ARCHITECTURE
As Architects we strive to improve our built environment, improve society, improve lives, and inspire people. Today Architects face a rapidly changing environment, many shared across the AECO industry, but also some unique or at least more prominent within Architecture.
Architectural practices face many challenges today, such as staff and skills shortages, clients demanding more and more complex buildings at lower and lower costs.
In the UK, the Building Safety Act came into force on October 2023, this places legislative requirement for any eligible building in the UK to have an accountable person and a Building Safety report, a digital audit trail and accessible information throughout the project and well beyond.
Designing buildings to achieve certification such as BREEM and meeting sustainability goals in general is increasingly challenging as client expectations rise. Whilst client expectations rise, unfortunately we are not seeing a similar rise in fees, increasing pressure to deliver efficiently.
Architects we speak to cite poor project communication as the reason projects overrun and/or lose money. There are many ways of communicating on projects, perhaps too many, making a situation that has always been high risk even riskier.
As many turn to new technology to solve these issues, innovations such
as new materials and new construction methods such as Modular construction, 3D
printing concrete and steel, mass timber, self-healing concrete, and others, it
can be almost overwhelming. All this is without factoring in the development of
new hardware and software used within the design and project delivery process.
We are also seeing an unprecedented shortage in staff and skills in the
industry. With 63% of trades struggling to find staff to meet project requirements in 2023 and a predicted 8.3% rise in labour costs due to high demand, it is no surprise that many organisations state this is the biggest issue they face this year.
Yet another ‘hot topic’ in the Construction industry is Digital
transformation. This is seen as a bit of a buzz word (or phrase) but rather than an issue facing the industry it can be harnessed to be part of the solution to many of the challenges we face. Digital transformation, when successfully leads to reduced waste through identifying issues early in the design and construction process, improving communications and reducing errors.
How we can help
Diatec Group can advise you on many these issues and others impacting your business.
We have a track record of over 30 years’ experience in helping our clients plan
and deliver their business strategy, working as partners to deliver business
change, implement new software solutions and train and enable staff to realise
the benefits. This ensures that you maximise the returns on your investment and
realise the return on that investment as quickly as possible. We can also help
you understand how digital transformation and BIM impacts you, and can benefit
your business, how you could implement it and how to manage the risk.