THE DESIGN PROCESS

Standard Phases
Standard phases bring an order to the design process. Each phase has a
purpose and a level of expectations that the owner can expect to see. In
general, the phases are sequential and that the owner will sign off on the
completion of each phase, permitting the project to move forward based
on the decisions he/she made up to that point. The timeframe to complete
each phase varies depending on the complexity of the project.
Here are the six phases:
Phase 1 Pre-Design
Phase 2 Schematic Design
Phase 3 Design Development
Phase 4 Construction Documents
Phase 5 Construction Procurement
Phase 6 Construction Observation
Phases also help to determine fee breakdown and billing. A common
misnomer is that the design fee is due upfront or paid in one big lump
sum. This is incorrect. Payments of design fees are actually made
monthly as the project progresses. These payments are based on the
amount of work completed in that particular month.
Fees
Most design fees are set at the beginning of a project as either a fixed
fee or an hourly fee with an estimated number of hours to complete. The
total fee is then divided into the individual phases by percentage of the
total fee (for fixed fees), or as an estimated number of hours per phase
(for hourly fees). these types of fees are more likely because they give
clients an under- standing of what the design fee will be from the
beginning of a project, helping to avoid surprises down the road.
design fee varies from project to project depending on the following
factors:
Project Complexity Project Type
Project Location Project Size
Project Quality Scope of Services
Owner’s Schedule Owner’s Budget
The Six Design Phases
PHASE 1 Pre-Design
Goal: research and determine the owner’s criteria for the
project.
Fee Breakdown: 5-10% of total fee
Before Design
Simply put, pre-design the stuff that is done before starting design. Pre-
design services can vary greatly depending on the complexity of a project
and the experience of the owner. Sometimes an owner will come to
designer with most of the pre-design criteria established, however, more
often, the owner needs designers experience and researching capabilities
to properly determine the project requirements.

Services
The Pre-design phase may involve the following services:
1) Programming
Programming consists of establishing and documenting detailed
requirements for the project relating to but not limited to; design
objectives, development of space requirements, relationships between
spaces, flexibility and expandability, special equipment and systems, and
site requirements.
2) Budget Analysis
The budget should have estimated costs for both the hard costs and soft
costs involved in the project. Hard costs are construction related costs
including material, labor, and the contractor’s overhead and profit. Soft
costs are non-construction related costs including the designer’s fee and
expenses, consultants’ fees and expenses, city fees, bank fees and
interest, and insurance.
It is also important during this phase to generally assess if the budget is
adequate to complete the project given project type and quality.
3) Schedule Development
The following are just a few of the factors that contribute to the project
schedule:
Owner’s schedule Owner’s decision time
Designer’s schedule Consultants’ schedules
Project complexity Permit process
 Contractor’s availability Contractor’s schedule
Because of all the various factors involved in the schedule, it is important
to continually adjust the schedule as the project proceeds.
4) Code Analysis
It is important to understand the rules of the game before you play. This
ideology is ever important when it comes to the project. Cities and often
specific regions within cities have different sets of rules governing many
aspects of the project. experience in researching and understanding
codes is critical to preventing costly code errors.
5) Space Schematics
In certain projects the designer will produce space schematics that may
include: diagrammatic studies and descriptive text, conversion of
programmed requirements into net area requirements, general space
allocations, adjacency, special equipment, and flexibility and
expandability.
6) Existing Facilities Surveys
Many projects are remodels or additions to existing structures. These
types of projects require a record of what is built. Since most clients do
not have drawings of their existing buildings, the designer recommend
they hire an as-built consultant. An as-built consultant will measure and
create accurate CAD drawings of their building that the designer can then
use as a base to develop the new design
7) Site Analysis and Selection
Whether the client already own a site for project or would like professional
assistance in finding one that will meet his/her needs, the designer is
capable when it comes to site analysis. It is general belief that great design
comes from a building’s relationship to its site. The designer analyze a
projects site to determine what makes it valuable, what are its
opportunities, and what about it is negative and needs to be properly dealt
with.
Consultants Needed
Aside from design services in the Pre-design phase, most projects require
that the owner may hire consultants to prepare the following two
documents:
a) Site Survey
A map depicting the boundaries, topography, utilities, and existing
buildings on a particular site.
 b) Soils Report/Geotechnical Investigation
Soil borings and laboratory tests performed to determine the strength,
compressibility and other characteristics of the soil conditions of a site.
This type of report is more frequently required in hillside or coastal areas.

End of the Phase

The pre-design phase officially ends when the owner signs off on the
approved program, budget, schedule, and code analysis. At this point,
any site analysis should also be complete.

PHASE 2 Schematic Design

Goal: utilizing the criteria established in Pre-design,
graphically explore design alternative concepts. Then
present these options to the owner and narrow them down
to one preferred concept.
Fee Breakdown: 15-25% of total fee

Commencing Design
Schematic design typically begins in rough form as sketches, floor plan
studies, and/or quick models. Several owner/ designer meetings are
typical during this phase to make decisions and determine a design
direction.

Documents
At the end of this phase, it is common to have the following
documents:
1) Site Plan
A drawing depicting the buildings location on the site.
2) Floor Plans
Drawings of each floor showing the size and locations of the
various rooms/ functions.
3) Key Elevations
Drawings of appropriate building sides to convey conceptual
design direction for the project.
4) Key Sections
Building cut through drawings depicting the heights and
relationships of the various floors and roof
5) Area Analysis
A summary of the sizes of the various rooms/functions in the
building.
6) Renderings or Model
3D renderings or a physical model depicting the overall look of the
building.
7) Preliminary Cost Estimate
A rough estimate of the cost of construction based on the current
building design.
The preceding list of drawings may still be rough in nature at the end of
this phase. Their intent is primarily to determine a design direction with
which to proceed into the next phase.

End of the Phase

The schematic design phase officially ends when the owner signs off on
the drawings, giving approval of the design up to this point.

PHASE 3 Design Development

Goal: refine and develop the design such that most of the major
design decisions have been made. Implement the various systems
into the building.
Fee Breakdown: 15-25% of total fee

Finalizing the Design

The design development phase typically includes finalizing the size of the
various rooms & spaces, refining the look of the project, selecting exterior
and interior materials, determining the project’s systems, and deciding
upon door and window types and locations. This phase may also include
several owner/ designer meetings which are critical to finalizing design
decisions so that the detailed documentation can commence in the next
phase.
Interiors
One common question that arises is what level of interior design do
designers provide as part of their basic services. Simply put, they will
design everything that is typically built-in to the project. This includes
basic cabinetry and finish materials such as tile. This does not include
furniture or standalone light fixtures. If the client would like detailed
interior design services, the designers are happy to provide these for the
client at an additional cost, or collaborate with the interior designer of
his/her choosing.

Systems Consultants
It is during this phase that the systems consultants begin to design and
draw up their portions of the work. For a list of potential consultants, it is
the job of the designer to coordinate the work of these various consultants,
implementing their drawings into the overall design of the project.

Documents
At the end of the design development phase the previously listed
documents from the schematic design phase should be updated in further
detail. In addition, it is common to also have the following document
1) Outline Specification
Preliminary written description of the project’s major systems and
materials.
2) Key Interior Elevations
Drawings depicting the vertical relationship and material choices of
the project’s interior rooms.
3) Reflected Ceiling Plans
Drawings of the ceiling depicting locations of lighting, equipment, &
level changes.
4) Interior Schedules
A detailed list of the type and location of interior finishes.
5) Door & Window
Schedules A detailed list of the type, size, graphic appearance and
location of all of the doors and windows in the project.
6) Key Details
Large scale technical drawings of specific elements within the project.
7) Systems Consultants’ Drawings
Varies with each project. May include structural, civil, electrical and
mechanical drawings.

End of the Phase

The design development phase officially ends when the owner signs off on
the drawings, giving approval of the design up to this point.

PHASE 4 Construction Documents

Goal: to prepare the technical written and graphic
documents that set forth the requirements for constructing
the project and obtaining government agency approvals.
Fee Breakdown: 25-35% of total fee

Instructions for Building

The construction documents phase involves adding a level of detail and
technical information to the design documents such that a contractor has
a set of instructions with which to build the project as designed. This set
of instructions is, however, not a complete set, as the contractor is
responsible for many aspects of constructing the project.
This phase may also include several owner/designer meetings; however,
it is not as likely as previous phases considering most of the design
decisions have been made. This phase is more about the designer and
consultants working through the technical aspects of the project.

Permitting
It is during this phase that the project is submitted to the local building
department for what we call plan check. Plan check is the process by which
the various city agencies review the submitted documents for compliance
to the codes. The owner will be required to pay a fee to the city when the
documents are submitted to plan check. The timeframe for this process
varies depending on the project’s size, complexity and the speed of the
local jurisdiction.
After the various agencies review the project, they will return the
documents with corrections. Every project has some level of corrections.
This does not mean that the work was done improperly. The designer
and consultants will then fix the corrections and resubmit the documents
for a second review. If the submitted documents, then meet the agencies
approval, the owner will be allowed to pull a permit to construct the
project. All this means is that the owner will pay the permit fee allowing
construction to commence. For an additional fee, most jurisdictions will
expedite this plan check process.

Documents
At the end of the design development phase the previously listed
documents from the schematic design and design development phases
should be updated in full detail. Additional documents will also be created
as part of this phase and can vary greatly depending on the scope of the
project. A completed construction document set is highly technical and
can be quite extensive. Those unfamiliar with the industry will often have
a difficult time understanding these types of drawings.

End of the Phase

The construction document phase typically ends when the permit is
pulled and construction begins. However, sometimes a permit is pulled
before all of the construction documents are complete since not all of the
documents are required to obtain a permit.

PHASE 5 Construction Procurement

Goal: to assist the owner in the selection of a contractor
to build the project.
Fee Breakdown: 2-10% of total fee

The Contract Documents

This construction procurement phase will often overlap with one of the
other phases depending on the method of selecting the contractor. It is
important to note that the documents prepared by the designer and
consultants in the construction documents phase are actually considered
to be contract documents. They are a contract that the owner will hire a
contractor to perform. In addition to the documents, there is an actual
contract that must be signed between the owner and the contractor. The
designer can help the owner to determine the type of contract to be used.
Contractor Selection
When it comes to hiring the contractor, the owner typically has two
choices:
1) Bidding
Involves making the set of documents available to two or more contractors
who then submit a bid to the owner with how much it will cost to build the
project including the contractor’s fee. The owner can then select whichever
bidder they want, even if they are not the lowest.
2) Negotiation
Involves selecting a contractor based on qualifications, capabilities
and/or referrals. Once a particular contractor is selected the owner then
negotiates the terms of the contract with the contractor including the
contractor’s fee.
Which Method is Better?
There are positives and negatives to both processes. Either way, it is
important to determine the method of contractor selection early on in the
process.

End of the Phase

The construction procurement phase typically ends when the contractor
is selected and has signed a contract with the owner.

PHASE 6 Construction Observation

Goal: to observe the construction of the project for general
conformance to the construction documents. Assist the
owner with contractor payment requests. Handle requests
for changes during construction.
Fee Breakdown: 10-20% of total fee

The Owner’s Agent

During the construction observation phase the designer will act as the line
of communication between the owner and contractor. Once the project
construction commences it is important to keep the designer involved in
the project to assist the owner with the following tasks:

Observation Services
The designer will visit the construction site at appropriate intervals to
observe the work for general conformance to the construction documents.
Evaluate contractor requests for payment
Assist the owner in processing payments to the contractor by visiting the
construction site to determine if the particular work described in the
payment request has actually been completed.

Process submittals
Review shop drawings, product data and samples for general conformance
to the design intent.

Review results of tests and inspections

Keep the owner informed as to the progress of tests and inspections
during the construction process.

Supplemental documentation
The designer can provide supplemental documents to clarify design
intent for the contractor.

Handle requests for changes

The contractor, designer, or owner may need to change something during
construction. The designer can administer this process and prepare the
necessary construction document revisions.

Resolve claims between the owner and contractor

The designer acts as the mediator between the owner and contractor if
a dispute arises. This is the first and least expensive step to conflict
resolution during construction.

Administer the project close out process for the owner

Assist the owner with the various processes and steps that occur as
construction ends.

End of the Phase

The construction observation phase typically ends when the construction
is complete.