The Architectural Design Process Explained (Its That Simple)

Have you ever been driving around town and noticed a new building or a new park seemingly popping up out of nowhere? Ever thought to yourself how that building came to be? You might be surprised to know that today’s construction projects involve complex and detailed design processes that require many people and many steps before the ribbon cutting.  

For projects to go smoothly, there are typically 5 major milestones or design phases that take place sequentially. These architectural design processes drive a project forward in a systematic and logical manner. Each one should not start until the previous step is complete. This process is designed to make effective use of everyone’s time which ultimately keeps the project on time and on budget. 

As construction costs continue to soar, it is more important than ever that construction processes work out as much detail as possible before the first shovel hits the dirt. 

What Are The Steps In The Architectural Design Process? 

Design Process Step 1: Pre Design

The pre-design phase of a project is the initial phase of the project. During this phase the design team will try to get as much information out of the client as possible. Identify the goals of the project. What are the needs of the project? What are the existing conditions of the project? In this phase the design team will also investigate code requirements, establish concept sketches, floor plans and other programming needs. 

All of this preliminary information is used to understand the scope of the project. The scope of a project is the parameters of work that will be completed under the contract. The scope will often define what will be designed, the type of design, what will be delivered. How will the consultant be involved through construction? 

Projects can go out of scope if the owner makes changes requiring rework, adds features, or asks for additional design tasks. 

The pre-design phase of a project may or may not involve a contract, depending on the project. In this phase, architects may be bidding on a job against competitors. High level design, scope and a fee might be included in pre design presentations as teams try to win jobs. 

Design Process Step 2: Schematic Design

This next phase of the design process is referred to as schematic design. In this phase, design teams will really start to dial in the design. They will use a variety of tools to accomplish this.. This will involve architects developing floor plans and building elevations to show the look and operation of the building. New construction projects will typically show how the building sits on the piece of land. High quality preliminary renderings may also be presented at this time to help a client make aesthetic decisions. 

Architectural teams will bring on other disciplines like structural, civil, landscape architects, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) to start preliminary design. Bringing these teams on early helps keep the project running smoothly. Many issues can be avoided if all disciplines are brought onboard early before too many major decisions are made. 

During this phase, the client is presented with a lot of information and questions as there are many decisions to be made.The design team uses their expertise and experience to help guide the client to feasible solutions based on code requirements, standards of practice, and professional judgment. All suggestions are made with the best interest of the client in mind.  Oftentimes design teams will request final sign off on schematic design before continuing on to the next phase.

Design Process Step 3: Design Development

During this phase, much of the design details are worked out. Since there is an agreed upon floor plan and design, all design disciplines can continue into their full scale design. Once the architectural team has floor plans and building programming complete, the other design teams can ramp up their design efforts.

This stage will include developing mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems. Routing HVAC, plumbing, and electrical processes throughout the building. The structural engineer will finalize building framing and lateral systems. 

Design models will be developed to help with coordination. Things that are typically coordinated at this stage are things like wall sections, structural column and framing locations and providing sufficient space for MEP to be routed through the project. 

Architectural teams will begin to develop the finishes and and other aspects of the design to present to the client. Detailed 3D renderings or virtual reality programs can be used to present information to clients. 

Construction budget also comes into play during this phase as final selections are made to stay on or deviate from the budget. 

Design Process Step 4: Construction Documentation

This phase is typically the most time consuming design phase of the project. Construction documentation is essentially the final deliverable for the architectural and engineering team. This is where they make their money. This is also the most exciting part for the client as the project moves that much closer to becoming a reality. 

Construction documents will involve every trade on the project. Each design team is in charge of developing their own construction drawings. These drawings typically will show floor plans with information of each respected discipline. Things like structural framing plans, lighting plans, mechanical and plumbing drawings are all examples of what will be provided. 

In addition to floor plans, elevations or sections will be provided to show the cross section of a portion of the building. These help explain what is happening in specific locations across the project. 

Enlarged details may also be provided to further explain small aspects of the project. An example of a detail is a blow up detail explaining the architectural flashing around a window, or the structural steel connection between a column and a beam. 

Construction documents are compiled and assembled by the team and presented to the permitting authority for final approval. These documents are signed by licensed professionals and will be the building blocks for the next phase.

Design Process Step 5: Bidding and Construction

Depending on the project, you will commonly see a project go out for bid and permit at the same time. Once final construction drawings are prepared, it’s time to get a contractor to put a number to the work. A contractor will provide a bid for the work as detailed and specified on the construction drawings. Their scope of work will be defined by what is on the drawings, so its important that construction drawings capture as much scope of work as possible regardless of whether or not final details have been hashed out or not. 

After the bids come back and the client accepts the cost, the project moves into construction. In this phase the architect and engineers will still be involved in the project. The construction phase requires input from the design team to help ensure that what is built matches what was presented on the plans.

This is accomplished by a variety of checks and balances. The design team may do the following during construction:

• Review and Approve Shop Drawings. Shop drawings are drawings from fabricators showing what will be constructed and if it correctly captures the design intent. These shop drawings are often the final opportunity to make adjustments before material shows up on site. 

• Answer RFI’s (Request For Information). RFIs are questions from contractors asking for clarification on the drawings. These can vary from how is something to be built, to if a product can be substituted for an alternative. There should be a formal tracking process to help with document control for the project. 

• Submit ASIs (Architectural Special Instructions). ASI are changes or clarifications added to the original construction drawings during the construction process. These drawings can be any type of change from framing plan updates to changing light switches or paint colors. You might also hear changes and clarifications called revisions or bulletins also depending on the project.

• Conduct Site Visits. The design team should conduct regular site visits to have eyes on their design as the project takes shape. It is an opportunity to speak with the contractor and understand how the project is going and walk the site to make sure the construction is conforming to specifications. Field observation reports can typically accompany the site visit as a formal way to track progress or comments mentioned while on site. 

• Attend Contractor Progress Meetings. The construction process has a lot of moving parts and there is typically a large amount of money being spent at any given time. The design team may attend construction meetings to help the construction process and also be in the know about potential issues that might set the project back. 

The Wrap Up

The design process on architectural and engineering projects might seem long and tedious, but these steps are in place to help projects move as smoothly as possible. Often the most expensive part of any project can be rework and redesign which results in lost money and lost time. 

Each and every project comes with its own unique challenges and opportunities to showcase the talents of the architectural and engineering teams that work on them. The design process allows these teams to make the most of their talents and the most of their clients’ time.