https://arka.pk/blog/ Architecture, design and construction insights from ARKA, Lahore. en https://arka.pk/blog/one-system-for-our-studio-ofivio-review/ https://arka.pk/blog/one-system-for-our-studio-ofivio-review/ Sat, 12 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Studio News An honest account of moving ARKA off shared drives, spreadsheet BOQs and chat groups onto Ofivio: what changed in drawings, approvals, stages and billing, and what it asked of us in return. https://arka.pk/blog/boq-we-can-defend-ofivio-planning-qs/ https://arka.pk/blog/boq-we-can-defend-ofivio-planning-qs/ Sat, 12 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Construction Every quantity surveyor in Pakistan knows the fear of a spreadsheet nobody fully trusts. Here is how our bill of quantities, tendering, valuations and site records moved onto one connected record. https://arka.pk/blog/architecture-practice-money-admin-ofivio/ https://arka.pk/blog/architecture-practice-money-admin-ofivio/ Sat, 12 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Industry Design is taught for five years. Invoicing, dual fee structures, payroll and chasing payments are taught to nobody. Here is how ARKA moved the business half of the practice onto one connected ledger. https://arka.pk/blog/architect-fees-pakistan-what-you-pay-for/ https://arka.pk/blog/architect-fees-pakistan-what-you-pay-for/ Sat, 12 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Industry Two architects quote very different fees for the same house. The difference is usually scope, not greed. Here is how to read a fee proposal before you compare numbers. https://arka.pk/blog/how-to-read-a-boq-before-signing-contractor/ https://arka.pk/blog/how-to-read-a-boq-before-signing-contractor/ Sat, 12 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Construction A Bill of Quantities is the most useful document in a construction contract and the least read. Here is what homeowners should check before agreeing to a rate. https://arka.pk/blog/design-stages-of-a-house-project-explained/ https://arka.pk/blog/design-stages-of-a-house-project-explained/ Sat, 12 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Architecture From the first sketch to construction drawings, a house moves through distinct design stages. Knowing what each stage decides helps you give the right feedback at the right time. https://arka.pk/blog/managing-drawing-revisions-on-building-projects/ https://arka.pk/blog/managing-drawing-revisions-on-building-projects/ Sat, 12 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Architecture When the contractor builds from an old drawing, the mistake is set in concrete. Here is how disciplined revision control and transmittals keep everyone on the current set. https://arka.pk/blog/client-approvals-and-design-variations/ https://arka.pk/blog/client-approvals-and-design-variations/ Sat, 12 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Architecture Changes are part of every project. Unrecorded changes are what break budgets and relationships. Here is how clear approvals and a variation process protect clients. https://arka.pk/blog/interim-payment-certificates-explained/ https://arka.pk/blog/interim-payment-certificates-explained/ Sat, 12 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Construction Advance payments and round-figure instalments are the fastest way to lose control of a construction budget. An interim payment certificate links every payment to measured work. https://arka.pk/blog/daily-site-reports-construction/ https://arka.pk/blog/daily-site-reports-construction/ Sat, 12 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Construction A short record written every day on site prevents more disputes than any contract clause. Here is what a useful daily site report contains and why clients should ask for one. https://arka.pk/blog/construction-procurement-materials-pakistan/ https://arka.pk/blog/construction-procurement-materials-pakistan/ Sat, 12 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Construction Material purchasing decides a large share of construction cost and most of the delays. A simple procurement process keeps prices fair and the site supplied. https://arka.pk/blog/snag-list-handover-checklist-new-home/ https://arka.pk/blog/snag-list-handover-checklist-new-home/ Sat, 12 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Construction The weeks before handover decide how your house performs for years. A structured snag list catches defects while the contractor is still on site to fix them. https://arka.pk/blog/architecture-studios-pakistan-going-digital/ https://arka.pk/blog/architecture-studios-pakistan-going-digital/ Sat, 12 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Industry Most studios still run on AutoCAD folders, Excel BOQs and chat groups. Here is what changes when drawings, approvals, site records and accounts live in one place. https://arka.pk/blog/site-orientation-pakistani-climate/ https://arka.pk/blog/site-orientation-pakistani-climate/ Fri, 15 Nov 2024 00:00:00 GMT Architecture In Lahore's extreme summers, building orientation can reduce cooling loads by 30% or more. Here's what every homeowner should understand before finalizing floor plans. https://arka.pk/blog/cost-planning-construction-pakistan/ https://arka.pk/blog/cost-planning-construction-pakistan/ Mon, 28 Oct 2024 00:00:00 GMT Construction Construction budgets fail not from expensive finishes, but from poor planning. Understanding the true cost structure of residential construction prevents financial surprises. https://arka.pk/blog/interior-design-vs-architecture/ https://arka.pk/blog/interior-design-vs-architecture/ Thu, 10 Oct 2024 00:00:00 GMT Interiors Interior design is not decoration applied after construction. It is spatial design at a different scale. Here's why the two disciplines must work together. https://arka.pk/blog/residential-planning-mistakes/ https://arka.pk/blog/residential-planning-mistakes/ Sun, 22 Sep 2024 00:00:00 GMT Architecture Some design errors cost paint to correct. Others require demolition. These are the residential planning mistakes you cannot afford to make. https://arka.pk/blog/high-rise-development-lahore-2024/ https://arka.pk/blog/high-rise-development-lahore-2024/ Thu, 05 Sep 2024 00:00:00 GMT Industry Lahore's skyline is transforming. From DHA to Gulberg, vertical development is reshaping the city. What's driving this shift and what does it mean for architecture?