IN THE WAKE OF AN UNDESIRABLE WAR - NIGERIAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE EXAMINATION (P.P.E) VS. ARCHITECTS REGISTRATION COUNCIL OF NIGERIA ARCON (A.C.P)

The Nigerian institute of Architects N.I.A professional practice examination P.P.E held in two diets annually has just been concluded for the year 2017. No other exams organised by the institute will be held in the year 2017. In the wake of the growing impasse between the veteran examination conducting body and its national cousin; the Architect's Registration Council of Nigeria ARCON,  mixed feelings engulfed almost every examinee this year. The disagreement which has been described by many as everything including 'embarrassing' is rumored to be hinged on major administrative, tribalist and financial related prejudices. 

The Nigerian Institute of Architects, N.I.A set up in April 1960 has been the body responsible for pre-qualification of candidates and conduction of professional practice competence examination in the country, while the Architects registration council of Nigeria had hitherto relied on her for advice on successfully qualified candidates to be furnished with a practice license and a seal. This meant that once one scaled through the notoriously revered N.I.A exams, he/she was expressly admitted by ARCON and is deemed qualified to practice the profession of Architecture within Nigeria.

While this bi-laterral qualification requirement/proceedure had been questioned by many due to its rigorous nature, it had been accepted to be the 'norm' for over twenty (20) years.

Sadly, this amiable,

HOW TO FIX THE MISSING 'CONFIGURE SWITCHABLE GRAPHICS' OPTION ON AMD RADEON GRAPHCS CARD

I am an Architect and I use a HP pavillion G6-2304tx laptop with a dedicated AMD Radeon graphics card asides the basic Intel graphics card. The reason I requested a laptop with a dedicated graphics card was to enable me use Lumion (app) in rendering my Revit-Architecture models. I bought this PC back in 2013 when I had just rounded off my M.Arch degree from SRM University, Chennai and it was quite pricey at the time. Four(4) years down the line, the laptop, is still working perfectly, and has helped me land and deliver a lot of wonderful projects. But something happened. One day, one of the staff, accidentally pours water into the keyboard. We quickly rushed to a service centre where the Engineers opened the laptop up and tried to sun-dry. Four (4) straight hours of intense sunshine, was allowed before it was put back together, only it developed more problems.

First the keypad typed selectively, some keys wont work in upper case while others didnt work at all. But this was not a big deal, I just bought and replaced the HP keypad, and it was back in order. The major problem resulted when, I tried to work on a project on lumion as usual. I discovered serious graphic inconsistencies and when I checked I realised the 'configure switchable graphics'

option which usually shows up when I right-click anywhere on my desktop (as shown in the image) was missing.

I found a way to

BUILDING DECONSTRUCTION - ISSUES & METHODS

Originally Posted By 

Stephanie Nneoma Okoye

When its time for an old or defunct building to go down, many think of demolition as the first option. There is however an alternative method that has gained recognition for its green characteristics. It is called Building De-construction.

Demolition is the Traditional method of simply destroying a building or structure, reducing it down to a pile of rubble and waste which is collected and removed from the site. This is a hazardous process because it fills the nearby air with harmful dust, vapors and other compounds that are harmful to human beings. With this method, 'everything' goes to 'waste'.

Deconstruction on the other hand advocates for a more careful process of dis-assembly of buildings to recover the maximum amount of re-useable and or recycleable materials in a safe, environmentally responsible, and cost-effective manner. The materials thus recovered can be reused on the same site for a new construction, sold or donated to another site.

ARCHITECT: 5 Reasons Why You Should Learn A 3D Application

If you are an Architect and you desire to improve your professional practice with sure-fire techniques that have worked for me; you may like to consider the e-book: 48 Laws of Architectural Consulting. Architectural Visualization is simply the art of producing graphical presentation-drawings that assist us in understanding the intentions of the Architect for a particular project. It ranges from two(2) dimensional plan drawings to three(3) dimensional perspective presentations as shown above. 

Now, Whether you are a student or a practicing professional, you will find need to produce one of these at some point, either for academic purpose or for the use in convincing a client about a particular delivery option. In order to do this, some basic knowledge of one or more CAD software /application package is pertinent. Yes, of course you could always hire an Architect to produce this for you (if you do not already posses the skill set necessary to deliver it) each time the need arises. 

However, if you are young and still capable of doing your own drawings, it is wiser to settle for a simple drafting tool that will enable you market your ideas faster and more profitably to your client(s). There are plenty of reasons why you should know a 3D drafting package. 

Consider these: 

1. It puts the Magic in your Presentation (Convincing Power)

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Presentations that feature one or more three(3) dimensional elements seem to captivate clients more than those that mostly contain text and too much technical details. No matter how functional your space planning is, If the client does not see enough visual content in the form of pictures, slides, videos, etc you may still struggle at convincing him. But try splashing some pictures here or there in-between the slides and watch him fall in love with your Architecture.  

2.  It gives you a Better Shot At Conveying Your Ideas To Your Team Members

Sometimes you have a great idea, a really awesome one, but you just can't find a way to relay this to a client or your principal. You end up trying to explain more than you need to. If only you knew a way to depict exactly what you intended for the building to look like, maybe you wouldn't have to rely on someone else who may produce something short of it. 

3.  It is very handy for Mop-Up Presentations with tight Deadlines (Time Saving)

SOme CAD applications can produce the three dimensional view of your proposed structure once you complete the floor plans accurately. Imagine how time efficient this feature can be when you are on a very tight deadline. Although, Rendering times may differ for different packages according to the degree of finishing required, with the right PC configurations and a little training you can still deliver your projects in good time.

4. You Can Make Some Extra Money

Who says you cant make some extra cash rendering projects for your team members and others. Everyday, everywhere, somebody needs a 3D visualization Consultant to produce either still images or video animated walkthroughs for a project or another. You can be the one who gets that call and delivers as required. You will be amazed at how much money this will translate to at the end of the month, every month, if you take it seriously.

5. You will Become a Resource Person

Who do you go to when you need help rendering a project? When you have been the 'go-to' guy for all things Archi-Viz for a while in your company, school, team or neighborhood, and you have consistently delivered on all assignments, then you will become the sage. Everyone will come to respect your authority and skill, soon you will find yourself more important than you thought, because you have actually succeeded in carving a niche for yourself.

You are invited to attend an Autodesk seminar holding in town this weekend. It will be an opportunity for young professionals in the construction industry to learn more about the various applications that are helping Architects deliver their projects faster and better. Sign Up to attend for Free using the Form to your Right. If you would prefer a private home/office training, Feel free to contact me.

Are you an Architect? What 3D software are you using to make your work easier? Do you think Nigerian Architects Should Develop an indigenous App for Architectural Visualization?

How To Prepare For Nigerian Institute Of Architects- Professional Practice Examination

Preparing, entering for and passing the Nigerian Institute of Architects (N.I.A) Professional Practice examination P.P.E is the dream of every young Architect in Nigeria. If you have completed your Bacherlor's and master's degrees  from an accredited Nigerian university or a recognized foreign university, and you have worked actively under a registered Architect in Nigeria who is already registered with the N.I.A, for a minimum of two(2) calendar years, then you may apply for the Professional Practice Examination. It is organised twice every year, in March and in September. It is the only examination that qualifies you to become a chartered Architect in Nigeria. It is dreaded by many for a number of obvious reasons. 

The process(es) required to be followed by an aspiring registrant have been called everything including 'rigorous' 

Some of the Most Important Requirements for Entry include :

1. A completed logbook shewing professional practice experience duly signed by the Supervising Architect.
2. A Project Report of 2,000 words. Projects are chosen for candidates after the assessment of their submitted logbooks. The submission of an acceptable logbook, curriculum vitae of Supervising Architect(s)  and a Report on a designated Project is a pre-condition for admission to the NIA-PPE.

Read More About Becoming a Registered Member of the Nigerian Institute Of Architects and understand the various levels of membership available. 

Or you can also sign up instantly for the Educative preparatory course CGRNIA - PREP by the Academy For Supportive Technical & Business Internships A.S.T.B.I  Admissions are on now.

What is your experience in applying for the NIA-P.P.E so far?
If you are an Architect and you desire to improve your professional practice with sure-fire techniques that have worked for me; you may like to consider the e-book: 48 Laws of Architectural Consulting.