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Zambia celebrates World Architecture Day

Every first Monday of a new month of October is officially known as World Architecture Day. The first Monday of October, 2020 fell on the 5th and this in turn was the world Architecture day.

World Architecture day was set up by Union International des Architects (UIA) back in 2005 to “remind the world of its collective responsibility for the future of the human habitat”, coinciding with UN-Habitat’s World Habitat Day.

The Zambia Institute of Architects hereby wishes its Members and numerous clientele World Architecture Day.

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Mar222019NOCOMMENTS

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ZIA Participates in the 2019 Women’s Day Celebrations

The Zambia Institute of Architects this year participated in the Women’s Day match under the theme “Think Equal, Build Smart, Innovate for Change”. The institute was represented by Female Architects and supported by a couple of male colleagues. The group consisted of both the younger and senior members.

The match started from Zesco Headquarters ending at the Lusaka Show Grounds with a match past in front of the Head of State.

Later in the evening Female Architects were celebrated and honoured by the Graduate Women Zambia for their active role in the Construction Industry at a glamourous fund raising dinner at the Mulungushi Conference Centre.

And in line with the ZIA Mentorship Programme, two groups of the Female Architects conducted career talks to pupils at Northmead Secondary School and Munali Boys Secondary School on Thursday 7th March 2019. The career talks included topics like 1). What is Architecture 2). Entry Requirements to Study Architecture and 3). Career Prospects for Architects.

The talks were very motivating to the pupils as well as the participating Female Architects

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Mar222019NOCOMMENTS

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ZIA to Elect New President

The Extraordinary General Meeting of the Zambia Institute of Architects will be held on Friday, 5th April 2019 at the New Government Complex, in Lusaka where a new ZIA President will be elected.
The EGM will be preceded by a one-day CPD Event on the 4th April, 2019. The CPD Event will be used to gather input for the ZIA Strategic Plan as well as the SADC Trade Negotiations Forum. Also expected are presentations from the Lusaka City Council on the newly launched Automation of the Construction Permitting System and another from ZRA on Taxation of Consulting Services.
The full programme for the two days will be shared in due course.  

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Practicing Architecture in Zambia

A Practicing Architect (or Firm) is a Registered Architect offering their Architectural Service to the public. In order to practice, a Practicing Certificate or Licence is issued to a Registered Architect by ZIA after complying with the relevant and necessary requirements. The Act also provides a Code of Professional Ethics and Conduct that prescribes how Registered Architects and Firms are expected to conduct themselves when practicing and generally offering their service to the public. For instance, like Lawyers and Medical Practitioners, Architects are not permitted to directly advertise their services to the public but generally rely on their ability and achievement to market themselves.

ZIA has published a Zambian Hand Book of Practice for Architects (Volume 1) which provides Architects a systematic and appropriate method of executing their services to Clients from inception through to completion. In the hand book the services of a Practicing Architect are structured into two sections namely Job Running and Contract Administration.

Job Running explains the documentation and procedures that are involved from inception or commission of a project with the Client right through to Project hand over and review at completion. The Contract Administration section provides practical guidance on the administering of the building contract which is the agreement between the Client and a Contractor giving rise to obligations to each other enforceable at law. For private projects the hand book recommends the use of the JLC Standard Form of Building Contract while for government projects the GC Works Form of Contract is used.  

A Practicing Architect has the direct and individual responsibility to faithfully and diligently carry out his or her duties undertaken in accordance with the terms of engagement with their Client. Architects also have a third party duty of care to persons expected to use or enjoy buildings and facilities designed by them. For example an Architect has a duty of care to provide an access ramp for use by the disabled on wheel chairs even on privately owned buildings. It is for this reason that Architects like Lawyers and Medical Practitioners are expected to practice under the Sole Proprietary or Partnership Type of Business and not as Limited Liability Companies. With the general appreciation of who an Architect is and what it takes to practice Architecture in Zambia follow up articles will explore the tools and standard documents that are available for an Architect to practice their profession and effectively serve their Clients and the public in general.

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A Career in Architecture

Dennis Nyekele MZIA
Practice Matters

Architecture is the art and science of designing buildings and the person who practices Architecture is called an Architect. Architects ensure that the buildings they design are functional, safe, and meet the needs of the people who will use them.

Architects also assist their Clients in selecting suitable contractors for their building and during construction they inspect the works to ensure that the builders strictly follow the design and specified materials as well as meeting the acceptable work quality standards. In Zambia the practice of Architecture is regulated by the Zambia Institute of Architects under Cap 442 of the Laws of Zambia.

The history of Architecture goes back thousands of years ago, when man created primitive shelters for protection from the environment. However with the environmental concerns becoming more and more important to many, most Architects now ensure that their buildings have as much reduced impact on the environment as possible, both at design and during the construction stages and when is use after completion.

 

An Architect is engaged by a Client to design buildings who give the Architect an idea of what he wants. He then starts the designing process where some Architects use old fashioned pencils and tracing papers during this process, while most them now use some type of computer aided design (CAD) software.

In Zambia the Copperbelt University (CBU) offers a five year Bachelors of Art Degree in Architecture. The O level subjects generally required to pursue the Architectural programme are English, Maths, Geography and some Sciences. Background in Technical Drawing may provide an advantage but is not necessarily a requirement.

The degree programme includes courses in Architectural History and Theory, Building and Environmental Design, Structures, Building Technology and Construction Methods, Professional Practice, Analytical Maths and Surveying. Cardinal to the Architectural programme is the Design Studio, where students apply principles and theories learnt in the other courses to present design concepts, drawings and three-dimensional models of their projects.

After completion a Graduate Architect undergoes internship training for at least two years under the supervision of a Registered Architect. This is necessary for one to be considered for registration by ZIA. The Graduate Architect is thereafter expected to sit for the Professional Competence Examination after which they are admitted to the Institute.

Employment opportunities for Architects are available at Private Practicing Firms, Buildings Department, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health, National Housing Authority, National Heritage and many Other Parastatal Organisations like ZNBS. One can also set up their own Firm or join existing practising architects to set up Partnerships.

DENNIS HANZOKA NYEKELE

ZIA Honorary Treasurer (2014 -16)

dennisnyekele@zia.org.zm

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