Which method is benifical for designing a project architecture ?

I believe..Revit & AECOsim are good soft tools...especially mass conceptualization is a feature which helps designing any kind of architecture...

1. Identify Architecture Objectives. Clear objectives help you to focus on your architecture and on solving the right problems in your design. Precise objectives help you to determine when you have completed the current phase, and when you are ready to move to the next phase.
2. Key Scenarios. Use key scenarios to focus your design on what matters most, and to evaluate your candidate architectures when they are ready.
3. Application Overview. Identify your application type, deployment architecture, architecture styles, and technologies in order to connect your design to the real world in which the application will operate.
4. Key Issues. Identify key issues based on quality attributes and crosscutting concerns. These are the areas where mistakes are most often made when designing an application.
5. Candidate Solutions. Create an architecture spike or prototype that evolves and improves the solution and evaluate it against your key scenarios, issues, and deployment constraints before beginning the next iteration of your architecture.
6. This architectural process is meant to be an iterative and incremental approach. Your first candidate architecture will be a high-level design that you can test against key scenarios, requirements, known constraints, quality attributes, and the architecture frame. As you refine your candidate architecture, you will learn more details about the design and will be able to further expand key scenarios, your application overview, and your approach to issues.

As professional with an an IT upbringing, I want to answer the question from a systems engineering standpoint. The IT Architecture is a layered architecture in which places the softwares components on a hardware platform. 

Simply put, The hardware platform will contain networks and communications platforms on which the TPS, DDS and EDS one over the other. It will look like a triangle, with the base layer being the hardware platforms, the middle layers containing first the TPS and then the DDS, with the EDS being at the top of the triangle. That would represent an Information System Architecture. When I apply the concept of Project Management(PM) to developing Information systems in each layer. 

The result is the creation of the Information Systems Architecture of the organization through Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC). Therefore the IS Architecture is really an approach. 

In PM,there are different approaches such as Traditional, Agile( iterative or adaptive), Extreme and Emertze. Applying this thinking to PM, I find that each approach can have a Project Management Life Cycle (PMLC). Each PMLC has a different configuration.

So from an IS architectural approach( SDLC), or there can be different PMLC’s which an be adopted and will give  the architecture needed for a project. 

The Wysocki Matrix (Effective Project Management, Wysocki, Robert K., pg.300) can give a framework for determining the type of approach needed, and the PMLC required.

So if the IS architectural, layered approach is adopted, then a project’s PMLC becomes its architecture!

if you mean project planing then the methode is :

-project scheduling

-Resource Management

-Project duration reduction

thankfor the invitation , please look for computer aided design(cad) you will get bretty rich informations

Design-build construction methods is benificial for designing a project achitecture.

I my opinion there is no only one method, the methodology should be the result of some key points that must be clear to aply or define a methodology; 

Clear Project Goal. Define Scopes, procedures, timing approach

Good Knowledge of the project hinterland, disponibilities.

Client knowledge.

With these points you can elaborate a project architecture in taskforce information, timing, schedules, subcontractors, project place reallity, and Client expectations. 

INTRODUCTION TO

            VALUE ENGINEERING Project Architecture, Engineering, Project Management

Value Engineering is a conscious and explicit set of disciplined procedures designed to seek out optimum value for both initial and long-term investment.

Value Engineering (VE) is not a design/peer review or a cost-cutting exercise. VE is a creative, organized effort, which analyzes the requirements of a project for the purpose of achieving the essential functions at the lowest total costs (capital, staffing, energy, maintenance) over the life of the project. Through a group investigation, using experienced, multi-disciplinary teams, value and economy are improved through the study of alternate design concepts, materials, and methods without compromising the functional and value objectives of the client.

It can be applied at any point in a project, even in construction. However, typically the earlier it is applied the higher the return on the time and effort invested. The three main stages of a project and VE's application are described below.

Planning

At the Planning stage of development, there are additional benefits to be derived from a Value Engineering Workshop. An independent team can:

•             Review the program

•             Perform a functional analysis of the facility

•             Obtain the owner/users definition of value

•             Define the key criteria and objectives for the project

•             Verify/validate the proposed program

•             Review master plan utility options (e.g. Central Utility Plant versus individual systems)

•             Offer alternative solutions (square footage needs per function, adjacency solutions, etc.)

•             Verify if the budget is adequate for the developed program

The benefits are tremendous.

•             Any changes to the program at this stage have very little if any impact on schedule and A/E time and redesign costs.

•             The project will be developed with fewer changes, redesigns, and a greater understanding by all parties of what the final function and space allocations will be.

•             An independent team can bring a fresh outside view of alternate solutions from other similar projects.

The VE Job Plan follows five key steps:

1.            Information Phase

2.            Speculation (Creative) Phase

3.            Evaluation (Analysis) Phase

4.            Development Phase (Value Management Proposals)

5.            Presentation Phase (Report/Oral Presentation)

These five key steps are described as follows:

1. Information Phase:

At the beginning of the VE Study, it is important to:

•             Understand the background and decisions that have influenced the development of the design through a formal design presentation Analyze the key functional issues governing the project. The functions of any facility or system are the controlling elements in the overall VE approach. This procedure forces the participants to think in terms of function, and the cost and impacts associated with that function.

•             Define Owner's objectives and key criteria governing the project.

•             Determine Owner's definition of Value.

2. Speculation (Creative) Phase:

This step in the VE study involves the listing of creative ideas.

•             The VE Team thinks of as many ways as possible to provide the necessary function within the project areas at a lesser initial or Life-Cycle Cost which represent improved value to the client.

•             Judgment of the ideas is prohibited.

•             The VE Team is looking for quantity and association of ideas, which will be screened in the next phase of the study.

•             Many of the ideas brought forth in the creative phase are a result of work done in the function analysis. This list may include ideas that can be further evaluated and used in the design.

3. Evaluation (Analysis) Phase:

In this phase of the Project, the VE Team, together with the Client and/or Users,

•             Defines the criteria to be used for evaluation.

•             Analyses and judges the ideas resulting from the creative session. Ideas found to be impractical or not worthy of additional study are discarded. Those ideas that represent the greatest potential for cost savings and value improvement are developed further. A weighted evaluation is applied in some cases to account for impacts other than costs (such as schedule impacts, aesthetics, etc.).

4. Development Phase:

During the development phase of the VE study, many of the ideas are expanded into workable solutions. The development consists of:

•             Description of the recommended design change.

•             Descriptive evaluation of the advantages and disadvantages of the proposed recommendation.

•             Cost comparison and LCC calculations.

•             Each recommendation is presented with a brief narrative to compare the original design method to the proposed change.

•             Sketches and design calculations, where appropriate, are also included in this part of the study.

5. Presentation Phase:

The last phase of the VE Study is the presentation of the recommendations in the form of a written report. A briefing/oral presentation of results is made to the Client and Users, as well as the Design Team representatives. The recommendations, the rationale that went into the development of each proposal, and a summary of key cost impacts are presented at that time so that a decision can be made as to which Value Management proposals will be accepted for implementation and incorporation into the design documents.

In addition to the monetary benefits, a VE Workshop provides a valuable opportunity for key project participants to come together, then step aside and view the project from a different perspective. The VE process therefore produces the following benefits:

•             Opportunity to explore all possible alternatives

•             Forces project participants to address "value" and "function"

•             Helps clarify project objectives

•             Identifies and prioritizes Client's value objectives

•             Implements accepted proposals into design

•             Provides feedback on results of the study

Construction

During this phase value engineering is still possible through the use of Value Engineering Change Proposals (VECP). Contractors can be provided monetary incentives to propose solutions that offer enhanced value to the owner, and share in the financial benefits realized. Clearly the owner must consider contractor-generated proposals very carefully, from a life-cycle perspective and a liability perspective. The A/E team must be brought in to the decision-making process to agree to the proposed change as not having any negative impact on the overall design and building function. The evaluation of a VECP is treated similarly to any change order during construction, with issues such as schedule and productivity impacts being considered along with the perceived cost savings generated.

Conclusion

In the final analysis, Value Engineering is not only beneficial, but essential because:

•             The functionality of the project is often improved as well as producing tremendous savings, both initial and Life-Cycle Cost.

•             A "second look" at the design produced by the architect and engineers gives the assurance that all reasonable alternatives have been explored.

•             Cost estimates and scope statements are checked thoroughly assuring that nothing has been omitted or underestimated.

•             Assures that the best value will be obtained over the life of the building.