PREFACE
This ARCHITECTURAL MANUAL has been prepared for the
exclusive use of the architectural team at BADRUL HISHAM ARCHITECT and its
associates.
The objective of this manual is to get everyone in the
office to familiarise himself or herself with the basic techniques and
standards used in the office, in particular, and the industry in general.
It is our wish that by understanding the tasks clearly, the
team will find the work more challenging, interesting and rewarding.
Further, we hope that with the familiarisation and
understanding of the tasks at hand, the team will be able to perform their
duties more effectively, i.e. saving time, costs and other resources, and thus
improve on the office’s efficiency.
The ARCHITECTURAL MANUAL is divided into Three [3] Main
Segments which are:
[1] Schematic Design and Design
Development,
[2] Contract and Construction
Documentation and,
[3] Contract Administration.
We have made every effort to cover from the beginning to the
end of the architectural stages and processes.
This is to enable the team to
understand and then execute the steps from inception of the architectural idea
to the last stage of the work when there will be users of the architecture that
the team have helped to create.
The ARCHITECTURAL MANUAL is also meant to be revised and
improved from time to time to make it relevant for this ever improving office.
The manual is being shared here just in case it may be useful for budding architects in the web.
.1.0 INTRODUCTION
Architecture is unique because it relates not only to the
built but also the social environments.
Architects and everyone in this industry have the privilege to shape our
environments for the rest of the world to live in. However, the privilege also comes with great
responsibilities.
Architecture relates not only to the buildings that we helped
to design and build but also the landscape and spaces in between these built
environments. And, our buildings may
also have an impact on a much larger area, i.e. not necessarily only to the
areas adjacent the built environment we created, but may also affect the
township where the buildings are located.
This is when the initial architectural education from the universities,
the post-graduation experience and the continuing professional development
courses blended to give the architect a well-rounded view and understanding of
architecture which can be applied in designs.
Looking farther, architecture also defines or at least
affects the social behaviours of the users and those who are in contact with these
built environments.
Architecture also affects the world’s resources, especially
the non-renewable ones such as space, fossil fuels, water and building
materials. Following Green Movements
such as the Malaysian Green Building Confederation, which promotes the Green
Building Index for the local buildings, will help architects and designers
understand the world’s concerns with what architecture should be contributing
to the conservation of the finite resources.
Thus, it is very important, if not crucial, that
architecture is approached with the abovementioned elements. We should approach architectural design and
construction with this understanding.
In addition, the real design and the eventual construction
work will have to deal with certain rules, laws and legislations. These are
set to regulate the built environment for social, safety and political
purposes. These rules, laws and
legislations will come in the forms such as the Uniformed Building By-Laws as a
sub-law from the Street, Drainage and Building Act, for instance and; the local
authorities rules and requirements as an adjunct to the abovementioned
Act. There are Malaysian Standards for amenities
and facilities of the Handicapped Persons to be incorporated in the architectural
designs. And, there are rules of the
government of the day with regard to the use of Industrialised Building Systems
on certain projects. For the contract
administration phase during construction, there are Contracts and procedures to
be followed and adhered to.
This Architectural Manuals will touch on the abovementioned
areas with the hope that by following the guides set up in this book, technical
staff of the office will be able to perform their duties with effectiveness and
improve the office’s efficiency while achieving the satisfaction of getting
work done well.
