Minutes of meeting held on 13th February 2017, commencing at 10 am in Room 0.

1, Boots Library,
Nottingham Trent University.

PRESENT: All members

J. Borkowska (JKB), J. Bowen (JHB), S. Dowson (SD), M. Ford (MF)

LATE: F. Knights (FK)

ACTION
1.0 MATTERS ARISING FROM PREVIOUS MINUTES:
Every member to produce their fictitious CV.
- Starts in 2017, the year when graduated NTU
- Add in everything after then to lead you up to your role within the
practice
Discussion about the points outlined in the brief
Research into recycled materials available eg. Concrete and reusing
tyres and bottles
The amount of plastic that goes into landfill research
Company start-up costs research
Research upon potential studio spaces in existing Nottingham properties
How much architecture practices pay themselves when they start up
Research cost of renting workspace, plotters / printers, insurance,
software etc.
BIM level 4 research and what it is about
Behaviours in collaborations, in response to BIM level 4 research
Technologies research in relation to chosen sectors
Building methods research
Future materials research
Sector research Cultural, Social and Educational
Logo designs
RIBA logo on our company website
Website design
Research on the charity, Shine, looking at their work and the possibility
for our company to work with them

2.0 BRIEF

Work on individual topics rather than a whole group but still liaise with each
other and correspond via group chat.
Splitting up the tasks so that we have an equal load then coming together as a
group at the meetings to discuss the progress and research to make decisions
based upon this.

Points within Content section:

- What is the evidence of your directors suitability for their chosen roles SD + MF
within the firm (modelled partially upon personal career development
plans following graduation)?
 - What is your firms product? What is the market for this product? What FK + JHB
is your unique selling point (USP)?
- What are your firms strengths and weaknesses? What opportunities and SD
threats may affect its success?
- Who are your clientele (and who else might they be in the future)? FK
- How does your business fit into the Nottingham community? Who is FK
competing with you locally and/or nationally for potential clients?
- How will you demonstrate commercial viability? Where will you get set- JKB
up funding, and how much is required?
- What will be the capital and running costs of the practice? What profits JKB
do you anticipate and when?
- How will you manage your company? Will it be a private or publicly SD + MF
owned organisation, a partnership or a co-operative? What kind of
employer will you be?
- What is your attitude to sustainability and carbon reduction? JHB
- How might another economic recession affect your business? How would MF
you diversify or change course if needed? How might you expand the JKB
scope of your business activities?
- How will you market/promote your company? FK + JHB

2.1 LOGO
Discussion on the text and logo placed on different backgrounds
Make the word studio stand out more too faded at the moment
Marked down preferences next to each design
SD suggested to not restrict the logo into a rectangular box, maybe just
change the colour of the text rather than the background

2.2 WEBSITE
Layout discussed and approved
JHB tried out tumblr instead of weebly as you can upload higher quality
images. However, tumblr doesnt offer other basic website customisation
capabilities
JHB suggested working with squarespace. However, when researched
there only proved to be a 30 day trial and then you would need to pay.
This would not be sufficient time due to project marking after the
deadline date
3.0 PRECEDENTS
Discussed precedents FK found

Decide upon the following were the most relevant:

Exbury Egg
The Cineroleum
Urban Rigger
The Students House at Universit Paris Sud
Solarcity Kindergarten
Nursery Fields Forever
Westborough Primary School
Big Slide
Ecology of Colour
4.0 PROMOTIONAL METHODS AND PRESENTATION
Look into companies can order promotional materials from and the JHB
prices they charge
Hands on promotion on the stand
Recycled wood/bricks. Research ways on how to make this interesting FK + MF
and how to put this together
Small portfolio booklet of our work (A4 Square)
Leaflets
Freebies to draw people in eg. Sweets and Keyrings. Research into laser MF
cutting keyrings or using recycled paper
Interactive competitions
- Drawing
- Jenga Blocks (possibly create with our business cards, sweets or
something else)
- Quiz game
- Process of the competition/ game could be our ethos
- Opposite of Jenga dont take away blocks but add blocks to
contribute to building a model
- Post about on social media on the day and afterwards announcing
the winner
Talk to laser cutter technician about sanding down blocks for Jenga game MF
then laser cutting our logo into it (if this can be done as the pieces are
already cut out)
Social Media SD,
- Instagram FK
- Facebook & JHB
- Twitter
- YouTube Account
- Set up all social media platforms to promote our company through
- Apply uni disclaimers to the account
5.0 WOOD
Researched into new types and techniques of wood:
CLT (Cross laminated timber)
- Lasts a lifetime
- 2 x 4 sized beams
- Good stability
- Used for mid-rise construction
- Faster and lighter than metal
- Has similar properties to metal
- Higher strength to weight ratio compared to other common
structural materials
- CLT building systems provide great noise control
- Provide even greater acoustic benefits it used with sealants or other
membranes that keep the building air tight
- Manufactured using CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machines
- Panels made from this material can fit together tighter due to the
CNC manufacturing process
- More energy efficient due to them fitting together easily and as a
result interior air temperatures maintained. They therefore have a
greater thermal performance.
- Each layer is laid 90 degrees to the next
- Cost effective. Structures made using these materials can be very
competitive
- Lower lead times
- Easy assembly similar to flat pack furniture. It is made off site and
brought to site ready to be fit together (prefabricated)
- Manufacturing process produces little waste
Look up a CLT precedent that is some sort of educational building eg. MF
Laurentian Architecture Laurentienne (A school built out of CLT)

6.0 COMMUNITY/PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT RESEARCH

FK has looked at the Project for Public Spaces (PPS) at https://www.pps.org/
which may help with our business plan as they use a hands off approach to
participatory design
FK to research PPS in more detail in how this can help us FK

7.0 RESEARCH UPON POTENTIAL STUDIO SPACES IN EXISTING NOTTINGHAM

PROPERTIES (OFFICES)

Option A:
- Located next to Bridlesmith Walk in the city centre so lots more people
are bound to see it
- 150 pp. per month = A total of 750 per month for our practice of 5
people including bills
- 55 sqm.
- More professional looking studio space
- Meeting rooms are owned by everyone in the building so you have the
opportunity to hire them out as and when needed
- Area in the studio to sit and meet clients

Option B:
 - Creative Studio Space, Nottingham
- Located next to the Victoria Centre
- 450 per month for a whole studio including bills
- Location of services within the building is very ugly looking and doesnt
really provide a very professional appearance

Option C:
- The Nottingham Workshop
- Further up Waverley Street than Forest Fields may get less customers
- 150 per month
- 37 sqm.
- Easier to get to by car
- Promotion of business then relies more upon social media and word of
mouth as less people will pass it
- Part of a Nottingham Workshop where lots of creative industries are in
the same building therefore increasing collaboration opportunities and
how we are more likely to get recommendations

7.1 OFFICE SPACE DECISION:

Option A
Due to it being of a reasonable price and the most professional
appearance

8.0 SWOT ANALYSIS

Make a start on our SWOT Analysis FK & JHB
8.0 ACTIONS FOR NEXT MEETING:
Type up minutes and upload to blog SD
Every member to produce their fictitious CV. ALL
- Starts in 2017, the year when graduated NTU
- Add in everything after then to lead you up to your role within the
practice
Book room for next weeks meeting SD
Read the Brief again ALL
Company start-up costs research JKB
Look up how much architecture practices pay themselves when they
start up JKB
Research cost of renting workspace, plotters / printers, insurance, JKB & SD
software etc.
BIM level 4 research and what it is about SD
Behaviours in collaborations, in response to BIM level 4 research SD
Research technologies in relation to chosen sectors MF
Research building methods (building processes and techniques) MF
Research future materials MF
Sector research Cultural, Social and Educational FK
Improve logo designs from the points discussed JHB
Research more into the charity, Shine, looking at their work and the JHB
possibility for our company to work with them
Research into the materials Hill Holt Wood uses in their projects MF
Research into what Hill Holt Wood do JHB
Research into recycled materials available eg. Concrete and reusing MF
tyres and bottles
The amount of plastic that goes into landfill research MF
Create our individual SWOT analysis ALL
Referring to our individual roles
Finish PESTEL analysis ALL
Everyone review minutes ALL
Check recent competitions posted on Dezeen website JHB
Find images of chosen precedents and upload to blog SD

8.1 TO DISCUSS IN THE NEXT MEETING:

RIBA logo on our company website
Website and blog uploads
Finalise the logo next week
Photoshoot

9.0 DATE OF NEXT MEETING:

Monday 20th February 2017
10am
Room 0.1, Boots Library, Nottingham Trent University

Dress smart as we are having a photoshoot at our next meeting