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Module

ARC7068 : Service Delivery and Practice Management

  • Offered for Year: 2024/25
  • Module Leader(s): Dr John Kamara
  • Visiting Lecturer: Mr Peter Churchill
  • Owning School: Architecture, Planning & Landscape
  • Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters

Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.

Semester 1 Credit Value: 20
Semester 2 Credit Value: 10
ECTS Credits: 15.0
European Credit Transfer System

Aims

•To increase students’ knowledge and understanding of the practice of architecture with respect to the delivery of services to clients and other stakeholders, and the management of an architectural practice
•To develop a greater understanding of professionalism, the ethics of being a professional, and the roles and relationships of architects to their clients, to other professionals in the construction industry, to society, and to the wider world (especially in relation to environmental sustainability and climate change, and fire and life safety design)
•To develop the professional skills and competencies necessary to undertake all the duties and obligations of an architect

Outline Of Syllabus

This module covers section PC1 (Professionalism), section PC2 (Clients, users and delivery of services) and Section PC4 (Practice and management) of the ARB (Architects Registration Board) syllabus; relevant aspects of ARB Guidance on Environmental Sustainability and Fire and Life Safety Design; and relevant aspects of the RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) Themes and Values for Education at Part 3 (e.g., Architecture for Social Purpose, Sustainable Architecture; Business, clients, and services; Inclusive environments; Health, safety, and wellbeing; Places, planning and communities).

Teaching Methods

Teaching Activities
Category Activity Number Length Student Hours Comment
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesLecture22:004:00PIP and/or Synchronous online delivery
Structured Guided LearningLecture materials60:202:00Non-synchronous delivery
Guided Independent StudyAssessment preparation and completion250:00100:00N/A
Placement/Study AbroadEmployer-based learning1120:00120:00Work-based learning
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesWorkshops43:0012:00PIP and/or Synchronous online delivery
Guided Independent StudyReflective learning activity158:0058:00N/A
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesDrop-in/surgery21:002:00Hours per student. Online delivery
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesModule talk21:002:00PIP and/or Synchronous online delivery
Total300:00
Teaching Rationale And Relationship

All students taking this module (as part of the Pg Diploma in Architectural Practice and Management – 3360P) work in industry and much of their learning (employer-based learning) takes place within that context. Scheduled learning activities will be organised mostly as block teaching over two or three days, except for the drop-in/surgeries which will be scheduled over the course of the Semester to suit the individual needs of students. Delivery of scheduled learning activities will primarily be in person. However, since all students are working in practice and much of the teaching is delivered by external staff, a combination of in-person (PIP) and synchronous online delivery will be considered. But all PIP activities could easily be switched to synchronous online delivery should this become necessary.

All structured activities (learning and teaching and guided learning) are designed to introduce and update students about the concepts and issues covered in the syllabus (lectures), and scaffold their learning both before and after lectures (lecture materials). The workshop activities are designed to assist students to contextualise their learning in simulated real-life scenarios, and these will be supplemented by the drop-in sessions, which will be organised individually and in groups. The guided independent study activities will allow students to frame and reflect on their workplace learning in line with the learning outcomes for the module.

Assessment Methods

The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners

Exams
Description Length Semester When Set Percentage Comment
Oral Presentation201M20Oral group presentation on an aspect of the learning outcomes of the module. An alternative and comparable form of assessment (e.g., individual presentation or written submission) could be considered in exceptional circumstances.
Other Assessment
Description Semester When Set Percentage Comment
Report2A803500-word report as a response to a practice-based scenario that is linked to the learning outcomes
Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The oral group presentations will allow students to practice (online) group (collaborative) working skills and explore an aspect of the learning outcomes of the module (e.g., the setting up of an architectural practice, providing services to clients, etc.) that will help them acquire and apply knowledge to real-life practical problems. It will also allow students, who are otherwise dispersed in different offices and locations within and outside Newcastle, to better connect with each other, and develop a basis for better peer support and learning. Where students are prevented from participating in group work due to unforeseen circumstances, an alternative and comparable form of assessment (e.g., individual presentation or written submission) will be used to assess this aspect of the learning outcomes.

The 3500-word report will be prepared in response to a scenario that reflects the realities of architectural practice. The scenario will be set (and the reports assessed) by professional examiners and will be issued to students at least four weeks before submission. It will require students to respond to the range of issues as would be experienced in the delivery of services to clients and in the management of architectural firms. This will therefore be a good opportunity to test students’ understanding, knowledge, and ability to apply theoretical knowledge to the practice of architecture, as well as assess their communication, business, and critical thinking skills. THIS COMPONENT OF THE MODULE MUST BE PASSED TO PASS THE WHOLE MODULE.

Reading Lists

Timetable