DESN30117: Professional Practice

BArch (Hons) Architecture level 3

DESN30117 : Professional Practice

Project 2: BUSINESS PLAN

for the development of a new
architectural practice
bfrss.org.uk

Context Notes

Imagine yourself in seven years time, meeting up with a In Project 1, you

group of your Professional Practice colleagues and planning prepared a CV related
to your development
to launch a new design-based business, to be located in of skills and
Nottingham. This project takes you through the kinds of experience over the
decisions you will need to make looking in particular at past few years.
your proposed companys cash-flow and how you might Project 2 now
persuade people to support you financially through the first encourages you to
look 7 years into the
few years of operation. Right at the top how we will future and to begin
determine the extent and nature of borrowings and how we envisaging a career
sell ourselves to secure the money all roles required to development plan for
contriute. yourself.

The key to this process will be your development of a Just as individuals

three-year BUSINESS PLAN 2024-27. This plan is to require plans for the
take the form of a website, which will be launched in a future (not an
unfamiliar idea to
half-day public exhibition (with invited guests) in NTUs
designers!), so also do
Newton Forum on 20th March 2017. architectural practices
The purpose of the exhibition will be to sell your ideas for as do all businesses.
a design practice to a variety of visitors, who will be Without a PLAN for
looking in particular at the commercial viability of your your business, how
proposals. Are we taking it as a given that sustainable would you be able
Gyms is a valid, viable product? I think we are assuming to persuade anyone
thuis is a given. This commercial viability will need to be of its value?
judged in the context of the market you identify for your
design ideas, and of your proposed approaches to
responding to this market (in terms of design, technology,
and administrative management each aspect of the firms
operation carrying certain financial implications).

Brief

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You will begin by forming groups of four or five, to work

together as directors of a potential new architectural
practice, to be located in Nottingham and commencing
operations in September 2024.

Having formed yourselves into a group of practice

Think first of what
directors, you will need to agree on roles and built environment
responsibilities for each of your colleagues, to cover the design will (or ought)
following aspects of the practices operation (in whichever to look like six years
combinations you choose): from now. What kinds
of practice will be
a) administrative/IT management (documentation and required in response?
quality including timing, relevance and accuracy; development
and maintenance of the practices website, effectively linked
across all aspects of the firms proposed activities) This role While each member of
needs to define and describe the way we work and the the group is to take
responsibility for one
environment in which we will work. Starting with office office type,
of the directorships
style/quality (open plan, city cenbtre, industrial park etc), room
identified, this
config (see my table from Zoopla), dcor/decadence do you
assignment will be
wish to make a statement, are the office sclient facing (therefore
assessed largely as a
sexy) or just for our use. Then needs to look at equipment and group project
serv ices whether leased or purchased need to consider and meaning that everyone
state Green aspects of our own premises and operation would involved will (in
not be good to promote Green Gyms and operate in high carbon principle) be awarded
footprint premises. IT printers, plotters, desktops, laptps, an equal grade.
photocopiers etc. Bought in services. Office cleaning. Define our
key buinsess processes. Might want to table our organisation
structre by end of 2027. This assessment
b) marketing management (strategic and tactical decisions on regime reflects the
sectors in which to work, based upon external and internal nature of an effective
economic analysis) Key role need tech guy to define our Business Plan as a
product/services then agree as a tam our USPs. This roile cohesive whole that
defines our market sector and how we reach them Gym chains, becomes greater than
hotel chains, local authorities, schools & unis etc etc. Needs to the sum of its parts.
locate and define the companies who manage Facilities / Personal efforts and
Buildlings Management so for each potential site, we can individuals talent may
market to the owners and seaparetly to the people who will be lft be helpful, but need to
be harnessed to one
with the refurb/build job two slightly different
another in order to
approaches/content. Need to define mission statement and some
enhance confidence
key catch phrases. Define a feasibnility study and how we will
about the achievement
conduct it. The our initial marketing campaign how we will get of objectives. Such
our first job needs to work closely with web site owner. coordination is the role
c) image management (decisions on all aspects of graphics, of management within
design character, presentation style, etc). website owner and Professional Practice.
responsible for all branding material. Wrok closely with
marketing.
d) technological management (identification and application of For this reason,
appropriate construction techniques and practices, balanced attendance by
against the exercise of corporate and social responsibility everyone at all
commitments). The most key role in company set up and sessions during this
definition. Define the products and services we are offering Project is essential for
which machines to use, the best suppliers to work with, how we the groups success.
will configure and deploy tehm in a unique way building wise
how our gym will be built and design to make more sustainalble

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than any others.

e) financial management (risk-conscious decisions on
expenditure, investment, costs etc to be balanced against
income and borrowing expectations).

You will need to consider what characteristics should

distinguish your new architectural design practice from its
possible competitors (tech guy + all), and draw it to the
attention of potential clients (Market & Immage roles).
What specialisms will its directors need to possess and
develop in order to enable the firm to continue responding
to developments in the market (admin)? What kinds of
service should the practice offer initially (in 2024), and
then in future (after 2027) (tech/marketing)? How should
the firm change (if at all), in terms of staff and other
resources, over this period (admin)? These kinds of ideas,
and their financial implications (finance), are what will
need to be described in your firms Business Plan (posted
on its web-site), and what you will be required to present
publicly at the end of the project (20.03.17).

The development of your Business Plan will therefore

require well-coordinated contributions from each member
of your group in their capacity as directors with
responsibility for specific aspects of the firms planned
performance. It will not be sufficient for individuals simply
to contribute a page or two for posting on a communal
website, as the whole point of the exercise is to enable you
to develop insights into how professional practice needs to
be understood as a comprehensively integrated (this is key
word all our ideas and outputs must relate to each other
we must been seen to connect and put things in our
individual outputs that clearly cross-communicate it
seems they will be looking for this and will score us down if
all work done in silos). whole rather than as a set of
separate functions, each with their own agenda.

Submission Requirements

The aim of this project is to enable you to demonstrate an

understanding of the business skills required by design
practitioners, rather than of the design or technology skills
required for business. Design sensitivity and technological
awareness will be relevant, but within the larger context of
a team working towards financial objectives (for both social
sustainability and profitability finance will massge figures,
however unreal, to create profit). Working with each other,
accordingly, your group will produce: You may explore the
internet to see what

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a Weblog publicly recording the development of options are freely

available to you
your groups ideas (20%): working as a group, you
(www.weebly.com is
will arrange and hold regular meetings, in which recommended). You
having allocated individual responsibilities for presenting should not need to
recommendations for discussion you establish project spend any money on the
targets and monitor progress in relation to them, purchase of a website.
enabling yourselves to comply with the programme.
While it is common for
design companies to
a Website explaining your new company and its treat their business
Business Plan (50%): this will need to include your plans as confidential
creation of a company history, imagining your own (especially the financial
information), you
backgrounds as practitioners in 2024, after 7 years should assume that in
working experience since your successful graduation in this case only those
2016. Describe your ideal (and initially realistic) with a certain security
appointments after graduating, ending in 2023 in the code have unrestricted
kind of position that would enable you next to perform rights of access to all
parts of your website.
well as a director with the responsibilities determined in
conjunction with your company colleagues.

a Public Exhibition to promote your company and

its ideas both to interested experts (potential
Your grade for this
financiers) and to passing lay people (potential project will include an
clients) (30%): this will require the production of element of Peer Review,
appropriate visual material (perhaps including name- giving you the
badges, sample business cards, etc), based largely upon opportunity to evaluate
the contribution of each
information provided in greater detail on your groups
of your group
website. Consider this as a dry run for your degree- colleagues. Your group
show in the summer: you are encouraged to invite grade will be enhanced
suitable guests from industry, from other parts of the or diminished
university, or from further afield and to obtain accordingly.
feedback from them about the effectiveness of your
Your performance in
presentation.
respect of this
assignment will be
For the purposes of assessment, your group is required to weighted at 50% of the
submit digital links in the NOW DropBox set up in module grade.
conjunction with this module:
a) to your weblog as soon as it is created, and
b) to your website by no later than 10.00am on 20.03.17.

Guidance

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a) Content
Issues that your Business Plan should address include the
Some of these issues
following (in no particular order): are for your group to
What is the evidence of your directors suitability for discuss and agree
their chosen roles within the firm (modelled partially immediately; others are
upon personal career development plans following for individual directors
to explore and develop
graduation)? CVs tailored for each role????
in accordance with their
What is your firms product? What is the market for own responsibilities, and
this product? What is your unique selling point (USP)? to present to their
NO ONE else is in the market we assume there is NO colleagues for approval.
archtiects office specialising in SUSTAINABLE GYMS
all could do some quick research see if any specialist
GYM architects? Your group will need to
What are your firms strengths and weaknesses? What hold a series of
opportunities and threats may affect its success? meetings to review
these topics (and
Weakness have we consider nned to expose these
perhaps others also),
and compile a rish risk analysis report what and to formulate a co-
risks/weaknesses we perceive, how likely to hurt us, ordinated response.
what impact on biz plan and what mitigiation action if These meetings should
happens. be documented in your
group Weblog.
Who are your clientele (and who else might they be in
the future)? Marketing
How does your business fit into the Nottingham
community? Who is competing with you locally and/or The outcome of your
groups discussions
nationally for potential clients? Admin/Image
should be a coherent
How will you demonstrate commercial viability? Where statement that describes
will you get set-up funding, and how much is required? your firms approach to
Finance securing design work,
What will be the capital and running costs of the combining individual
directors contributions
practice? What profits do you anticipate, and when? into a unified whole
Finance your business plan,
How will you manage your company? Will it be a which is to be made
private or publicly owned organisation, a partnership or accessible via your
website.
a cooperative? What kind of an employer will you be?
Finance & Admin
What is your group image or style? What is your
practices design ethos? Image The main purpose of
your Weblog is to
What is your attitude to sustainability and carbon
document and share
reduction? Technical your research into
How might another economic recession affect your particular aspects of
business? How would you diversify or change course if your proposed business,
needed? How might you expand the scope of your showing the evidence-
base for your emerging
business activities? Finance business proposition.
How will you market/promote your company? Marketing

b) Your Weblog
You are asked to set up immediately and then to maintain
continuously a Weblog recording the development of your

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groups ideas over the period of the project. This should

act as an initial repository for collecting information, for
reviewing the outcomes of meetings, and for determining
progress in relation to the project programme. Your
Weblog will be the principal mechanism for showing the
extent to which different group members have played their
part in developing the new company. As soon as it is
established, please provide the module tutors with the
necessary links for access to your Weblog.
You can obtain
templates for Website
c) Your Website design from the internet
at no cost.
You are required to set up and develop your own groups
Website for the new architectural practice. When opened,
it should have a single home page for the company, with Your Website pages
tabs leading to separate pages related to the aspects of should not consist of a
practice for which each director is responsible. These pages series of essays, but
should contain hard,
will act as executive summaries of the topics associated factual, accessible
with each directors specialism, but may include hyperlinks research data
to other relevant information. (supported with
appropriate visual
Each director will thus take prime responsibility for their material) that will
effectively underpin a
own area, and will create individually identifiable pages on sound strategy for the
the Website. All members of the group will need to work future.
together, however, to co-ordinate the Website design so
that all sections have a consistent company style.
The principal objective
of your research should
You should ensure that your Website complies with the be WHERE THE DESIGN
following criteria: AND CONSTRUCTION
1. the Website should have a logical and easily accessible INDUSTRY MIGHT BE IN
structure, with issues and topics clearly divided into TEN YEARS TIME. The
success of a business
separate sections.
plan depends upon its
2. the Website should make extensive use of visual relevance in relation to
material (not your own designs!) in order to support future scenarios.
written observations and statements.
3. the Website should have visual material and text located
You are strongly advised
in close proximity to one another, so that the ideas
to establish your
presented can be very quickly understood by readers. Website as quickly as
4. the Website should be fully coherent, in that ideas possible, so that tutors
presented in one section have their implications can review it during the
addressed in all other sections. weekly seminar sessions
associated with this
5. the Website should contain full academic references to
project.
all images and to all sources of information.
6. the Website should project a convincing and consistent
professional style and image.
7. the Website should be subjected to a full spell-check
and grammar-check prior to submission.
You are invited to refer to http://www.unit1architects.com/ You will be asked to
for an example of decent website design. Because your identify specific guests

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own website will be publicly accessible however, you are to invite to the
asked to include (word-for-word) the following disclaimer exhibition (eg potential
employers you would
within your home-page, please: like to impress).
DISCLAIMER: This is a student project based at Nottingham Trent
University. All content is part of an undergraduate project to create
an imaginary business in 2024, and is entirely fictitious. All use of
material from other sources is fully acknowledged, and no part of You can expect senior
this site is intended as the basis for a real company or for the offer members of the NTU
of any professional services. management to visit
your exhibition (from
Vice Chancellor
d) Exhibition Format downward).
Working as a group, you are required to prepare material
for an exhibition which you will mount in the Central Forum
of the NTU Newton Building (to run from 1.00pm to You will also be need to
4.00pm on Monday 20th March, eleven weeks into Term 2). be prepared to discuss
your company proposals
You will be expected to invite and to speak with visitors to with lay members of
the exhibition, to engage their interest in your ideas, and the public (acting as if
to obtain feedback from them. they were potential
investors or clients for
The exhibition will contain a maximum of 6 A2 sheets which your firm).
should be pinned to the mobile panels provided. You may
prepare additional leaflets etc for distribution to visitors.
You will be expected to remain on duty with your
exhibition throughout the afternoon and to be ready to
answer any questions posed by passers-by.

You are therefore advised to work closely with your

colleagues preparing and practising for the personal
presentation of your exhibition: treat the occasion as if it
were your groups only chance to secure the employment
and investment that is crucial to the creation of a
successful new company. You should make your Website
available on your exhibition stand so that visitors can read
about your new business in detail if they wish to do so.

Learning Outcomes

This piece of coursework is intended to address the following

Learning Outcomes (included in the Module Guide).
Completion of the project should demonstrate your ability
to:
Defend the principles, values and ethics of a professional You should keep these
architect or architectural technologist within the business Learning Outcomes in
environment mind as the module
proceeds. Remember,
Locate the design professions within the context of the fundamental aim of
commercial and legal practice relevant to the construction this coursework is to
industry provide you with

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Organise and manage design, construction and procurement opportunities to

information, and review forms of contract, progress monitoring, demonstrate your
performance in use and evaluation of feedback achievement of these
Learning Outcomes.
Communicate clearly and effectively at different levels and
with different parties involved in the design process within the
built environment
Understand business and management practices as
appropriate to your professional career
Manage your own time and work to deadlines

Assessment

This project will contribute 50% towards your final grade for .
this module. The criteria for its assessment will reflect the
requirement that you demonstrate ability to satisfy the
associated Learning Outcomes. Your work will be assessed
through the use of grade descriptors, which relate to 17
possible levels of performance:

1st (Exceptional / High / Mid / Low)

2.1 (High / Mid / Low)
2.2 (High / Mid / Low)
3rd (High / Mid / Low)
Fail (Marginal / Mid / Low)
Zero

Feedback

In conjunction with your participation in the seminar-based

activities associated with this project, you will receive verbal
NTU is committed to
formative feedback to help you to improve the quality of offering you feedback
your final output. In relation to the Website you submit for within 21 working days
summative assessment at the end of the project, you will of your final submission.
receive feedback in the form of written comments intended to
guide you in respect of future practice.

Your tutors for this project will welcome any feedback you
can offer us about the contents of this Brief and its
implications, whether you provide your comments and
suggestions on a formal or informal basis. Your views are
considered invaluable in ensuring continuous improvement
in terms of the way this module is operated

Potential Costs

You are expected to present your work to a standard

appropriate to this stage of professional development, but

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DESN30117: Professional Practice

you should be aware that assessment of your work will not

be affected by the amount of money you spend on When producing
professional documents,
materials and presentation. The emphasis of your 100% accuracy is a
submission should be on quality rather than quantity, minimum expectation.
demonstrating care and attention to structure and layout,
to coherence and accuracy of figures, and (above all) to
appropriate language and to correct spelling, grammar and
punctuation.

If you have a problem

If you are experiencing any problems with the module or

the associated work, please see your module tutor (Chris
Heuvel) or course leader (Gavin Richards) as soon as
possible. They may be able to help, and the sooner a
problem is identified, the easier it will be to address.

Notification of extenuating* circumstances For further information

about this process,
If you are experiencing problems outside your control, such please see the Student
as serious illness, bereavement, crime or other trauma, Handbook or speak to
which you feel are affecting your performance, you should our subject
follow the Notification of Extenuating Circumstances administrator (Lisa
McKay).
procedure.

* Please note that minor illness, holidays, IT problems,

part-time work and financial difficulties are not covered by
this procedure.

Plagiarism

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it is expected that the overall combination of aspirations You are encouraged to

you describe for your proposed business, and the specific download visual
material from the
financial plans required to make it a success, will be internet and use it in
entirely original. On the other hand, it is also expected response to this project
that most of the illustrative material you post on your brief, but you MUST
website, and associated factual data, will have been provide full referencing
sourced from elsewhere (and transferred from your locally in respect of
each the sources used.
Weblog). It is not acceptable to reproduce images, words
or diagrams published anywhere else, or written or drawn You should be aware
by colleagues outside your group, without that NTUs TurnItIn
acknowledgement both in your Weblog and on your software makes it easy
Website. Failure to identify the sources of such content is for your submitted
electronic written work
regarded as plagiarism, which NTU regards as a serious to be checked for
offence (particularly at this stage of your professional plagiarism. Access to
development). You may quote from or copy published databases of published
material in response to this brief only if it is correctly material means that
referenced and acknowledged (in accordance with NTUs words, phrases,
sentences and
guidelines). paragraphs from a wide
variety of sources can
instantly be identified
and traced.

Chris Heuvel
January 2017

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