Communication Skills In Architectural Practices

“We need to be masters of communication and it is time that we realise that communication, considered broadly, is our most essential professional skill” (Pressman 1995 P 154)

1.0 Introduction

There is a debate that modern architectural professionals need to change their approach in how they carry out their duties throughout building projects. The traditional “im in charge approach” adapted by architects in the past is no longer a sustainable approach in a construction industry where competition is increasing among architectural practices and design-build contractors to secure the investment of potential clients. The aim of this report is highlight some of the key areas in architectural practice where communication skills play a pivotal role

When designing a website, architects need to think critically “What’s the one thing I want someone visiting my site to do” (Reinholdt 2015, P60), Architects need to remember they are not communicating with other architects and should refrain from using complicated terminology or expensive outstanding imagery that will only confuse or frustrate outsiders visiting the website. The vision and strengths of the practice should be evident from the home

Listening carefully will “reveal a client’s personality traits and provide a wealth of information” (Reinholdt, 2015, P83) and enable an architect to determine if it’s worth following up for a face to face consultation and avoid time wasting. Reinholdt (2015) suggests architects should exercise caution when considering working with any potential clients who:

• Are no longer working with other architects in the same area.

• Have vague ideas of what they are looking for in a project.

• Have unrealistic expectations regarding costs and time to execute the works.

• Intend on handing over the design to a design-build contractor resulting in the architect becoming novated

According to Reinholdt, (2015) architects should use face to face consultations to gather information about the project, listen closely and develop a clear understanding of the client’s needs and particular design problem. For some client’s, a consultation could be their first experience of a building project and may also be considering a number of different architectural practices. Architects need to clearly explain the services they will be providing, how their practice can solve the clients particular design problem and the various stages involved in the design process. Showing a client previous projects of similar scale will help the architect communicate to the client; the style of the practice, what can be achieved, the scale of work and time involved