Course detail

Architect´s Practice

FA-ARP-KEAcad. year: 2023/2024

The course informs students about the aspects of architectural practice, function of state government, possibilities how to develop their career, professional environment, the meaning, responsibility and methodology of work etc.
The seminars provide basic knowledge needed to become an architect, to lead a private practice and other related activities (how to start a private design office, legal forms of legal subjects, accountancy management, design phases, requirements of a building permission process etc.)
The gained basic theoretical knowledge are applied in simple assignments developed during the seminars. The knowledge gained from the seminars will familiarize students with the problems that may occur in their future architectural practice.
Within the lectures part important personalities from the architectural environment, from centers and provinces, with longer or shorter practice, will be invited.
The course introduces selected architects practising in the Czech Republic and internationally in various specializations: architecture of buildings, urban design, interior, heritage protection, state and local government, support and promotion of architecture.

Language of instruction

English

Number of ECTS credits

2

Mode of study

Not applicable.

Department

Department of Design (UN)

Offered to foreign students

The home faculty only

Entry knowledge

Not applicable.

Rules for evaluation and completion of the course

The exam is written and oral. The overall assessment comprises 75 % exam results, 25 % the quality of the submitted work.
Students are allowed to sit the exam when they have submitted all assignments. The assignments must meet all of the content requirements.
Mandatory participation in seminars, can be excused only for serious reasons. Replacement possible in the form of consultation of processed tasks.

Aims

  • The ability to orientate in current valid legal standards and regulations necessary to lead an independent architectural practice, to work as state officer, and other fields of architecture (the architect as a creator, a theoretician, a teacher, a politician, a manager, an activist, and a promoter).
  • To gain the basic information and knowledge necessary for activities in the practice:
    • professional environment
    • the conditions for the performance of the profession, employment
    • creation and management, contractual relations, requisites, object, price/fee
    • performance standards
    • contract

Study aids

Not applicable.

Prerequisites and corequisites

Not applicable.

Basic literature

CHAPPELL, David; DUNN, Michael H. The Architect in Practice. John Wiley & Sons, 2016. ISBN: 9781118907733. (EN)
TAIT, James. Entering Architectural Practice. Routledge, 2021. ISBN: 9780367365141. (EN)
UIA Accord on Recommended International Standards of Professionalism in Architectural Practice. International Union of Architects, 2017. URL: https://www.uia-architectes.org/webApi/uploads/ressourcefile/412/uia_accord___updated_2017.pdf (EN)
FISHER, Thomas. Ethics for Architects: 50 Dilemmas of Professional Practice. Chronicle Books, 2012. ISBN: 9781616890797. (EN)
HNILIČKA, Pavel. Standards of Architects‘ Scope of Services. Praha: Česká komora architektů, 2018. URL: https://www.cka.cz/cs/media/prilohy/standard-sluzeb_en_2018.pdf (EN)
NICHOLSON, M. Paul. Architects' Guide to Fee Bidding. Taylor & Francis, 2002. ISBN: 978-0415273367. (EN)
Code of Conduct of the Czech Chamber of Architects. Prague: Czech Chamber of Architects, 2017. URL: https://www.cka.cz/cs/media/prilohy/code-of-conduct-2020-en.pdf (EN)

Recommended reading

Directive 2005/36/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 September 2005 on the recognition of professional qualifications. EU, 2020. URL: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:02005L0036-20200424&from=EN (EN)

Classification of course in study plans

  • Programme NE_A+U Master's

    specialization --- (till 2022) , 2 year of study, winter semester, compulsory

  • Programme BX_A+U Bachelor's

    branch ARCH , 1 year of study, winter semester, elective

  • Programme NE_A+U Master's 1 year of study, winter semester, elective
  • Programme NE_A+U Master's 2 year of study, winter semester, compulsory

Type of course unit

 

Lecture

12 hod., optionally

Teacher / Lecturer

Syllabus

  1. Architect, architecture as a value of public interest
  2. Architect's world, nature and culture, architecture as an object and work of cultural code and built environment
  3. Architect's work, its meaning, semiotics, and history
  4. Profile of architecture graduate, expertise and creativity, life-long self-education
  5. Architect's competence, employment, the creative class
  6. Architect's authorization to perform the profession, licensed architect, professional associations, professional ethics
  7. Architect's partners in construction: architect, client, contractor. Disputes and arbitrators
  8. Contract, architectural work. Contract agreement: object, time and (safe) price of performance
  9. Performance, standards, process
  10. Architect as a creative personality
  11. Architect in state and local government
  12. Architect as a promoter
  13. Architect as a heritage protectionist

Seminar

14 hod., compulsory

Teacher / Lecturer