As I emerged into the profession, I learned really quickly that teaching others especially clients of what I do and the process that entails to do what they are hiring me to do became a priority. Not only helped me get the project, but the client became more involved in the process making it more personal. With this guide the client is able to follow the process along as the design moves along, preparing them and involving them in every aspect of the project helps them understand and be comfortable with the process. The outline of the steps that the client and I follow is meant to be fun, engaging, and democratic. The process often involves sketches, drawings, computer models, lots of ideas – both good and bad – materials, thorough analysis, and good humor.
This is an introduction to help explain the Design Process that I think has the best outcome.
Good design is the synthesis of many disparate ideas into a thoughtful whole, and while the steps listed below represent a linear path, the way we arrive at the final design isn’t always linear. It’s an iterative process, which leads to a product; it’s not a known product from the beginning. The product is the result of following the design process to its logical endpoint. This, I believe, is what makes the custom design so exciting and memorable – we create it together based on your specific situation and needs. At the end of the process, you’ll have a thoughtfully designed project and the shared experience of designing it.
Architects, for the most part, all use a similar series of steps to arrive at a finished project. There are six general phases:
Phase 1 Predesign – site analysis, programming, existing conditions, budgeting, code review.
Phase 2 Schematic Design – basic design concept generation
Phase 3 Design Development – refinement of the selected design concept from phase 2
Phase 4 Construction Documents – detailed drawings, schedules, and specs
Phase 5 Contractor Selection – aid in contract award/negotiation with GC
Phase 6 Construction Observation – oversee construction + administration of the contract.
The phases are sequential and they build on the work completed and agreed to in each preceding phase. We start with the general and refine the design to the very specific. There’s a lot of decisions along the way and this gradation organizes those decisions into manageable portions.
Peralta 