You knew that you wanted to become an architect because of your passion for architecture, but as it turns out, being a successful architect requires skills beyond creating beautiful designs and structures.
Project management is one such skill, and while it may be difficult to get excited about it in the same way you do about a cool roof line or facade texture, learning how to master architectural project management will help you make sure that all your project designs are brought to life just as intended.
Read on to find out what every experienced architect wishes they had known when first starting their careers – an effective way to deliver their projects on time and without extra costs!
What Is Project Management in Architecture?
Project management in architecture is the art of juggling the seemingly infinite number of tasks, requirements, and professional relationships throughout a project’s lifecycle. From planning and budgeting to design, implementation, delivery, and monitoring – there are myriad activities to manage and keep an eye on.
Let’s have a look at the five main ones:
Project Management Processes Explained
- Initiating: This group of processes requires a project manager to develop a plan for the project, including a business case and an initial assessment of project feasibility. The goal is to ensure that all stakeholders agree on what needs to be accomplished and why.
- Planning: During this phase, the project manager defines the scope and objectives of the project, activities needed to complete it, constraints and risks associated with meeting these objectives. They create a detailed project management plan that serves as the roadmap for completing the project.
- Executing: Once plans are in place, the project manager and their team can focus on carrying out the project according to the plan. This includes obtaining resources, assigning roles to team members, and executing tasks.
- Monitoring and controlling: In this process group, the project manager monitors progress towards meeting objectives and takes corrective action if necessary. This involves tracking work performance, analyzing variances from the baseline plan, and taking measures to ensure that requirements are met.
- Closing: This is the final stage of the project, and it’s all about completing the once-started activities, archiving documents, and issuing an official sign-off to stakeholders. The goal here is to ensure that all objectives are met, lessons learned are documented, and that any remaining tasks are successfully finished.
Why Is Architectural Project Management Important?
Architects have a unique knack for being both artistic and organizational, and project management helps them balance the two.
- Project management brings structure to the creative process so that architects can focus on their vision without losing sight of practicality.
- It also allows for collaborative communication between clients, contractors, and other stakeholders, so projects come together more fluidly.
- Most importantly, project management helps architects meet their deadlines in a timely manner and keeps their costs under control – both critical elements when it comes to keeping clients satisfied with the end result.
10 Practical Tips for Effective Project Management for Architects
📝 Start with a plan
As an architect, it’s easy to start shooting creative darts in all directions when launching a project. But be warned: without a blueprint, you may find yourself overwhelmed and inefficient as the project progresses.
That’s why planning at the very beginning of any project is key to success.
Tailoring your plan to the scope and details of the assignment allows you to stay focused and on task, saving you time and energy throughout the development process. So, before unleashing that creativity from the prism of design skills, take a step back and make sure you have a clear path forward with a detailed plan – your route to a successful project.
🔮 Estimate
Resource estimation can often seem like playing a guessing game, but the more experienced you become at predicting the resources needed for the job, the better off you’ll be down the line.
To start with it, consider the scope of the project and break it down into actionable tasks. Then, think through each one carefully to correctly estimate the duration and cost.
Remember that accuracy is key here.
Whether you are dealing with a budget too small or too large, don’t be tempted to do your best guesstimate. Take the time to make grounded estimations to ensure the successful completion of your project. And in the end, if your initial estimations didn’t quite match up to reality – don’t despair! Use those lessons learned to think smarter and create more accurate estimates for your next projects.
💪 Allocate roles and tasks smartly
Taking the time to carefully assign tasks to those best suited for them helps a project move forward with efficiency, allowing everyone involved to focus on what they do best. When assigned wisely, unique talents, strengths, or specializations come into play, turning out-of-the-box ideas into award-winning designs.
📅 Make a timeline
As they say, “time is money.” And in line with this truthful statement, an accurate and realistic timeline can help to complete your architecture projects both on time and within budget.
Creating an effective timeline early on in the project management cycle should be a priority. And for this to happen, you need to have a comprehensive list of all the planned tasks, a detailed picture of resources involved in the project, accurate time estimates, deadlines, and a visual project scheduling tool that allows for creating an accurate timeline in an easy and flexible way.
With a well-developed timeline in hand, no issues with resource availability and scheduling will be able to derail your momentum, and you’ll have a better chance of delivering high-quality projects faster and with fewer headaches.
So, once your project timeline is set, try to stick to it as best as you can. And in case you need some help deciding which project scheduling tool to choose for creating your own project timelines, consider actiPLANS – with this intuitive software solution, the resource scheduling process becomes a breeze.
Learn more about it here.
🗣️ Ensure smooth communication
Projects never run perfectly smoothly – unless you ensure that the much-needed communication is effective throughout. Therefore, before embarking on your next mission, make sure that everyone involved in the project is informed and understands expectations from start to finish.
It is crucial to keep an open channel of dialogue with everyone so any questions or concerns can be easily addressed and communicated in real time. This way, you will be able to catch any complications quickly and deal with them before they become a larger issue.
🤝 Keep clients engaged
Clients are an integral part of any architecture project – from creative and practical input to emotional attachment – so engaging them at every step of the way adds not only efficiency but also ongoing buy-in.
Frequent communication about progress and milestones will keep clients up-to-date and aware of where the project is going. Video conferences also allow for an interactive way to discuss ideas in real time and build relationships beyond email, phone calls, or text messages. This helps architects to demonstrate to clients that they genuinely care about delivering their projects on time and in accordance with all expectations.
🔎 Track work progress
For architects diligently managing a project, staying on top of work progress is key. Keeping tabs on the little things is the only way to ensure that your project doesn’t quickly unravel in unforeseen (and potentially costly) ways.
Get creative about work tracking – don’t rely solely on spreadsheets or emails to monitor progress. Use post-it notes, whiteboards, or other visual aids as reminders of where each task stands in relation to the overall project timeline. This makes it easier for everyone involved to see at a glance where any potential delays might occur and how to address them quickly.
Project management software is another excellent option for progress tracking. For example, a tool like actiTIME lets you keep a detailed record of time spent on work, keep tabs on staff-related project costs and clearly see which tasks are already completed or currently in progress.
May actiTIME be your guide light during your next architecture journey! Sign up for a free online trial today.
📊 Collect and analyze performance data
For architects looking to excel in their project management game, there is one hack that stands strong above the rest – collecting and analyzing performance data.
Performance data provides a bird’s eye view of how your project is operating, and it can be used to identify critical areas for improvement. It dials up the precision of decision-making by arming you with actionable insights that allow you to take effective and prompt measures to ensure success – it’s like having access to a myriad of crystal balls, helping you anticipate trends before they become a problem.
As an architect or project manager, why settle for mediocre results when performance data can set you on the path to excellence? So, make understanding performance data your new superpower.
🐍 Stay flexible
Staying flexible doesn’t mean changing the entire project scope every single week. It simply means being malleable enough to respond quickly to any possible roadblocks that may arise during the project timeline while still adhering closely to your creative vision.
Try not to let unexpected changes throw off that special spark! Staying flexible is the best way to refine your project management approach and achieve superior results in the end.
🤖 Use technology to boost efficiency
Modern technology enables architects to work faster and smarter in ways that were not previously possible. And this newfound efficiency allows them to save time while creating plans and increase productivity by allowing them to move on to other projects quickly.
So, whether you’re dreaming up a runway-worthy building or just tinkering around with some small renovation project, make sure to apply technology to get more done with fewer resources and less effort. After all, why should project management feel like a headache when you can let tech do the hardest work for you?
Main Project Management Models to Choose from
Project management can sometimes feel like an endless spiral: goals, budgeting, meetings…it’s enough to make any architect throw their hands in the air. But luckily, there are many project management models out there to get us through the hectic days of deadlines and long-term planning.
Now, let’s take a look at some of the main approaches used in project management today – they can help you manage work in a more organized way when you’re busy building your ambitious projects into reality:
- Waterfall model: This is a traditional project management model that follows a sequential design process, with each phase of the project dependent on the completion of the preceding one. It requires significant planning upfront and is best suited for projects where requirements are well-defined.
- Agile project management: This approach involves continuous development and collaboration between teams and stakeholders, allowing requirements to evolve through iterations. It is well-suited for projects with many unknowns.
- Scrum: This model is based on an iterative approach to project management that focuses on breaking down tasks into smaller pieces and delivering them in short “sprints” or cycles. It is appropriate for complex projects with frequent changes or unpredictable elements.
- Lean project management: This method emphasizes the importance of eliminating waste and inefficiencies during the project process to maximize value for stakeholders. It encourages collaboration, experimentation, and continuous improvement.
- Critical Path Method (CPM): It is based on the idea of identifying the most important tasks when completing a project, then scheduling these tasks in the most efficient order possible to complete the project on time. This model is best suited for projects with tight timelines and deadlines.
- Kanban: This model was designed to help teams visualize and manage their workloads. It utilizes visualizations such as boards and cards to organize tasks, prioritize them, and track progress.
Conclusion
Although project management in the architecture and building industries has traditionally been a tricky tightrope of finding the balance between creative input and budget, with this foolproof guide to architectural project management, you have all the necessary tools to keep your next endeavor up to the highest standards.
Take all the time you need for research and consultations, as the tiniest details can make a world of difference between a successful project and one that was doomed right from the start. And don’t forget about actiTIME! This simple yet feature-packed project tracking tool will help you keep work under better control and better stick to the plan.
Best of luck!
