Construction industry comes out of recession

Interesting Article confirming that the Construction Industry is now out of recession however the sectors which have taken it out of recession are of no use to us Architects. Maintenance Contracts for Council Housing Stocks are unlikley to generate fees for privately owned Architectural Practices.

We need the private residential and commercial markets to increase.

But hey I am not complaining. This is all definitely good news...


Construction industry comes out of recession News Construction News

Block Architects in the News..

The BBC have decided to report on our joing project between JHAG Ltd and Dobbies Garden Centre in East Kilbride. For more information follow the existing link.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/8405567.stm

Kenneth's Reading List

At block architects I always advise the Team that it is important to grow personally and professionally. I am a great one for continued learning not only about Architecture but also about Business and Entrepreneurship. I've started reading 'The One Minute Entrepreneur' by Ken Blanchard, Don Hutson and Ethan Willis.

I wanted to share some of the 'One Minute Insights' from the first Chapter. They are very interesting:-

• Associate with people you admire and can learn from.
• keep a notebook of the wisdom you read, hear, and learn, and distill that learning into One Minute Insights.
• A good life is built on strong, solid values such as integrity, love, honesty, and purposeful work.
• You never nead to cheat to win.
• What is right is more important than who is right.

This is a good book!

Pushing our Business Forward with ActionCOACH

Just thought I would write a quick blog regarding our ongoing business coaching with ActionCOACH.

On Friday 4th Dec I spend a fantastic day at Celtic FC where myself and other business owners enjoyed the hospitality of ActionCOACH at our MAD 90 Day Coaching Seminar.

For those of you who don't know what this is MAD (Massive Action Day) is a full day workshop where we work through the various areas of business development in order to set our Goals for the Next 90 Days.

Block Architects – 90 Day Plan
Dec 2009 – March 2010

These are the Key Goals for the next 90 days:-

Financial Goal – Hit targets and achieve growth in Turnover.

People Goal – Find 30 minutes every Friday to round of the week and have some wiffle time.

Personal Goal – Work hard on ‘myself’

These are the General Goals for the next 90 days:-

Re-examine Licensed Model Business
Review existing and new Strategic Alliances
Track sources of Lead Generation
Monitor and Improve Lead Conversion rate
Review the Company Procedures Manual
Review long term Goals both Personal and Business
Write and Publish ‘How to Guides’
Prepare ‘How to Podcast Guides’
Implement off site back up

Self Build Scotland - Here's our new business!

Between now and Christmas I will be spending a bit of time working on the new webpage www.selfbuilderpro.com

This is our new venture which we will officially launch in January. The new business aims to provide a one stop shop for the self build novice or enthusiast who is looking for as little or as much assistance with the process as necessary.

I will be loading 10 of so house plans onto the site to get us started and that will hopefully get the web page almost complete.

Any feedback good or not so good is appreciated.

The RIBA/RIAS Must Take Building Control To Task

Are we the only Architects who feel that the Scottish Building Control Regulations are just too onerous? We have just been asked to provide a 1:5 detail of an intumescent collar in a garage roof!

We are constantly finding that the Building Control Regulations are more and more demanding with reference to the information that they can ask for. We have no issue whatsoever with issuing a full set of Construction Drawings to Building Control but this is outwith the 'Plan of Work'. Surely the RIBA and RIAS should remind the SBSA that Architects have a Stages of Work Plan (RIAS/RIBA Stages A-K). Our whole industry apparently conforms to this but not Planning & Building Control.

We think it is about high time that the RIBA/RIAS get more involved when the SBSA is writing policy or frankly the RIBA/RIAS may soon realise that it is Planning and Building Control who are calling the shots. It certainly seems close to this right now!

Christmas Is Coming and Fast But What About Your Drawings?

Just another quick and polite reminder to let you all know that if you want to get started a small house extension or attic conversion build in the Spring then time is running out BUT if you get your drawings lodged with the Council before Christmas then this is your best chance. For more information and help Telephone 01698 422 358 or email kmartin@blockarchitects.co.uk