Part III Case Study: Strategies for a Successful Submission

The analytical case study is the largest single component of the Part III examination, requiring critical analysis of a project demonstrating understanding of practice management, law, procurement, and professional relationships.

Choosing Your Project

The Goldilocks Principle: The best projects are neither too simple nor too complex. Aim for a project where:

• You have been involved for at least 6-12 months
• The project has proceeded through at least two RIBA Plan of Work stages
• There are real procurement, contractual, and client management dimensions
• Real challenges and problems exist to analyse

You do not need a completed building. A project at technical design stage or under construction is valid.

The Analytical Framework

Use Schon's reflective practitioner model as a conceptual backbone:

• Reflection-in-action: What decisions were made in the moment and why?
• Reflection-on-action: Looking back, what worked, what would you do differently?

Structure your analysis around:

1. Context and project background

2. Client and stakeholder management (PC2, PC9)

3. Design development and the design process (PC3, PC8)

4. Procurement route and contractual framework (PC5, PC6)

5. Legal and regulatory compliance: planning, building control, CDM, BSA (PC5)

6. Construction administration and site management (PC6)

7. Financial management and fee negotiation (PC7)

Critical Analysis vs. Description

The most common failure mode is narration without analysis. Assessors want to understand why decisions were taken, what alternatives existed, and what the consequences were.