Transform how you manage architectural projects by mastering work-breakdown structures and leveraging powerful software tools to keep your designs on schedule and within budget.
Most project management approaches begin with project initiation and move sequentially through planning, execution, and closeout. This session takes a different perspective by focusing first on the core element that drives every project: the work itself. Effective scheduling, costing, resourcing, and risk management all depend on how clearly project work is defined and structured.
This course examines the practical use of the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) as a foundation for stronger project management. Participants will explore how complex scopes are broken into manageable work packages, how deliverables and milestones are structured, and how clearer work definition improves communication, accountability, and project control across delivery teams and stakeholders.
Key Topics Discussed:
Architect, B.Arch., MDE, OAA, PMP
Donald Ardiel is an architect, educator, and project manager. Following 30 years in architectural practice, Don assumed the positions of Director of Practice Support and the Director of Syllabus at the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada from 2016 to 2020. Following retirement from the RAIC, Don has provided project management education for design professionals to national and international clients. Don is the editor of A Guide to Determining Appropriate Fees for the Services of an Architect 2nd Edition, and editor-in-chief of the Canadian Handbook of Practice for Architects 3rd Edition. In addition to architectural practice, Don has been an instructor and workshop leader in project and practice management for 30 years. As an education consultant, he has provided curriculum development and instructional design services to post-secondary institutions and professional associations. He continues his commitment to the architectural profession through his active volunteer work with the Ontario Association of Architects, Canadian Architectural Certification Board’s Broadly Experienced Foreign Architect Program, and the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada’s Syllabus Program. Don received a Bachelor of Architecture from Carleton University in 1987 and a Master of Distance Education from Athabasca University in 2008. Don has been a member of the Project Management Institute since 1992 and certified Project Management Professional since 2008. Don is an active board member of the United Church of Canada’s children’s camp, Camp Kee-Mo-Kee in Komoka, Ontario.
