MAINTENANCE, RENOVATION
AND REMODELING OF
BUILDINGS: THE ROLE OF THE
ARCHITECT.
Presented by Arc Bolaji Soladoye
WHAT IS MAINTENANCE OF
BUILDINGS?
Simply put, it is the performance of general repairs
in buildings and preventive repair or servicing of
systems and equipment.
There are 2 basic types of maintenance in
buildings:
 Planned or Preventive Maintenance
 Reactive or Emergency Maintenance
Planned or Preventive
Maintenance
 which is actually an asset management
technique used to minimize cost of managing
buildings and their components in a way to
minimize the chance of major issues ever
occurring. So rather than waiting for problems to
occur, you plan to prevent them from occurring.
Reactive or Emergency
Maintenance
 which is taking swift or prompt action when
breakdown occurs. It can be for reasons such as
to prevent any further deterioration, to prevent
further loss, or to meet any health and safety
standards and regulations that are already in
place.
WHAT IS RENOVATION OF
BUILDINGS?
 Renovation of a building means to resurrect that
structure from a state of disrepair. This is to say
that dilapidated buildings or poorly maintained
houses are sometimes considered to be in a state
of disrepair. Renovation means "restore to a
good state of repair "
 Renovations can be subtle, improving on the
existing building ambience. Or, they can be
drastic or intense, much like a remodel.
Renovation often refers to "restoring" or "repairing"
an existing structure.
WHAT IS REMODELING OF
BUILDINGS?
Remodeling of a building means to change the
appearance, structure or function of a building.
Remodeling refers to "changing" or "transforming" a
structure. In other words, if you are looking to
remodel your bathroom, you're looking to change
the appearance of it. If you are looking to
renovate your bathroom, you're looking to repair or
update it.
WHO IS THE ARCHITECT?
Now that we know the difference in these 3
categories of repair, because they all involve
carrying out varying degrees of repair, what is the
role of the architect in them?
Let us start by knowing who an architect is.
It is important to note that since the dawn of time,
humans have constructed dwellings and created
new environments. We often use the word
"architect" to describe the artists and engineers
who designed historic buildings like Taj Mahal.
However, it was only in the twentieth century that
architects were required to pass tests and be
licensed. Today, the word "architect" refers to a
licensed professional.
The word architect originated from the Greek word
'arkhi-tekton' - 'arkhi' meaning 'head' or 'chief' and
'tekton' meaning 'builder' or 'carpenter'. As the
name implies, he is the head or master-builder or
chief carpenter, the leader of the team which
constitutes the building industry.
WHO IS AN ARCHITECT?
An architect is a licensed professional trained in
the art and science of the design and construction
of buildings and structures that primarily provide
shelter. Additionally, architects may be involved
with designing the total built environment.
The most basic definition of an architect is a
professional who is qualified to design and provide
advice - both aesthetic and technical - on built
objects in our public and private landscapes.
So the architect uses his creativity and working
knowledge of structures and materials to provide
living, working and recreational environments.
To design these environments, an architect
combines the practical considerations of the site,
clients' needs and costs with a creative
understanding of materials, aesthetics, and the
cultural and physical contexts.
Architects are not just concerned with buildings but
with improving the built environment as a whole; they
have to balance the private needs of their clients
with the interest of the community at large.
The architect is a solution provider! He provides
solution through 3 principal ways:
 Through artistic imagination and creative vision - to
design spaces where their ideas and techniques
represented through form, light, textures, materials,
and colors combine to fulfill our aesthetic, spiritual,
and cultural needs;
 Practical and technical knowledge - to create
spaces that are safe, efficient, sustainable, and
meet economic needs; and
 Interpersonal skills, psychological understanding
and ethical practice - to craft spaces that fulfill the
complex, and sometimes conflicting, needs of
clients, user, and the community.
WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE
ARCHITECT?
IN MAINTENANCE - He wears the cap of a facility
manager using his knowledge of how things were
put together to direct how to fix them before or
after they breakdown.
 He uses his experience from lessons learnt from
past experiences to provide better solutions or
smarter diagnosis to minimize return jobs.
 He schedules repairs to be done and how the
work will be carried out.
 Ajose Adeogun branch
before
after
IN RENOVATION - The architect has the opportunity
to specify or re-specify materials to give the desired
new look to the building.
 A schedule of dilapidation which he prepares
becomes an important tool in giving direction to
the renovation.
 His role is very similar to that of maintaining the
building but on a larger scale and could
sometimes come with some remodeling.
 UNILAG branch
before
after
 Nsukka branch
before
after
IN REMODELING - Many will say, why do I need an
architect since I know what I want. However and
strangely enough, having an architect on a
remodeling job may even be more important than
for new construction.
 While you may have many ready made new
plans, you don't have ready made remodeling
plans because requirements are case specific.
 Secondly, except what you want to do is
confined to cosmetics, you will need a building
permit which often requires that you submit
drawings.
 Thirdly, the architect is trained to be a big-picture
person, responsible for envisioning the whole.
Some builders are quite good designers, but most
are not. Though architects and builders often work
closely together, the nature of what they do is
fundamen-tally different. Architects and designers
specialize in the abstract, in conceiving suitable
configurations, shapes, and spaces. Builders are
concerned with the con-crete details of materials
and fasteners and with the physical work of
construction.
 Airport road 1 branch
before
now
 Airport
road
staircase
floor
retiling
works
 Agent Banking Remodeling work @ Idimu Forte Oil station
before
after
IN CONCLUSION –
Just as it is with small design and build jobs that you
have draftsmen and designers contesting with you
for, so it is with the simple and straightforward
repairs and remodeling jobs. However, when
maintenance and remodeling get complex and
intricate or massive in scope, then the seasoned
and experienced professionals come on the
scene.
 Architects need to strive therefore to give better
value to clients through the display of superior
knowledge and skill.
THANK YOU