Postgraduate Certificate Professional Practice Architecture

Practice and Entrepreneurship

The Practice and Entrepreneurship unit focuses upon the elements of the curriculum set out by the ARB/RIBA within the Professional Competencies (PC) 3 through to 5. It delivers teaching through an online lecture series and intensive tutorial/seminar days.  

The teaching provided will augment and develop best practice approaches to areas already expected to have been encountered through your Professional Experience. As such, whilst the unit focus is on PCs 3, 4 & 5, some aspects of PCs 1 & 2 (relating to the professional role of the Architect) will also be outlined in lectures and included in assessment.

The following topics are considered as core content within the unit lecture series:

PC3 Legal framework and processes

1. The relevant UK legal systems, civil liabilities and the laws of contract and tort (delict)*

2. Planning and Conservation Acts, guidance and processes

3. Building regulations, approved documents and standards, guidance and processes

4. Land law, property law and rights of other proprietors

5. Terms within construction contracts implied by statute

6. Health and safety legislation and regulations

7. Statutory undertakers and authorities, their requirements and processes

8. Environmental and sustainability legislation

9. Historic buildings legislation

10. Accessibility and inclusion legislation

* Scotland

PC4 Practice and management

1. The roles of architectural practice in the construction industry

2. External factors affecting construction and practice at national and international levels

3. Practice structures, legal status and business styles

4. Personnel management and employment related legislation

5. Practice finance, business planning, funding and taxation

6. Marketing, fee calculation, bidding and negotiation

7. Resource management and job costing

8. Administration, quality management, QA systems, recording and review

9. Staff development, motivation, supervision and planning

10. Team working and leadership 

PC5 Building procurement

1. Procurement methods, including for public and larger projects and relevant legislation

2. The effect of different procurement processes on programme, cost, risk and quality

3. Collaboration in construction and provisions for team working

4. Tendering methods, codes, procedures and project planning

5. Forms of contract and sub-contract, design responsibility and third party rights

6. Application and use of contract documentation;

7. Roles of design/construction team members and their interaction;

8. Duties and powers of a lead consultant and contract administrator;

9. Site processes, quality monitoring, progress recording, payment and completion;

10. Claims, litigation and alternative dispute resolution methods.