Additional Services we provide
It is the practices policy that the Principal becomes the lead Designer and lead Project Manager for each project that comes into the office. He takes responsibility for ensuring that the architectural design and management of your project is to your satisfaction at all stages. The practice is qualified for Project Supervisor Design Process (PSDP) and is accredited in Conservation at Grade III. We can perform the roles of Design Certifier and Assigned Certifier in accordance with the requirements of the Building Control Amendment Regulations (BCAR).
The Principal becomes the Project Manager for each project that comes into the office. He takes responsibility for ensuring that the architectural design and management of your project is to your satisfaction at all stages. He will establish your brief and the scope of services, budget and fees etc… at an early stage.
The Principal will work with our professional staff to develop the architectural and technical works, and supervise the building contract. These staff members may deal with you or your organization on routine matters during the course of the project, but the overall responsibility lies with the Principal.
The practice’s management style is to keep in touch regularly with the individual client, client’s representative or organization; all members of our own team within our office; other members of the design team; local authority officers; building contractor and subcontractor firms. Design Team meetings will include the client body, and are held with a view to establishing responsibilities of all parties at an early date. The client will be kept informed at all stages of the design process, with copies of all relevant correspondence and minutes of meetings.
An important element of office management is that projects are delivered on time and within budget. To ensure this, it is essential that the client is involved at all stages of the design decisions and project planning. In this way, clients will be kept fully informed of any potential difficulties that may arise in a project programme or costing, and, if necessary, appropriate action can be agreed in a timely manner with the client and all the members of the design team.
The Principal will meet with the clients at the initial stages to agree the project timescale, and a programme of works. Appropriate action is agreed with the client should this timescale is delayed for any reason e.g. delays in planning, Third Party Appeal, etc. Regular meetings are held internally within the office to assess the workload and to ensure that specific deadlines will be met.
It is a policy of the practice, as soon as a new project is commenced to put a project plan in place and to identify a target date for completion which will also involve key target dates such as, completion of sketch design, meetings with the client, lodgement of planning application and fire safety certificate, production of budget target, tender date, commencement of construction, certification and completion.
In regard to cost in use, the office works with mechanical and electrical consultants to ensure adequate levels of day lighting and minimization of unnecessary heat loss and all designs are carried out with lifecycle costs and costs in use, in mind. The firm has extensive experience in dealing with the building environment in Ireland and in ensuring that buildings which we design are able to withstand the climatic variations experienced in the West of Ireland.
Project Supervisor Design Process
The role of Project Supervisor Design Process (PSDP) is a separate appointment as required by the Safety, Health and Welfare (Construction) Regulations 2013. It must be made in writing and must allow for sufficient resources ie: adequate fees, for the role to be carried out in accordance with the regulations.
Paul Conway Architects have considerable training and experience in this role and offer it as an Additional Service.
The PSDP shall “organize cooperation between Designers on the same project and, so far as is reasonably practicable, ensure coordination of their activities in relation to the design of the project with a view to protecting the safety, health & welfare of persons involved in construction work”.This includes organizing cooperation and ensuring, so far as is reasonably practicable, the coordination of the activities of all temporary works Designers.
The Guidelines state “The PSDP should pay particular attention to potentially catastrophic issues such as overall instability of the structure during the various stages of construction.” In coordinating the activities of the various Designers where the integrity of a structure during construction is an important safety issue, the PSDP should insist ( and be in a position to insist ) that one designer takes overall design responsibility for the stability of a structure during the envisaged construction process and that a suitably qualified engineer be employed to liase with the Design team
The guidelines state “The requirement of the Construction Regulations for the PSDP to co-ordinate the design of works, including the design of temporary works, does not eliminate the need for the appointment (generally by contractors) of competent temporary works engineers who understand the complexity of the forces involved in temporary works-permanent works interaction and who can design the temporary works to take account of these forces”
The PSDP, in preparing the Safety and Health Plan on a preliminary basis, is required to include further information, such as the conclusions reached by designers and the project supervisor as regards the taking account of the general principals of prevention and any relevant safety and health plan or safety file.
The Project Supervisor Design Process (PSDP) is responsible for the preparation of the Safety File appropriate to the characteristics of the project, containing relevant safety and health information, and delivering it to the Client on completion of the project.
The Project Supervisor for the Construction Stage (PSCS) is normally a separate appointment of the Building Contractor. The PSCS must “coordinate arrangements among contractors to ensure the provision of the relevant information, in writing, necessary for the project supervisor for the design process to complete the safety file”. They PSCS must also provide in writing to the PSDP all relevant information necessary to complete the Safety File.
Paul Conway and the Practice are accredited in Conservation at Grade III by the RIAI.
An Architect/Practice accredited in conservation at Grade III is qualified to provide, in relation to works appropriate to their Grade, the full range of services as described in the RIAI Client/Architect Agreement and, in addition –
To advise on:
- -The philosophy and principles of conservation;
- UNESCO, ICOMOS and other Charters, Regulations and Guidelines;
- The legal background to conservation;
- The implications of the purchase of a protected structure;
- Statutory obligations for declarations, notifications and consents;
- The need for historic research and analysis;
- The need for specialist advice;
- Appropriate general repairs to historic fabric;
- Appropriate new uses for historic buildings.
- Applying for grants and funding for conservation works;
- Contracts suitable for conservation work;
- The conservation implications and need for specialist design for temporary works, demolition and shoring for historic buildings;
- Maintenance strategies and management policies for environmental protection and preservation of monuments and their contents, and sites.
And to:
- Examine a historic building or site, and identify its emotional, cultural and use significance;
- Commission searches of records and archives;
- Diagnose, in broad outline, causes of decay and recommend appropriate specialist investigation;
- Define the need for specialist studies of materials and systems, the services of art and architectural historians, archaeologists, conservators
- and other specialist consultants; and of specialist contractors, technicians, craftsmen and tradesmen;
- Design appropriate alterations and extensions;
- Document the works executed and making them accessible
- Work with inhabitants, administrators and planners to develop conservation strategies appropriate to local needs, abilities and resources.
The role of Assigned Certifier (AC) is a separate appointment as required by the Building Control Amendment Regulations. It must be made in writing and must allow for sufficient resources ie: adequate fees, for the role to be carried out in accordance with the regulations.
As Registered Architects, Paul Conway Architects have the necessary qualifications, considerable training and experience for this role and offer it as an Additional Service.
We only offer this role on projects where are already appointed to provide a full architectural service.
