Practice in the built environment proceeds in an environment of specialised

skill from a multiplicity of professionals, contractors, and clients. It operates in

an environment of uncertainties, competition and increasing demands of
clientele. Sustainability in the practice therefore require systems that
integrate the inputs and control processes to meet the complex demands
predictably and consistently.
We present a perspective from AIA Architects on ‘Sustainable Professional
Practice in the Built Environment’. It presents the journey of AIA from
formation through its challenges, mitigation measures and strategies for the
future. It is not a prescription but a record on the realities of a specific case
as a reference.
 AIA Architects Limited, previously trading as Adventis Inhouse Africa
Limited is a firm of Consulting Architects, Project Managers & Interior
Designers originally registered in February 2005 as a Limited Liability
Company in the Republic of Kenya following a merger between Adventis
Limited and In-House Architects. Both these firms brought together an
extensive combined experience in designing and supervising a wide range
of projects. The goal of the merger was:

To establish a practice To be a leader in creating To establish an institution

with capacity to compete signature buildings drawing that will grow beyond the
with the very best in the on the creativity of its wide tenure of its founders.
region. resource.
The 7 founding directors were Isaac Ogai, Benson Ndeta, Lee Muchiri Waititu, Muhammed
Munyanya, Osman Abunge, Evans Gitobu and Douglas Ochong. They have since been
joined Noel Mak Agutu and Evelyne Sude for a directorship of 9.
We outline the attributes we consider as critical for invitation to join directorship at AIA
AIA Architects was registered as a limited liability company with 7 directors having equal shareholding. We
experimented initially using a committee management model where Directors were assigned roles in
Committees.

The committee approach proved tedious due to

blurred boundaries on the roles and lack of clarity
on the individual responsibilities. The committees
also were an overload for the management
requirements of a start-up Architectural practice.
The practice then adopted an approach with strong
leadership under a Board Chairman/CEO and an
assistant CEO dealing with administrative and
global technical matters. The other directors would
provide oversight. Project specific matters would
be handled by the director assigned.
As the company continued to grow, we outsourced
specialist support to establish a company with
fundamentals of a corporate organization. These
included strategies for administration, Corporate Social
Responsibility, Health and Safety, and Human
resource with permanent and pensionable staff. While
the system worked in good times, the overheads were
not manageable in cycles of low business.

The Company has now adopted a model that suites it

projectized business regime. We maintain a lean
administrative and technical staff and acquire
resources specific to projects and paid for by the
projects. This has allowed the company to expand and
shed off depending on the current portfolio of work.
For quality to be maintained in this regime a strong
Project Management Office (PMO) is a prerequisite.
Architects and indeed all professionals in the Built Environment provide a service
that involve high levels of skill, creativity, and competence from multiple players.
Systems in a professional practice is about the control of inputs and processes to
ensure consistent results. The systems must be documented and standardised
through policies and procedures.
AIA has established a PMO to support projectized approach to delivery. The
overarching purpose of the PMO is to ensure that the right projects are done in the
right way by.
A major source of conflict in partnerships is about how inputs of the shareholders/directors are
compensated and profits shared. The company started of from a system where proceeds were shared
based on the shareholding. This was quickly modified to compensation based on individual performance.
The parameters of performance were identified thus.

The commissions are subject to the project meeting its costs and overheads to the office and is taken
before the profits.
The uncertain nature of the business many times require difficult questions to be answered. While getting
consensus as a larger partnership will take more time it has some attributes

Uncertainty also calls for the need to adapt in a profession that has historically been a noble profession that
is resistant to change
Firms often involuntarily expand leading to high overheads in the
long term. A good example is a temp is brought in place of staff
on an extended leave. Since the temp is likeable or needy a
position is created when the staff comes back.
The key lesson is that resources must only be engaged based on
a requirement from the company and not vice versa. Eliminate
waste.
Companies merged to be able to compete as a big firm in the local market. We have however realized that
competition is beyond our fellow Architects in the local market.

We need to change mindsets to be able to:

AIA continues hold on to the objectives for which it was formed as a leader in innovation, a
competitive practice and an established institution. The competition is now beyond the local
Practitioners in Architecture to include international competitors in providing total solutions and
competitors from other professions. Towards this the company is focusing on

AIA continues with courage to face challenges as they come.

Indeed our most satisfying milestones have been achieved when
we put our minds together to face the very difficult times.