Architecture Project Management: SD through CA with Monograph and Ajera
Architecture projects are complex, multi-phase endeavors spanning months or years, involving multiple consultants, iterative design decisions, and continuous owner communication. Without a systematic project management approach, even excellent design work can result in budget overruns, missed milestones, and strained client relationships. This guide covers the operational framework for managing architecture projects from kickoff through construction completion — using the tools and workflows that work for small practices.
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The Architecture Project Phase Structure
The AIA defines five phases of architectural services in the B101 agreement, each with distinct deliverables and decision milestones:
Schematic Design (SD): Translates the owner's program into initial design concepts — site plan, floor plan organization, building massing, preliminary material and systems approach. Deliverable: SD drawings and a preliminary construction cost estimate. Owner milestone: SD approval to proceed to DD. Typically 15–20% of total fee.
Design Development (DD): Refines the SD concept into coordinated drawings showing all building systems. Structural, MEP, and other consultant systems are integrated. Material and product selections are made. Deliverable: DD drawing set and updated cost estimate. Owner milestone: DD approval and design freeze. Typically 20–25% of total fee.
Construction Documents (CD): Full production drawing and specification set for building permit submission and construction bidding. The most labor-intensive phase. Deliverable: Complete permit-ready and/or bid-ready drawing and specification package. Typically 35–40% of total fee.
Bidding/Negotiation: Architect assists owner in selecting a general contractor through competitive bidding or negotiation. Issues addenda to answer contractor questions. Typically 5% of total fee.
Construction Administration (CA): Architect serves as the owner's representative during construction — reviewing submittals, responding to RFIs, making site observations, certifying payment applications, and issuing ASIs and Change Orders. Typically 20–25% of total fee.
Fee Tracking vs Budget Consumed: Your Most Critical Metric
The most important operational metric in architecture project management is fee earned (% of phase fee = % of phase completion) vs hours consumed (% of phase budget). When hours consumed consistently exceed fee earned percentage, you are burning your profit margin.
Monograph makes this comparison visible in real time: you set a phase fee budget, track time against it, and see immediately when a phase is heading over budget. This visibility is essential — without it, you discover an unprofitable project only when the invoice is sent.
Common causes of budget overruns by phase:
SD: Excessive design iterations driven by unclear client program. Solution: Lock down the program before starting design. Require written approval of the program document.
DD: Scope creep — owner-directed program additions after SD approval. Solution: Document every program change and issue a scope change memo immediately, triggering a fee adjustment discussion.
CD: Consultant coordination delays and drawing coordination issues. Solution: Set internal CD milestones (50% CD, 95% CD) with defined consultant deliverable dates.
CA: Under-scoped CA services — if your B101 CA scope is 20 site visits but the project needs 50, you are working for free. Solution: Scope CA realistically from the start, including a contingency for complex projects.
Consultant Coordination: Structural, MEP, Civil, and More
Small architecture practices are the lead consultant on most projects, coordinating a team of subconsultants whose work must be integrated into your drawings. Typical consultant team:
Structural Engineer: Every building with a structure beyond prescriptive wood framing needs a licensed structural engineer. Engage the structural engineer at SD or early DD to avoid designing a building that cannot be economically or technically engineered.
MEP Engineer: Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering is required for most commercial, institutional, and larger residential projects. MEP coordination during DD and CD is a major drawing coordination task — establish clear drawing standards and sheet layout conventions with your MEP subconsultant from the start.
Civil Engineer: Required for site development, grading, drainage, and utility connections on most projects. Engage the civil at SD when site constraints are being resolved.
Landscape Architect: On many commercial and institutional projects, a landscape architect is required for site landscaping design and permitting.
Manage consultants with a coordination matrix: a simple spreadsheet listing each consultant, their scope, contract amount, billing status, and key deliverable deadlines. Track consultant invoices against project budgets in Monograph — consultant fees are reimbursable but must be managed against the total project budget.
Construction Administration Operations: RFIs, Submittals, and Site Visits
Construction Administration is where architecture's professional value is most tangible — and where inadequate documentation creates the greatest liability exposure. Establish these CA operational disciplines:
RFI Log: Maintain a numbered log of all RFIs received from the contractor. Log the date received, the question, your response, and the date returned. Respond to RFIs within the timeframe specified in your B101 (typically 10–14 calendar days) — late responses create contractor delay claims.
Submittal Log: Maintain a numbered log of all required submittals (shop drawings, product data, samples). Track submission date, return date, and action taken (approved, approved as noted, revise and resubmit, rejected). The AIA G-series forms provide standard formats for these tracking functions.
Site Observation Reports: Document every site visit with a written observation report noting: date, attendees, construction activities observed, items conforming or not conforming to contract documents, open issues requiring follow-up, and photos. This contemporaneous documentation is critical if construction defect claims arise years later.
Payment Certification: When you certify a contractor's G702 payment application, you are confirming that work is installed and payment is appropriate. Visit the site before certifying each application. Certifying payment for work not yet installed exposes you to professional liability — and potentially damages your relationship with the owner.
Monthly CA billing: Issue your CA invoices monthly regardless of whether you hit a phase milestone. CA is typically billed on time-and-materials or a monthly retainer.
Practice Operations: Running Your Firm Week to Week
Beyond individual project management, running a small architecture practice requires consistent operational habits:
Weekly time entry: All project hours should be entered into Monograph (or your project accounting system) within the same week they are worked. Reconstruct timesheets from memory after a month and you lose granularity and accuracy. Set aside 10 minutes each Friday for time entry review.
Monthly financial review: Review each project's fee consumed vs fee earned, overall firm cash flow, outstanding invoices and AR aging, and your pipeline backlog. This monthly habit catches problems when they are manageable — not when they become crises.
Project filing and document management: Every project needs a consistent folder structure: /[Project Number - Project Name] / Contracts / Drawings / Revit Files / Correspondence / Submittals / Photos / Specifications. Use the same structure for every project — this consistency pays enormous dividends when you need to find something quickly during a dispute.
Continuing education: Most states require 12–24 AIA LU/HSW hours of continuing education annually for license maintenance. Track your credits in your NCARB Record and state board portal. AIA members can complete CEUs through AIA's online learning platform, manufacturer-sponsored events, and conference attendance.
RECOMMENDED TOOLS
Monograph
Architecture-specific project management and financial tracking — fee vs budget visibility by phase, time tracking, and client invoicing for small practices
Ajera (Deltek)
Purpose-built A/E firm project accounting — the natural upgrade for practices that outgrow Monograph in complexity or staff size
AIA Contract Documents
AIA G-series CA forms — G702/G703 payment applications, G710 ASIs, G716 RFIs — the standard forms for CA phase administration
Bluebeam Revu
PDF markup platform for submittal review, drawing markups, and construction document collaboration during CA
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How do I know when my project is over budget on architect hours?
In Monograph, set your phase fee budget at project setup (e.g., SD = $15,000, DD = $20,000, CD = $35,000, CA = $20,000). As you log time, Monograph shows hours consumed vs budget in real time. A simple rule: if you have consumed 50% of a phase's hour budget but only completed 30% of the phase's deliverables, you are on track for an over-budget phase. Address it immediately — scope-scope the remaining work, issue a scope change proposal to the client, or make efficiency improvements. Never hope the overage will magically reverse.
How many site visits should I include in my CA fee?
For residential projects (custom home or major renovation): 1 visit per week during active construction plus milestone visits for framing, MEP rough-in, and punch list is typical. For commercial projects (TI or small commercial): 1 visit every 1–2 weeks plus milestone visits. For institutional or complex projects: weekly or more frequent visits during critical phases. Underscoping CA visits to reduce fee is a professional risk — inadequate CA observation is one of the leading sources of architect professional liability claims.
What happens if I discover a construction defect during a CA site visit?
Document it in your site observation report immediately with photos and written description. Issue a written notice (via RFI response or formal architect's letter) to the contractor and owner describing the nonconforming work and the required corrective action, referencing the specific contract document section or specification section that is not being met. Do not simply note it verbally and move on — written documentation of nonconforming work and required corrections is your professional and legal obligation during CA.