RESOURCES

 

TECHNICAL STAFF

Having received a Master's Degree in Architecture at Wroclaw University (including the award for Best Diploma of the year), and having gained over 2 years' experience in both Architecture and Interior design in Poland, Witek Herzog joined the practice in 2002 and has become highly proficient in all aspects of the Archicad and Artlantis software packages. He has been also involved in planning, designing and overseeing projects. He has an exceptional eye for detail, and has become valuable of the office.

The practice also has a number of tried and tested architects and technicians who work on a sub-contract basis, project by project. This allows the Directors to match the skills required for a particular commission with the talents of a range of professionals, and prevents the approach to projects becoming stale and time-serving.

The system also ensures that the sub-contractors necessarily work for a number of other practices, including their own, creating cross fertilisation and fresh thinking to be brought into the practice and applied to the projects in hand.

ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF

Coral Manton is the practice Secretary and has been with the practice since its inception. She is based at the London office and handles all the day-to-day administration of the two offices.

Miriam Fehler undertakes the practice's photography.

Aharon Fehler provides specialist computer expertise to the practice, and coded the company's Website.

EDUCATION CONSULTANT

Dr Julienne Hanson is a Reader in Architectural and Urban Morphology in the Bartlett School of Graduate Studies at University College London. She is Course Director of the one-year MSc in Advanced Architectural Studies, applying the principles of Space Syntax theory developed with Professor W Hillier and published in "The Social Logic of Space " CUP (1984), and applied in her book "Decoding Homes and Houses" CUP (1998).

She is currently engaged on a research project examining the patterns of the existing housing stock of dwellings occupied by the elderly, from those in individual family homes to those in residential care.

She has worked on collaborative design projects between undergraduate architecture students and primary school children from Inner London primary schools, for the design of play structures and innovative learning environments.

Her experience and current research is targeted towards strategic spatial development prior to the detailed design stage, and evaluating proposed solutions.

 

COMPUTER AIDED DESIGN


The practice utilises Archicad and Artlantis software -- sophisticated three-dimensional modelling systems which generate 3D images and 2D drawings from a common interactive database, and which operate on an element system. Information is held at full size, and can be imported from and exported to other CAD systems through industry-standard date exchange formats. Directors and staff members are fluent in its use and application.

The practice's investment and experience in IT is used to supplement the project team, the suitability of the project for CAD or other IT-based techniques being individually assessed for each project.

 

PROJECT DOCUMENTATION

Almost all project documentation work is computer generated on industry-standard word processors. For conventionally procured projects, specifications are NBS based, being generated after detailed briefing sessions with the client. For Design and Build projects where the practice is acting as the Employer's Representative, comprehensive Employer's Requirements are built up, in consultation with the Employer, from a number of sources, and individually edited to suit each project. When acting for D&B Contractors, extensive use is made of CAD facilities.

 

TECHNICAL LIBRARY


The practice subscribes to NBS Contract Administrator and Barbour Index Technical and Product Libraries, and thereby has up-to-date information available for application as appropriate to each project. In addition, articles in the technical press relevant to current projects are studied carefully for feedback on problems experienced on other similar and relevant projects.

 

METHOD OF WORKING


The practice operates the RIBA's Plan Of Work. This is a precursor of the current trend for Quality Assurance, which is limited to the Quality Plan which the company has set out to meet. By using an established and well-known industry standard plan of work, the practice believes that its working methods are well founded, reliable, and easily as effective as those currently required by Quality Plans.

 

FINANCIAL BASE


After continuing investment to improve the quality of the services offered to clients, the past twelve years have shown modest and increasing profits for the Company.

 

PROFESSIONAL INDEMNITY AND GENERAL INSURANCES

Professional Indemnity Insurance is effected through the RIBA Insurance Agency Limited, with cover currently set at £1M each and every claim. Third Party and Employee Insurances are also carried, at £1M and £10M respectively. Certificates of Insurance are available for inspection.