Minutes of meeting held on 6th March 2017, commencing at 4 pm in Room 24, Newton,

Nottingham Trent University.

PRESENT: All members

J. Borkowska (JKB), J. Bowen (JHB), S. Dowson (SD), M. Ford (MF), F. Knights (FK)

ACTION

1.0 MATTERS ARISING FROM PREVIOUS MINUTES:

Type up minutes and upload to blog
Every member to produce their fictitious CV.
- Starts in 2017, the year when graduated NTU
- Add in everything after then to lead you up to your role within the practice
Book room for next weeks meeting
Look up how much architecture practices pay themselves when they start up
BIM level 4 research and what it is about
Behaviours in collaborations, in response to BIM level 4 research
Research technologies in relation to chosen sectors
Research building methods (building processes and techniques)
Research future materials
Create our individual SWOT analysis referring to our individual roles
Create company SWOT analysis
Finish PESTEL analysis
Everyone review minutes
What is the evidence of your directors suitability for their chosen roles within
the firm (modelled partially upon personal career development plans following
graduation)?
What is your firms product? What is the market for this product? What is your
unique selling point (USP)?
What are your firms strengths and weaknesses? What opportunities and threats
may affect its success?
Who are your clientele (and who else might they be in the future)?
How does your business fit into the Nottingham community? Who is competing
with you locally and/or nationally for potential clients?
How will you demonstrate commercial viability? Where will you get set-up
funding, and how much is required?
What will be the capital and running costs of the practice? What profits do you
anticipate and when?
How will you manage your company? Will it be a private or publicly owned
organisation, a partnership or a co-operative? What kind of employer will you
be?
What is your attitude to sustainability and carbon reduction?
How might another economic recession affect your business? How would you
diversify or change course if needed? How might you expand the scope of your
business activities?
How will you market/promote your company?
Researching into ways we can provide a hands on promotion on the stand
 Research in more detail PPS
MF to do further precedent research that focuses on rammed earth
Not just precedent research but the construction process behind it
Maybe start looking at these precedents in further detail, look on the company
website for construction details
Look how materials get put together
Green roofs do further research on construction details
JKB to further research cost of renting equipment use these when we start up
and our own laptops and in our 5 year business plan aim to buy some of the
more expensive equipment
MF and SD to type up and fill in the gaps within the table

4.0 BUSINESS ACTION PLAN

Table is completed. MF typed up the information, SD arranged into table form and filled
any gaps.
Manager Strategic Context Suggested Short-term Action (1 3 Long-term Action (4 5
Responsible Topics Years) Years)

Administrative Create Standard Activities and Deal with HR (Human Achieve BS EN: ISO 9001
Introduction Services Resources) eg. Holidays,
documents for the sick leave and maternity
clients leave

Incorporate People Offer work experience Mentoring infrastructure set

teaching students up for senior staff to teach
the ways of our junior staff
practice

Healthier staff Flexible working hours More staff and holidays

lifestyle

Marketing Build a reputation Reputation Increase advertising Decrease advertising costs

for the public to be mediums through and rely more on word of
aware of mouth
- websites
- social media
- magazines
- architectural
magazines
- local press
- top results on
search
engines
(Heavily Advertised)

Video created with Notts Have wide spread videos /

TV and to be aired on advertisements / TV
their channels programs that are aired
Nationally
 Write articles for the Invite press to opening
press about our ceremonies of completed
completed buildings buildings

Work with local schools, Broader school integration

communities and
institutions - summer school
workshops
- international
student courses
- bursaries

Give lectures to local Expand lectures to across the

schools, communities UK abroad if the need arises
and institutions

Become part of the Membership Have selected members Ensure all staff are RIBA
local community and of the staff RIBA members
(organisations) Associations members

Join NDSA (Nottingham & Get involved more with what

Derby Society of the NDSA do and their
Architects) events

Become RIBA Work towards having Become an chartered RIBA

accredited members of the practice Practice
to be RIBA members

Image Expand Culture and Timber and low Expand into using reusable
construction Design embodied energy plastics
materials designed buildings

Have a consistent Communication Formats and templates Branding is on vehicles and

brand PPE (Personal and Protection
- emails Equipment) has branding on
- letters it
- social media
- presence
- drawing
packages
Have a brand that In-house brand creation Use a branding company to
the public help promote our brand
recognise (increased costs)

Technology Get everyone up to Introducing Invite external Provide CPD training

date with CPD new staff and professionals to conduct internally
training CPD this training

Develop a CPD Have a CPD management

management plan to plan in place so that we can
ensure everyone is up to become a Chartered RIBA
date with CPD Practice

Everyone in the practice to

undertake at least 35 hours
of CPD in line with their RIBA
membership

Make sure Get external people to Internal staff training on

everyone has up to train staff on computer required software
date training on software
computer software

Premises and Make rented office more Build or buy our own office.
Location client friendly (If we buy somewhere we
 Expand the will do it up property
business and make development)
it more welcoming
Nottingham city center Expand into other UK cities
location (5 yrs + expand into offices
abroad)

Finance Make profit Commercial Take out bank loan for Pay off bank loan in full and
considerations the business be earning profit
(external)

Reduces Cost Business Reduce energy, waste Generate our own energy
considerations and materials: through the use of:
(internal)
- fridge A+ - Solar panels
energy rating - Rainwater
- recycling bins collection system
- composting - Rammed earth
- L.E.D lights building
- locally - Small wind
sourced food turbines
garden
vegetables
Use recycled paper for Continue use of recycled
documents and tender paper throughout our
packages documents and publications
and expand to the creation
Encourage staff to of our drawings as well.
recycle paper and card

Encouraging staff to cycle Give out incentives to staff

to work to cycle to work

IT To get relevant Equipment Rent or buy second-hand Buy plotters and equipment
software and plotters and other high- out in full
equipment tech equipment. If
required by the renting we dont have to Invest in touch screen tables
practice to do day pay for maintenance and more high-tech
to day tasks companies to fix them equipment to show clients
when they break down

Use personal computers Buy higher powered office

computers

- Every Buy software in full for every

computer to computer within the practice
have
Microsoft
Office
- 2 Licenses for
Photoshop,
Illustrator and
InDesign
- 3 Licenses for
Revit
- Every
computer to
have Autocad
Paid in monthly
installments

Use directors personal Buy an office camera

cameras and phones for
project and site photos
 Ensure we are QA Protocols Create an outline of Create an office manual
continuously procedures and protocols
improving our QA of the practice
System
BS 9001 registered within (5 years + Expand office
18 months handbook to include
environmental assurance)

Have one of the directors Employ someone into the

carrying out the job of business for their sole job to
Inhouse QA Manager be the QA Manager

5.0 FUTURE MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS RESEARCH

Translucent Wood
- Use of to allow light in but still retain the owners privacy
Rammed Earth Construction
Adobe Construction
- Simple construction method
- Low tech solution
- Minimal materials (uses a mixture of earth and organic materials)
- Environmentally friendly way of construction
- The large mass helps to naturally heat the building
Straw Bales Construction

6.0 INTERLOCKING WOODEN BRICKS

Discussion upon video and construction method found by JKB
Can create load-bearing walls
Created by interlocking four wooden parts
Pieces just slot together without using any glue or nails
Simple and quick construction
Hollow centred to add insulation
Insulation is made from wood chips, blown wool and cellulose wool. The chips
are made from all the scrap in the creation of the wooden bricks
7.0 DISCUSSION UPON PROFESSIONAL PHOTOS
Decided upon which were the best photos to add to the website
On the 2nd Photoshoot the photos were taken by FK
Photos then edited by FK

8.0 PLOTTER HIRE

JKB undertaken research on hiring plotters
89 per month to hire and includes 3 years full service cover
More feasible option for a start-up business due to being covered if the
equipment breaks down therefore maintenance will come out
This therefore involves less stress for the practice on trying to find someone to
come and fix it
Price per month does not include ink costs which are an additional 271.64 for 5
inks
9.0 FINANCE: START UP FUNDS
Discussing JKBs research into how we could fund our practice at the start
Business Start-up Loans
- Can borrow up to 25,000
Our own savings
- realistically, we may have been able to save around 5,000 / 6,000 in the years
between becoming fully qualified and starting our own practice
Crowdfunding
- Helps to fund our projects rather than our practice
- The community raising money for our community engaged projects
10.0 RUBBER FACADES
Discussing research carried out by MF
Rubber tyres are weather resistant, a property which this rubber facade material
replicates
Simple black sheeting with visible fastening (creating a leather sofa like look -
upholstery)
EPDM Rubber is created in roll form with a thickness of 1.3mm
The rubber panels are manufactured off site and transported and mounted
onsite
The rubber is cut to shape in the factory
11.0 ACTIONS FOR NEXT MEETING:
Type up minutes and upload to blog SD
Every member to produce their fictitious CV. ALL
- Starts in 2017, the year when graduated NTU
- Add in everything after then to lead you up to your role within the practice
Book room for next weeks meeting SD
Look up how much architecture practices pay themselves when they start up JKB
BIM level 4 research and what it is about
Behaviours in collaborations, in response to BIM level 4 research SD
Research technologies in relation to chosen sectors SD
Research building methods (building processes and techniques) MF
Create our individual SWOT analysis referring to our individual roles MF
Create company SWOT analysis ALL
Finish PESTEL analysis FK/JHB
Everyone review minutes ALL
What is the evidence of your directors suitability for their chosen roles within SD &
the firm (modelled partially upon personal career development plans following MF
graduation)?
What is your firms product? What is the market for this product? What is your FK &
unique selling point (USP)? JHB
What are your firms strengths and weaknesses? What opportunities and threats
may affect its success?
Who are your clientele (and who else might they be in the future)? SD
How does your business fit into the Nottingham community? Who is competing FK
with you locally and/or nationally for potential clients?
How will you demonstrate commercial viability? Where will you get set-up FK
funding, and how much is required?
What will be the capital and running costs of the practice? What profits do you JKB
anticipate and when?
 How will you manage your company? Will it be a private or publicly owned JKB
organisation, a partnership or a co-operative? What kind of employer will you
be?
What is your attitude to sustainability and carbon reduction? SD/MF
How might another economic recession affect your business? How would you ALL
diversify or change course if needed? How might you expand the scope of your
business activities?
How will you market/promote your company? JHB
Researching into ways we can provide a hands on promotion on the stand MF
Research in more detail PPS FK
Maybe start looking at these precedents in further detail, look on the company MF
website for construction details
Look how materials get put together MF
Green roofs do further research on construction details MF

9.0 DATE OF NEXT MEETING:

We will be meeting at 10am on both Saturday 11th March and Sunday 12th March 2017
to work together but it will not be an informal meeting. That way we can help each
other and work out what is left to be completed.

Next formal meeting:

Monday 13th March 2017
2pm
Room 24, Newton, Nottingham Trent University