They call it 'architectonic' to what we know as 'sensible'...
They call it 'didatic' to what we understand as ''illustrative'...
They call it 'discourse' to what we do as 'discussion' ...
And while we find their jargon 'confusing'; they call it an 'arbitrary' language.
… They are the 'creative think tanks', whom we recognize as Architects.
Cartoon Courtesy: http://www.robertabarresi.com
'' The building industry has a poor reputation for the manner in which its individual communicate with one another.'' writes Stephen Emmitt in his book 'Architectural Management in Practice'.
The success of any building
depends on the teamwork of individuals from different backgrounds such as, architects, engineers,
sub-contractors, consultants, suppliers, investors and of course the key player as the
client. Being the leader of the team, the verbal communication skills of
architects shall be strong enough to be able to co-ordinate, interpret and
resolve queries between the team members.
Enormous
written and verbal information in
the form of drawings, sketches, calculations, digital data, etc. is required throughout the building
process. Thus, communication
skills are essential to clarify doubts, ambiguities, suggestions and comments. Following is an interesting study of a young
architect at work in the design office, his actions were concerned with communication in the following ways! Communication
level that was analysed in a young architect's office:
- Drawings & associated activities : 33.4%
- Discussion/verbal communication : 31.1%
- Miscellaneous : 12.1%
- Thinking : 9.5%
- Information seeking : 7.6%
- Letters & written communication : 6.3%
(ref: architectural management in practice by Stephen Emmiti in information network -page no 58)
Be it business related
communication like the profile of a firm, correspondences, feasibility reports,
etc. or be it marketing related communication like websites, brochures, drawing
and visual presentation, etc.; architects require communication skills for a wide range
of categories in
their day to day activities.
The following diagram shows the team members that an architect has to communication during the entire building cycle:
Miscommunication can create misunderstanding which further leads to disputes which may result in waste of time, money and energy. In today’s information age, the world is a market for Architects. There are plenty opportunities out there. We, architects, must be
ready with all our tools to grab them. Out of all, I believe that one of the
most important is our communication skill as we do not sell products that can come with 1 year guarantee but we sell ideas, concepts and aspirations!!
Don’t you agree with me?
If you do, then say ‘yes 2 Architectural Management’!!!
Next: Ten Do's and Don’ts of while communicating with clients and office personnel.
thank you sir...
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