Name of the student: SWAPNIL JAIN

Year and Section: 5TH YR- ‘B’

Class Roll No. 23
Assignment no: 05
Date of submission: 11/04/2020
Topic: PROJECT COORDINATOR
QUESTION

Explain the role and key responsibilities of a project coordinator in an

architectural firm.

ANSWER
Project management (PM) is the direction and supervision of a project by the use of
specific tools and control techniques including cost control, manpower, time,
plant/machineries, communication, and motivation. According to Wideman, “project
management is the art of directing and coordinating human and material resources to
achieve stated objectives within limits of time, budget, and stakeholders’ satisfaction.”
Project managers (PM) have total responsibility such as planning, organizing, and
controlling. They are responsible for making sure that the planning phase of a project
contains complete task definition, resources, time schedule, and a list of requirements.
Furthermore, they organize the project to make sure of hiring competent staff in order to
produce necessary services and to achieve project objectives.

A Project Manager (PM) will have overall responsibility for the successful planning,
execution, monitoring, control and closure of a project. They must have a combination
of skills including an ability to ask penetrating questions, detect unstated assumptions
and resolve conflicts, as well as more general management skills.

For effective management and timely completion of a project without any short-comings,
proper coordination among all the personnel related to the project like the architect and
his staff, associated architects, client committee, consultants, contractors, engineers,
managers, site staff etc. at different stages of the project is necessary. Usually this
coordination is required all throughout the project from its conception to completion, but
it is the most important once during the programming stage and once during the
execution stage; unless called upon otherwise.
RESPONSIBILITIES

Architectural project managers oversee architectural projects from the conception stage
right down through construction and eventual completion of the project, making sure
that project teams meet quality, schedule, contractual, and budget goals. Architectural
project managers lead a team of designers and junior architects, oversee architectural
projects, evaluate existing facilities and reformulate building programs. They establish
and sustain client relations, participate in assessing and hiring architectural or
engineering advisers, collaborate with governmental agencies and selected project
architectural firms. Architectural project managers also adapt building codes, design
and implement creative concepts of architectural layout and formulate and oversee
project range, budgets, schedules and client expectations. They provide expert input in
marketing, contractual, design, and production meetings; observe project performance
and coordinate workload through the entire project to complete documents on schedule.
Architectural project managers are also responsible for studying the financial aspect of
projects; organizing construction documents and assuming responsibility for finished
plans, specifications, and management approval of materials and construction. Some
architectural project managers participate in mapping out program requirements,
schematic drawings and preliminary cost estimates on large projects used in
establishing guidelines for contract architects and engineers.

Coordination at Programming Phase - Client Meeting Coordination:

1. During the programming and design development phase of an architectural project,

the architect sets up meetings with different individual user groups, to collectively
hear their concerns and desires regarding the project and to determine a
programmatic wish list for the same.
2. The meetings include the client committee, the architect, project managers and
consultants – it connects all these representatives of the project together before kits
conception.
3. These meetings occur at key points of the project to discuss larger issues and to
come to a consensus of direction. These can also be used for discussions about
mechanical systems, sustainability, programmatic, and major design decisions.

Coordination at Execution Phase - Coordination among Consultants:

1. Apart from the fundamental design and planning, an architectural project requires
the proper incorporation of allied building services for it to work and function
smoothly. These services include structural design, electricity connections and fire
safety systems, plumbing and water supply systems, lighting systems and acoustic
treatments, HVAC systems and ducting and so on.
2. Once the basic layout of a project is finalized, it is important to discuss about its
structural design and the inclusion of the building services; which may affect the
finalized design in some way as both ‘architectural design’ and ‘building services’
influence each other.
3. To discuss and plan the issues of building services, the architect has to call for a
meeting with the various consultants for each service, who possess expertise in the
respective fields. This requires absolute coordination among all the consultants who
have their own roles and functions in completing the service needs of the project
like: (a) Structural Consultants (b) Electrical and Fire Safety Consultants (c) HVAC
and Ventilation System Consultants (d) Plumbing and Water Supply Consultants. (e)
Lighting and Acoustics Consultants
4. Each service consultant provides his own inputs in the project according to his
specialization, due to which the inputs and alterations in the design by one
consultant may affect the same done by another consultant. Thus it is important for
all the consultants to be present at the time of providing their input and they must
discuss the alterations and provisions of services together and reach to a mutually
acceptable decision about the same.
5. For effective co-ordination, it is essential that all these agencies connected with the
project including the architect and his personal, client committee and contractors,
meet periodically on pre-determined days; to discuss the inclusion of services, solve
unforeseen problems, monitor the progress, plan future activities, etc. Such
meetings are called Project Coordination Meetings.
6. The project coordinator may circulate relevant papers (minutes of meeting) before
such meetings so that all concerned agencies are aware of the points to be
discussed and actions to be taken. These minutes are quite important as record of
progress of work, instructions given, and variations agreed and serve as valuable
evidence while resolving disputes.
7. However, coordination amongst the project consultants is neither a one-time affair
nor it can take place sequentially, passing the service inputs from consultant to the
other in a particular order. The consultants and the architect must interact with each
other following back and forth deliberation in order to ensure that: (a) all the services
are in perfect harmony with the architectural design. (b) All the services are in
compatible and in conjunction with each other. (c) None of the services are
conflicting with one another. (d) The network of services does not majorly alter the
architectural design.
8. For example: in a project, the electrical layout and plumbing layout might conflict
with each other and may not be safe for execution. In such a case, either of the
consultants will have to change or modify their respective layout or both of them will
have to plan a completely new layout in coordination and compatibility with each
other; which calls for a back and forth deliberation among them.
9. Depending upon the size, type and complexity of project, the architect should set
priorities in the inclusion of particular service that he feels might alter the design to a
great degree and only after the alternations due to it; he should consider the
coordination of other consultants. This helps in minimizing the back and forth
deliberations which reduces the execution times of the project.
The Project coordinator maintains a link between the architect, clients and the site
engineers and helps them communicate and coordinate with each other effectively
during design and construction phases :-

• He maintains a record of the clients name, contact details and their demands
with respect to designs, materials, furnishing, etc. and also fixes up appointments
with clients to help the architect finalize on the architectural and contractual
aspects.
• He assembles all the documents related to bids and construction of the project,
manages project related deadlines and issue construction drawings as required.
• He coordinates with the material suppliers and contractors to arrange for
construction, designing and decoration materials.
• He plays a key role in coordinating between the onsite and offsite construction
activities and ensuring the construction work proceeds as per the planned
architectural designs.

Role

• A Project Manager is a key figure of any Service Team. They will be primarily
responsible for the overall successfulness of delivering a project, reaching set
targets both safely and correctly.
• They must be able to perform effectively within tight time-scales, keep within strict
budgets and create a positive client environment such that clients become/remain in
a good relationship throughout the contract.
• They will manage a set of service deliveries, which must be achieved on time to
ensure all activities in the schedule, are completed in time. To overcome certain
task, project managers must show initiative and be able to find ways to best adapt a
situation to provide a successful overall critical path analysis.
• A PM will be expected to support the development of the leadership, both on-site
and back in the offices. They will need to organize the best team possible to
complete the project, whilst training and teaching the employees towards the
 company’s core values. Encouragement of excellence and quality in work will lead to
a great reputation amongst clients.

Responsibilities

• Plan the delivery of the project at hand.

• Manage the day-to-day working, utilization, implementation and technical
consultants engaged on client assignments. From ensuring the correct material turns
up before a job, to explaining the work ethics and activities to colleagues.
• Report progress on projects by suitable media to sector management, maintain and
update project reporting, checkpoints and financial reporting to a high standard.
• Plan and arrange visits to existing and new potential clients, ensuring every client
receives sufficient support to enhance their relationships.
• Develop contacts with senior staff, directors, and other influential staff within each
account during the implementation phase.
• Co-ordinate required support levels and training.
• Produce reports on each project at agreed intervals, and whenever substantive
actions are required.

To perform all of the above tasks, various techniques and skills are required. The
experience is one of the most important features that a good PM needs. A PM’s art of
juggling between management, coordination, communication and integration can also
be learned by architects. In a small size, design firm, architectural management can be
considered as a set of management techniques which are used by all the team
members involved in routine operations. Only, as the firm matures, it may be necessary
to specify the tasks of architectural management to an exclusive group of people who
plan, prepare, implement and monitor the architectural process in the projects.