Minutes of meeting held on 27th February 2017, commencing at 2 pm in Room 24, Newton,

Nottingham Trent University.

PRESENT: All members

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

ABSENT: F. Knights (FK)

ACTION

1.0 MATTERS ARISING FROM PREVIOUS MINUTES:

Type up minutes and upload to blog
- 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
Book room for next weeks meeting
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
Look up how much architecture practices pay themselves when they
start up
BIM level 4 research and what it is about
Behaviours in collaborations, in response to BIM level 4 research
Research technologies in relation to chosen sectors
Research building methods (building processes and techniques)
Research future materials
Create our individual SWOT analysis referring to our individual roles
Create company SWOT analysis
Finish PESTEL analysis
Everyone review minutes
What is the evidence of your directors suitability for their chosen roles
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
is your unique selling point (USP)?
What are your firms strengths and weaknesses? What opportunities and
threats may affect its success?
Who are your clientele (and who else might they be in the future)?
How does your business fit into the Nottingham community? Who is
competing with you locally and/or nationally for potential clients?
How will you demonstrate commercial viability? Where will you get set-
up funding, and how much is required?
What will be the capital and running costs of the practice? What profits
do you anticipate and when?
How will you manage your company? Will it be a private or publicly
 owned organisation, a partnership or a co-operative? What kind of
employer will you be?
What is your attitude to sustainability and carbon reduction?
How might another economic recession affect your business? How would
you diversify or change course if needed? How might you expand the
scope of your business activities?
How will you market/promote your company?
Researching into ways we can provide a hands on promotion on the
stand
Research in more detail PPS
SD to type up minutes
MF to do further precedent research that focuses on rammed earth
Not just precedent research but the construction process behind it
Maybe start looking at these precedents in further detail, look on the
company website for construction details
Look how materials get put together
Green roofs do further research on construction details
JKB to further research cost of renting equipment use these when we
start up and our own laptops and in our 5 year business plan aim to buy
some of the more expensive equipment

2.0 WORLD ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS

SD researched into amount of plastic waste produced around the world
every year figures to back up our expansion into plastics in 5 years
time (mentioned in our Business Action Plan)
SD uploaded documents relevant to environmental analysis of the world
onto the blog these provide data which we can use to implement our
practice in the future provide help with the PESTEL Analysis
SD found that there is a 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Outlining goals that the UN wants the world to achieve in the next 13
years

3.0 RECYCLED MATERIALS DISCUSSION

Research by JKB on Recycled Concrete
- sustainable option
- reduces the amount of material going into landfill
- reduces transport costs for sites that involve demolition as it can be
recycled onsite

Research by JKB on Recycled Plastic

- plastic bottles can be filled with mud and used as bricks. This is method
is stronger than normal bricks
- using recycled bottles reduces the cost of a build
- moving into recycled plastics as a company in the next 5 years

Research by JKB on Recycled Tyres

- with the amount of cars on the road increasing every year, the
 amount of tires disposed of is increasing
- disposed in large amounts every year
- take up lots of landfill space
- lots that house vast numbers of tires can prove to be a fire hazard

4.0 BUSINESS ACTION PLAN

Continued working on table, discussing and making decisions on ideas our
practice is going to implement. Looking at our actions for the future.

TRANSPORT:

Option for cycling to work scheme

Company car as an option
- More sustainable
- Cheaper
Public transport
- Nottingham buses
- every member receives a pass
- Decided upon this option
Looked at SD research on Nottingham bus transport routes and prices

CPD (Continuing Professional Development):

Looked at SD research on subject and number of hours required to do
JKB to research whether you have to be an RIBA member to do CPD and
if not how much this will cost
As an RIBA member you have to undertake 35 hours of CPD a year, 20
hours of which is made up of the CPD Core Curriculum. This consists of
10 areas of which you have to undertake 2 hours of each
Decided 1 member will be an RIBA Member
Decided we will not be an RIBA Chartered Practice as from JKB Research
it will cost an additional 198 a year or 16.50 a month on top of the
RIBA membership for individual members. This fee increases once we get
more than 5 people in the practice also

FINISHED DISCUSSING BUSINESS PLAN TABLE MF & SD

MF and SD to type up and fill in the gaps within the table

5.0 PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHS

Meet up on Friday for our 2nd Photoshoot to take photos for our website
ALL
Come dressed smart

6.0 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
Look up how much architecture practices pay themselves when they JKB
start up
 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
Create our individual SWOT analysis referring to our individual roles ALL
Create company SWOT analysis FK & JHB
Finish PESTEL analysis ALL
Everyone review minutes ALL
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 ALL
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
scope of your business activities?
How will you market/promote your company? FK & JHB
Researching into ways we can provide a hands on promotion on the JHB
stand
Research in more detail PPS FK
MF to do further precedent research that focuses on rammed earth MF
Not just precedent research but the construction process behind it MF
Maybe start looking at these precedents in further detail, look on the MF
company website for construction details
Look how materials get put together MF
Green roofs do further research on construction details MF
JKB to further research cost of renting equipment use these when we JKB
start up and our own laptops and in our 5 year business plan aim to buy
some of the more expensive equipment
9.0 DATE OF NEXT MEETING:
Monday 6th March 2017
4pm
Room 24, Newton, Nottingham Trent University