An Intro to Project Phases

There are lots of decisions that need to be made before a project starts on site. The way in which they are decided, and even when they are decided will largely depend on what procurement method you decide on (procurement is a fancy word for who does the design and when you engage a builder).

But regardless of what method you settle on, there are often predictable jobs involved in getting all projects to site and they are generally grouped into logical phases. Read on to learn the basics of each phase.

A site visit will usually be one of the first steps in the Briefing Process. This helps your designer to understand the site, with particular attention to the opportunities and constraints it presents to your project.

What will be in the design

Architects call this: The Brief

This is called The Brief and in many projects it goes well beyond “a new kitchen and a new living area”. Here are just a small sample of some of other things you’ll need to discuss and agree on:

What sorts of things are important to you and your family and how can your renovation promote more of that?
What sustainability goals would you like to meet in your project and how can they be best achieved given your site’s orientation and existing footprint?
What is your project budget? What if your budget doesn’t meet your project wishes? What options do you have, what can you lose, what must stay in the project?
Should we demolish some of the existing building so that we can improve on it and provide more space for the new building?
How important are the aesthetics of the project? What sorts of building design do you respond positively to? What styles don’t you like? What if you love a style but it reminds your partner of their nasty neighbors house when they were growing up (we’ve had this discussion!)

Designers will explore your design through a range of mediums. Sketches, diagrams and computer modelling are just a few. At Guide Architects we love to make physical models as we think it gives a really clear understanding of the design and in our experience clients are much more immersed in the design.

The Big Decision Design

Architects call this: Concept Design

Once you’ve decided on what to design, someone will need to start designing it and you’ll need to agree on the big decisions. This goes beyond where will the rooms be located and what type of roof it we have

Your designer may need to explore many considerations. These are the types of things they might need to explore and start to resolve by the end of concept.

Explore how big the extension needs to be to fit in everything you want in the brief
Understand how tall it be before it contradicts the local planning codes
Decide how do the new spaces interact with the existing building. How do they join together? Do we want a separate new space or a seamless transition through?
Research what materials might it be constructed of
Explore how can the new extension work best on a sloping or rocky site
Test how do we get natural sunlight in to minimize heating and cooling costs
And, often most importantly, does all of this fit within the budget of the project?

Mood boards and material selection palettes can help clients to make informed decisions about the final look and feel of their project.

Small Decision Design

Architects call this: Developed Design

Once you’ve agreed on the big decisions and you’ve confirmed it against your project budget, your designer will need to:

Refine the design beyond the big decisions. Exactly where will the wall be located?. Exactly how big is the window? What are the specific measurements of the kitchen benchtop
Make clear decisions on materials and finishes. What product will the bathroom basin be, what shade of laminate will the kitchen cabinets be, what type of cladding will be used.
Get the expert advice of an engineer. An engineer will likely need to provide some input before the next phase
Get the project approved by planning

3D renders with material finishes can help clients to understand the final look of a project before it is crystalized into the final documentation set.

Produce the Blueprints

Architects call this: Construction Documentation

Once all of these decisions have been made, they will need to be captured into a set of drawings. While I’ve no doubt that the designer would have been producing drawings before this point, they were more likely produced with the idea of explaining the design. These will act more like instructions to the builder. Therefore they need to be more detailed and often supported by other documents

Someone will need to:

Capture all of the agreed design decisions and put together a set of documents that someone can build with
The more accurate and detailed they are before the builder starts the project, the less uncertainty there will be on site
You will likely need a building permit stamped by your local council. These drawings will need to comply with all of the relevant building and construction codes so that your project is built to at least a minimum government standard

All of the hardwork that’s been done during the procurement phase are about to pay off on site.

Breaking Ground

Architects call this: Contract Administration

Before the blueprints are even started you should have a good idea of how you are going to find your builder and the basis of your building contract. When you break ground here are some of the jobs that will need to be done:

· Review project progress against the estimated timeline set at the beginning of the project

· Review the amount of work completed and how and when you should pay the builder

· Explore design changes that might be needed on site

· Confirm that the builder is building what has been agreed

Understanding Project Phases