PlanMan Blog, News & Resources
August 2026 Update – Version 2.1.5
This update is a significant step forward in empowering you with greater control, security, and precision over your critical business…
How to Create an Architecture Firm Marketing Plan (+ Practical Template)
A marketing plan for an architecture firm should do one thing above all: turn a vague ambition such as “win…
Best Client Communication Software for Architecture Firms: 2026 Guide
Architecture projects generate a lot of conversation, but not all of it is useful or easy to recover. A design…
Best Document Management Software for Architects: 2026 Guide
Architectural practices create an awkward mix of information: drawings, models, specifications, contracts, fee proposals, meeting notes, photographs, emails and financial…
Top practice management software products for UK architects – the 2026 list
Most UK architects have two completely separate relationships with technology. The design tools get serious attention while the operational layer…
July 2026 Update – Version 2.0.0
This release marks a significant step forward in our commitment to providing you with a more intuitive, collaborative, and personalized…
Getting Planning Permission in the UK: The 2026 Guide for Architects and Town Planners
Planning permission is the mechanism through which the UK regulates what gets built, where, and how. For architects and town…
The Best Billing and Invoicing Software for UK Architecture Firms in 2026
Invoicing in an architectural practice is not the same as invoicing in most other businesses. The fee structures are more…
Starchitects: What They Are, Is the Era Over, and What Your Practice Can Take From Them
There is an enduring tension at the centre of how the architectural profession understands success. On one side is the…
More-Than-Human Architecture in the UK: A Business Opportunity And a Design Movement
For most of the history of UK planning policy, “the environment” meant energy efficiency, insulation values, and carbon. Over the…
Becoming a Town Planner in the UK in 2026: The Full Picture
Town planning sits at the intersection of politics, economics, design, law, and community. It is one of the more intellectually…
How and Why to Run a Tech Audit in Your UK Architecture Practice
Most UK architectural practices have accumulated an extremely cluttered tech stack. Architects add one tool at a time in response…
NEC and JCT Contracts in UK Architecture in 2026
If you run an architectural practice in the UK, two contract types will affect your working life more than almost…
Early Contractor Involvement in UK Architecture and Construction
Early Contractor Involvement is one of those concepts that sounds obvious once you understand it, but the majority of UK…
Collaboration principles that UK architects should adopt in 2026
Collaboration in UK architecture operates at multiple levels: within design teams, across multidisciplinary project stakeholders (engineers, contractors, clients, specialists), with…
The most common handover issues and how to avoid them
In UK architecture, the project handover stage refers to RIBA Stage 6: Handover (sometimes called “Handover and Close Out” in…
Project Post-Mortems and retrospective reviews in UK Architecture
What are post-mortems/post-project reviews A post-mortem in UK architecture (often called a Post Project Review or PPR) is a structured,…
Are you running an architectural practice or an architectural business?
In our experience working with hundreds of architects and town planners, most firm principals still don’t fully grasp what it…
Dealing with seasonality in UK architecture and construction
Many UK architects point out that the architectural business in the UK is seasonal, though the seasonality is generally milder…
Passivhaus-related services for UK architects: move now, not later
Passivhaus has crossed 1% of all new UK housing, the Passivhaus Trust called the start of “exponential growth.” The Trust’s…
The most common operational bottlenecks in architecture in 2026
The most common operational bottlenecks in UK architecture firms, based on our client feedback, industry reports (particularly from the RIBA),…
Protection of function plans in UK architecture: everything you need to know by now
“Protection of function” (also called “reserved activities”) in UK architecture refers to a proposed regulatory shift: legally restricting certain high-risk…
Post-Occupancy Evaluations & UK Architects: an Idea for Growth?
Post-occupancy evaluations (POE) is the systematic process of assessing a building’s performance after it has been occupied for some time,…
Intro to agentic AI for architecture firms – benefits, setting up & safety measures
What is Agentic AI and what can it bring to architecture firms Agentic AI represents the next leap beyond traditional…
Why Architectural Practices Fail in the UK in 2026 – And How to Stay in Business
Over the years of collaborating closely with UK architects and town planners, we built PlanMan based on real client feedback…
Cash flow breakdown for UK architecture firms – top factors and dangers to avoid
What is cash flow Cash flow is the movement of actual money into and out of a business over a…
Architectural Competitions and Festivals to Consider in 2026
Competitions as marketing channel Participating in architectural competitions and festivals is a cornerstone activity for architects seeking to elevate their…
Professional indemnity insurance for UK architects: requirements, best practices, top providers
Professional Indemnity Insurance (PII) is a type of professional liability insurance that protects architects against claims that arise from errors,…
Invoicing software for architects – top picks for 2026
The importance of invoicing software Invoicing is a critical yet often overlooked aspect of running a successful architecture practice in…
How to recession-proof UK architectural practices
In an uncertain economic climate, UK architectural practices face challenges from recessions, as highlighted by recent forecasts predicting prolonged downturns….
Onboarding for new employees: the guide for UK architecture firms
Understanding onboarding Onboarding new hires in UK architectural practices is a critical process that sets the tone for long-term success,…
Specification writing for UK architects – top best practices and tips for 2026
Who writes specifications? Architects traditionally bear primary responsibility for preparing specifications, as they translate design intent into precise instructions. In…
High-profit business models for UK architects to consider in 2026
The average UK architecture practice is still running on 8–12% net profit margins, praying the next planning approval comes through…
Top UK architecture material trends for 2026 – and how to leverage them
As the UK construction sector eyes net-zero targets and circular economy mandates under the Building Safety Act and Future Homes…
Architectural fee race to the bottom – surviving the fee wars and undercutting in 2026
The fee race to the bottom is real In UK architecture people often talk about “fee wars” and a race…
Practical tips for recent architecture graduates – how to stand out and be of value
Recent UK architecture graduates enter a market where demand for junior roles is high but entry-level positions remain fiercely competitive….
