BORAQS Architect Exam case studies
BORAQS Architect Exam · Put your knowledge to work in context.
BORAQS stands for the Board of Registration of Architects and Quantity Surveyors of Kenya, the statutory body that regulates the professions of Architecture and Quantity Surveying through training, registration and enhancement of ethical practice. The Board was established in 1934 under Cap 525 Laws of Kenya, and it maintains registers of architects, quantity surveyors, architectural firms, quantity surveying firms and other recognised professionals. The BORAQS Architect Exam case studies are 5 cases and about 3,995 words.
1Hostel conversion and the single-stair argument
Your client owns an eight-storey 1970s office block in Nairobi with a floor plate of 780 m2, a single 1.2 m wide staircase, 2.7 m ceiling heights and no sprinkler system. The client wants to convert it into a 220-bed student hostel and has been told by a county officer that, because the structure is existing, only 'minor renovation' approval is needed.
839 words, about 4 min2Riparian setback, flood risk and starting piling without consents
Your firm is appointed to design a 180-unit apartment scheme on a 0.6 ha plot in Kiambu County. The site boundary is 18 m from the high-water mark of the Nairobi River, and part of the plot is shown on county flood maps as floodplain.
834 words, about 4 min3Valuing variations and a contested interim certificate
Under a JBC building contract, the contract sum is KES 486,000,000 excluding VAT. The architect has instructed two variations: omit 450 m2 of granite paving priced at KES 6,500/m2 in the bills, and add 320 m2 of curtain wall for which no contract rate exists.
819 words, about 4 min4Testing a concept budget against a coastal benchmark
Your client wants a 6,500 m2 gross floor area mixed-use building in Mombasa: ground-floor retail and four office floors. The total budget is KES 780,000,000 including VAT, contingency and escalation but excluding land, professional fees and loose furniture.
707 words, about 4 min5Practical completion, backdating and an inducement
You are the architect administering a JBC building contract for a three-storey shopping centre in Nakuru. The contractual completion date passed six weeks ago; liquidated damages are KES 150,000 per week.
796 words, about 4 min