Having a green home doesn't just improve your environment, but your lifestyle as well. It promotes eco-friendly, economical and healthy living through various sustainable principles. 

Find out the 7 special ways to begin to make a home greener and get you on your way to a greener lifestyle. 

Notes. 

1. Steve Cimino. www.topicarchitecture.com/articles/6372507-five-easy-ways-to-make-your-home-greener 

2. www.conveyancing.com.au/lifestyle/ways-to-make-your-home-more-eco-friendly

Taking a look at pre-contract and post-contract services aids one to have an idea of the various services performed by an architect and the accompanying charges attached to them. 

This doesn't only encompass the range of services an architect performs, but also includes additional services which arise in various projects from time to time. 

Having a bit of knowledge of the professional charges and fees Architects apply to their services, would help you to understand what is possible in engaging an architect and how you can create an estimated budget for those services. 

The scale of professional charges describes how architects can charge for the services you may require from them, whether it is a partial service, normal service or retainer. 

Become familiar with the conditions that require a particular charge for a particular service, so there is no misunderstanding if you ever were to engage an architect.

Continuing from the various ways Architect's charge for their services, Ziwu goes into detail on out-of-pocket expenses that are incurred for certain services rendered by Architects. 

It is these expenses that are unknown to clients and can some sometimes come as a shock, when seen on an invoice sent from an Architect for works done on their behalf.

An insight into how Architect's operate and their responsibilities is crucial in engaging one. That isn't all, knowing what your responsibilities are as a client, are also important to gain the best experience when requiring the help of an Architect for your project. 

Ziwu, then takes you through what those responsibilities are and what is required of both parties in realising a project. 

Architects and Draughtsmen (Draftsman) are often times mistaken to have the same roles and responsibilities, which can be no further from the truth. In this episode, you get to know the roles of both Architect and Draughtsman and have an understanding of what separates the two professions. 

Additional Information 

1. https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/architect-vs-draftsman 

2. https://www.precisioncraft.com/log-homes-blog/draftsman-architect-difference/ 

Architects in Good Standing

Architects Registration Council; Architects in Good Standing Publication 2021 - https://www.arc.gov.gh/architects-in-good-standing-2021/ 

Ghana Institute of Architects; Architects in Good Standing 2021 - https://www.gia.com.gh/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Architects-in-Good-Standing-2021.pdf

Having a design brief is important to a design, as it helps an architect develop a design for the project you have in mind. Design briefs are created for clients by architects, which takes a lot of time in the design process. To quicken the design process just a bit, Ziwu outlines a list of questions to help you in creating a design brief for your project. 

Additional Information 

1. https://www.archimash.com/articles/architecture-project-brief/ 

2.  https://www.firstinarchitecture.co.uk/the-architectural-design-brief-the-checklist-part-1/

Using the right person for the right job is important in the architecture, engineering and construction industry, which doesn't seem to be the case in our local context. It's necessary to know why we need the right experts for a particular job, and in this episode Ziwu talks about the need for not using the wrong person for a job they are not qualified for.

An architect's professional fees are the ways by which one pays for their services. The Ghana Institute of Architects has put into writing the categories of charging for architectural services, and in this episode Ziwu takes you through each of them.

You're thinking of approaching an architect, but there might be some answers you need from questions you haven't thought of asking. 

This episode entails a list of questions to ask an architect, when approaching one with regards to being prepared for your project.