failed to obtain a Planning permit if one is required? etc. etc.

Part 1 (from Week 2: Fees, Terms, Conditions)

Provide a summary of your initial findings in relation to the Brief and possible Services (in point form).

Included in this part of the submission should be your block plan / diagram (2D or 3D) of the chosen project, as a graphic / calculated analysis of the site and brief.

This analysis should note the amount of constructed floor / landscape area required in the brief and how this relates to any zoning requirements, site coverage, setback limits, height limits or other conditions stipulated by the relevant Planning Scheme and the budget.

Note especially important aspects that would require further investigation or negotiation with the client/construction manager before an agreement is made for the project.

Provide this summary in a professional manner as a record of the discussion 1-2 A4 pages/± 500 words + graphic/calculated analysis of the site and brief.

Part 2 (from Week 3: Ethical Positions)

Provide a written summary of the following:

- Your professional/ethical considerations of the site (from both designer and client points of view)

- Your resolution of the copyright/moral rights issues in using/not using previous design (in point form).

Provide this summary in a professional manner as a record of the discussion and your considered position.

1-2 A4 pages/± 500 words.

Part 3. Fee/Services Proposal/Engagement Letter

This letter will form the basis for your fees/services agreement (i.e. the contract for professional services).

Write this letter as if it were from an Architect / Landscape Architect / related Built Environment Professional firm to a Client (who may be the Owner of the site or the Construction Manager for the project).

Consider both the practical and ethical aspects of the proposed agreement.

As this letter also will form the basis of a contract between the two parties there should be provision in the letter for signing by both parties.

2-3 A4 pages/± 1000 words should be sufficient.