Archive for category: Architecture

Scenario: “Residential Hospital in Derbyshire”
You have recently gained employment as an Assistant Project Manager for a large general contracting firm. The firm specialises in community/ government projects. As part of the company’s drive to provide better services to clients and increased efficiencies, they seek to provide greater sustainability in the projects they undertake. While they have identified a range of different ways to address sustainability, they believe that they may achieve the most significant impact by implementing Modern Methods of Construction (MMC).
Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) is a broad term that covers many different approaches to the way in which we design and construct our built environment. From offsite construction and modular buildings to new materials and even 3D printing, MMC is a link between technology and the construction industry. Your firm has decided to focus on a particular MMC approach that is Modular/volumetric construction for their new projects.
Your first project with this firm is the construction of a community hospital and an accommodation suitable for doctors and nurses in Derbyshire (guiding floor plans are included). For the report, you may choose to focus on either the hospital building or the medical staff accommodation building. Please note the floor plans given below are only a rough guide and you may choose another appropriate floor plan for either building with an area between 200𝑚2 and 250𝑚2. The building you will choose to design will comprise of three floors with very similar floor plans, with the possibility to extend it in the future to include more floors. You should propose a suitable site for the residential hospital considering the logistics of this project.
Your final report should consider the overall project process and advise on project management solutions. The report should include the following:
• Clearly set out the aims of your project. You should identify the main components of your project and define these in a clear project specification. In addition, you will need to explain why clear specification of the project is key to a successful outcome.
• Develop your project work through an iterative process. The first idea is seldom the best idea and all ideas can be developed further. You should keep notes of the process and your progress throughout the project in a Logbook or reflective journal. The Logbook should include a summary of the project developments and the research you have carried out every week (with dates), and summary of the progress meetings you had with the unit tutor. This will be submitted as part of your final report and serves as an important record of your development process.
• You should try your best to comply with the National Health Service (NHS) Health Technical Memoranda (HTMs), Health Building Notes (HBN) and Building Regulation Approved Documents. Your report should also investigate the merits of offsite construction and its impact on the sustainability of the project.