B.Q. - Bills of Quantities
Yes, a major part of the work of a QS is the preparation of BQ. In fact this is probably the main reason for the existence of the QS profession. The BQ is part of the tender document which gives a very detailed breakdown of the construction works into small items. In construction, the items are usually listed mainly according to trades e.g. piling, reinforced concrete works, rooof, brickwork, dooors, windows, finishes, etc. Based on drawings provided by the architect and engineer, the QS does the 'taking off of quantities'. For r.c. works for example, the QS works out the volume of concrete, quantity of each type of steel bars, quantity of formwork, etc. The calculations involved are quite simple really - calculation of area, volume, length, weight etc. The levels of maths involved is up to Form 5 the most I'd say. To be able to do this, obviously one needs to be able to read the drawings and should be well versed with construction, how a building is constructed and the sequence of work. It involves a lot of detailed paper work, not a job which require any creativity. QS produces tonnes of paperwork but they don't do any drawings.

With the detailed breakdown of the works into various items, the tenderers/building contractors who bid for the job can then put their prices and come up with the total cost for the whole construction. The BQ provides a uniform basis for pricing the works which is fair to both the contractor and the Owner.

There are construction projects which are carried out without a QS especially smaller scale projects. They are called 'lump sum contracts' which are based on the drawings and specifications from the Architect and Engineer. Without a detailed breakdown, the risk of disputes occurring in the course of construction is higher since there is bound to be items left out which gives the opportunity for the contractor to claim for extra.

Apart from preparing BQ and tender, the QS also does the following:
- prepare preliminary estimate of the cost of the work during the early stage of the project - planning and design stages
- preparing report on the tenders received and making recommendation to the Owner
- making assessment of the value of the works under construction so that payment can be made to the contractor(by the owner. For construction projects, huge amount of money is involved and the contractors are normally paid as the work progresses, usually on a monthly basis.
- assessing claims for contractors for variations i.e. additional work and omissions from the contract.
- preparing the final account of the work upon completion.
In a nutshell, the QS is like an building accountant to the owner, basically looking after the owner's interest in ensuring that the money is well spent and helps to control the cost of a building project.

QS also work for building contractors to tender for projects. They work out the prices and tender for building projects. During construction, they submit claim for progress payment of the works to the architect/QS.

The QS have their professional institute like the architects have PAM. The surveying institute covers various branches of surveying including land surveying, building surveying, etc which are really quite unrelated professions.
http://www.ism.org.my/index.php?option=com...id=12&Itemid=16

This post has been edited by tehtmc: Mar 30 2010, 09:27 PM

It's been a long time since I sat did the logbook and Part 3. A lot of things must have changed.

I suggest that you discuss with your peers or those who have gone through the recent exams. Though the exam is 'taken over' by LAM in the sense that they are more involved now than before, the actual people involved are still from PAM since the former have all the authority but not the resources. The exams have been conducted by the examination Committe in PAM which you can seek advice from.

The answer is no, generally. But then again, some universities especially those which place greater emphasis on the sciences may have more specific requirements.
Personally, I feel a knack for drawings is more important than the sciences.
For your information, you do study some economics(building economics), law and management (professional practice) as part of the architectural degree. So the subjects that you are taking are not entirely irrelevant.

This post has been edited by tehtmc: Apr 1 2010, 06:26 PM

It is SIA.
http://www.sia.org.sg/

Are the top 6 for overall ranking or in architecture?

I know for a fact that UQ has the highest requirement for admission.
UQ, NSW and Sydney are in the group of eight, the ivy leaque of Aussie unis.
Most Malaysians graduated from NSW school.
Sydney is the oldest and most established.
RMIT in Melbourne is also well known.
Deakin, Curtin(formerly polytechnics) and UTAS are lower in ranking and easier to enter.

BTW, the B Arch from NUS is a 4.5 year course but is not accredited by LAM (notwithstanding NUS's 30th position in the world).

This post has been edited by tehtmc: Apr 3 2010, 11:19 PM

You would come across the building in any History of Modern Architecture course. The church on a hill is famous for its bold sculptural form and masterful play of light in the interior. The other building Le Corbusier is famous for is the Villa Savoye at Poissy, also in France, his epitome of the International Style. It was built much earlier and was the precursor of Modern Architecture.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villa_Savoye

I don't think Ronchamp was Le Corbusier's hometown. He was born a Swiss and migrated to France much later.
That was also not the last building/church he designed.

This post has been edited by tehtmc: Apr 10 2010, 05:36 PM

Yup, unless you wish to go into the academia (teaching that is) where postgraduate qualification is a must, getting a masters is more for 'syiok sendiri' only. You merely do research in a narrow topic of interest which is of limited use in professional practice. Unless you choose to specialise in a specific area of design e.g. hospital design and work for a firm specialising in hospitals. I heard there is such a guy in Perunding Alam Bina. You are merely restricting yourself from becoming your own boss.


This post has been edited by tehtmc: Apr 18 2010, 12:56 PM

I have not heard of any architect who doubles as a QS. Architect-Civil Engineer is also rare.
In any building project, the position of the architect is higher than that of a QS and the architect also gets paid better fees. So, why would architects bother to go into QSing?
Ask any architect, and 10/10 of them will tell you than QSing is a borrring job which requires zero creativity. It is about measurement from drawings, dealing with figures and quantities, preparing tonnes of paperwork for tendering, contract, reports, etc - definitely not my cup of tea!
Nevertheless, QSing is a useful skill to have for one to find employment easily. The liabilities of a QS is also much less compared to that of an architect.

---

Added on April 20, 2010, 1:24 pmYou mean you have finished your studies and coming back for good?

Just a trivia in English. Which of these (name of this thread) is correct ?



This post has been edited by tehtmc: Apr 20 2010, 03:26 PM

If the title was correct, I wouldn't be posting the question, right?

a guide to something, a noun
'become an architect' is not a noun
'becoming an architect' is a noun (gerund), the process of becoming an architect.

I am sure about it. 'To' is more apt.
'On becoming' is 'about becoming'.
'To becoming' is 'directed at becoming' or 'focused at becoming'.

Heard of the 'dummies guide' series? They are guides 'to something'(various subjects), not 'on something'.

This post has been edited by tehtmc: Apr 20 2010, 06:26 PM

You were not alone on this.

Hi
Care to give the youtube link?
As azarimy said, architectural practice is all about design unless you work in a big firm and are only involved in project implementation. The other professions (engineer & QS) are only too eager to take on the architect's role in all other aspects (other than design) if you let them.
It's true that business of architecture is tough. Interests aside, there are a lot of better ways to earn a living if you ask me. But to be in the academia like azarimy is another story.

This post has been edited by tehtmc: May 12 2010, 10:10 PM

---

Added on May 16, 2010, 11:02 amYou should be able to get exemptions but I doubt you can 'save time'.
You have to start the core subjects of Design and Construction from Level 1 like the rest.
Someone with a diploma in architecture would go into the 2nd year. But for someone with a diploma from a different field?
If I were you, I would rather spend 2 more years to get the engineering degree.

This post has been edited by tehtmc: May 16 2010, 11:02 AM

If your mind is set on that path (the particular university) to pursue your degree in Architecture, then go for it. But be prepared with strong financial backing because overseas studies cost a fortune these days.

A-levels or other Pre-U are for people for want to leave their options open or for unis which do not accept Foundations.

---

Added on May 17, 2010, 12:21 pmWhat do you mean by the words underlined?
I've also heard of engineers who go into school teaching.
The starting pay for engineers is nothing to rave about these days. Many could be put off by this factor when they come out to the job market.

This post has been edited by tehtmc: May 17 2010, 12:23 PM

I'm surprised you're still undecided about what you want to do next about your SPM.
The Australian matric programs are good if you're thinking of further studies in Australia. The course starts at the beginning of the year though and takes a year to complete.
A-levels is the most wide recognized pre-U and it takes 1.5 years.
What subjects to take? I'd say take the subjects which you think you'll do well in. However, you'll have to check with the particular university for the subject requirements. Some may require you to have Maths and Physics (e.g. Melbourne U).

I'd say go for engineering. You can't survive architecture if you dislike drawing, simple as that. Architectural work revolves around drawings and drawings are an integral part of the process of design. You can use computers to draw and do draughting, create models, etc but you can't get away from doing freehand sketching.

Music and martial arts are not visual arts so they are not really relevant to architecture. Visual arts include things like sketching, painting, graphics, photography, modelmaking, sculpture, handicrafts, etc.

---

Added on May 20, 2010, 7:07 pmWhat is IGCSE?

This post has been edited by tehtmc: May 20 2010, 07:07 PM

Actually, people and animals are the hardest things on earth to draw. Thank god you don't need to draw those much in architecture. And you can always copy and paste those things in the computer. Well, you don't have to be a great artist to be an architect. But great architects do have lots of great ideas. And great designs are born out of great ideas. The keyword here is 'ideas'. Drawing is merely a way to present your ideas. The ability to visualise in 3D is also important.

I thought you said you dislike drawings. It's OK then as long as you have the interest, which can be further developed. I know what you mean, the drawings the teachers in school ask to you do called 'imaginative composition'. Art teachers in school have the easiest job, don't they? Just give you a subject to draw and that their job is done!

This post has been edited by tehtmc: May 21 2010, 01:04 PM

Obviously, LAM has been reluctant to give accreditation to degrees from IPTS. It has nothing to do with meritocracy or quality of the course. They call it their 'prerogative' - you can keep asking for accreditation but they are not obliged to give. As I said before, to date, none of the degrees from USA or Canada is recognized. B. Arch from Singapore's NUS is also not accreditated to this day even though there have been graduates passing out since the 70's.

However, the recognition given to UTM by overseas unis for entry into their degree courses is based on merit and is reviewed from time to time. UTM's diploma used to be highly regarded, that's why graduates used to get acceptance into overseas unis easily those days (70's and 80's). Apparently, the picture is different is now - UTM does not enjoy the kind of recognition as before.

---

Added on June 18, 2010, 11:36 amIt is a myth that architecture is a glamorous 'high-class' design career'. The reality is that being an architect is an overworked, underpaid, highly stressed and a high-liability job. Architecture is great as a hobby but is helluva commitment as a job. Not many architects get to be involved in prestigious projects. Many end up doing mundane jobs running projects, doing working drawings and details, dealing with authorities and putting up with pushy and nasty clients!.

Since you say you do not have any background in design or drawing, I would not recommend that you make the career switch. However, since you are based in Singapore, there should be more opportunity to take part-time courses. You can always do the course part-time and see if it is to your liking before making the commitment.

I am sure there are other things you can do with a degree in finance if you are not happy with your present job, other than starting all over again. It would be too much of a sacrifice especially for a tedious course like architecture.

This post has been edited by tehtmc: Jun 18 2010, 11:53 AM

Accreditation or recognition of a diploma/degree by LAM is only relevant if you seek to get registration as an Architect to open your own firm to practise architecture. It is not required if you work under employment in an architectural firm as a technical assistant or architect, just that you cannot have an Ar. in front of your name.

There are a lot of cases like yours where students are unable to get into the IPTA's and cannot afford the cost for overseas studies. The IPTS's are the only choice left. In the private sector, it's not so much where you qualify from or whether your qualification is recognized or not but it is how well you perform that matters. If you able to excel in your job, you can still go far.

There is no question as to the accreditation of degrees from IPTA (as in UKM), it is a matter of time when the first batch of graduates pass out. I don't think there has been any precedent where an architecture degree from one of the IPTA's fails to get accredited by LAM.

This post has been edited by tehtmc: Jun 21 2010, 10:15 AM

OK, it's a matter of time then, like how the others (USM, UPM) got theirs.