Transformers | Features

Four ways for small practices to tackle a megaproject
	LARGE PRACTICE	PRACTICE CONSORTIUM	LEAD AND SUBSIDIARY CONSULTANTS	PROJECT CONSORTIUM
How is it formed?	Through mergers, acquisitions and natural growth	By small or medium-sized practices forming a consortium or joint venture. Practices could either be dispersed geographically, contribute complementary specialisms or team up with other professions	By the largest practice assuming a lead consultant role and the others operating as subconsultants	By two or more practices forming an alliance to tackle a specific project. Either the practice consortium or the lead consultant models could be adopted
Examples	RyderHKS with 700 staff in offices across the USA and UK SMC Group with 220 staff in 12 offices in London, Leeds and Warwick	Acanthus: A consortium of 12 practices spreading from the Shetlands to Devon PFI 5: A consortium of five medium-sized practices with expertise in healthcare and education buildings formed to tackle large PFI projects	PRP ZEDfactor formed by PRP Architects and Bill Dunster Architects to tackle low-energy sustainable housing projects	Jeremy Dixon.Edward Jones and Building Design Partnership on the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Feilden Clegg Bradley Architects with Maccreanor Lavington and Alison Brooks Architects on Brooklands Avenue housing estate in Cambridge
What benefits does it offer?	Unified practice with large in-house resources and insurance coverage able to tackle large projects at speed	Brings together complementary specialisms, but leaves existing practices intact and able to operate either independently or together	Lead consultant brings manpower resources and insurance cover; specialist brings expertise or acclaimed design skill	Architectural design skills selected to suit each individual project
What are the drawbacks?	Corporate mentality could stifle design creativity	Lack of co-ordination of roles and responsibilities and problems of sharing insurance cover	Incompatibility of cultures between large and small practices	As for the practice consortium or the lead-and-subcontracted consortium, though with the added weakness that the firms have no prior experience in working together