Allow me to take you on a journey. Sit back, feet on the floor, back pressed into the lumbar support on your chair, breathe deeply, close your eyes…wait, don’t close your eyes or you can’t read the rest of this article. Do everything up to the close your eyes part. Now that you’re comfortable, think back to elementary school science class. Maybe you had a teacher, like Ms. Kersey, who always kept a small fish tank, with a mossy rock, pond water and a few tadpoles she rescued from a pond, mud puddle or tire rut. Do you remember rushing into class every day to check the tank for the next stage in the metamorphosis? It starts as an egg, hatches into a head with a tail, develops legs, the tail shrinks, the mouth widens, the eyes bulge and the tadpole becomes a froglet that eventually grows lungs and transforms into a frog. The mature frog needed every stage from the initial birth through the transformation to become a viable frog. Construction documents experience a similar evolution. Documents begin as broadly-defined planning or scope documents, from which an architect creates detailed design documents and ultimately transforms them into construction documents.

PLANNING DOCUMENT:

A planning document is the least publicized document but is a critical first step.

PURPOSE: to test proof of concept and solicit a project decision

Planning documents are design preparation studies or programming documents and often include analyses, feasibility studies or presentations.

ANALYSES

—infrastructure/utility review to identify available utilities and on-site generation opportunity
—building footprint analysis to evaluate how legal requirements affect building area, building type and number of stories
—environmental exposure to evaluate how to integrate rain, wind and sun into the design
—vehicle and pedestrian approach to identify parking, public transit, emergency lanes, commuter access and community access
—site planning options to identify hardscape vs. softscape, phasing, future development and optional siting opportunities
—site selection to evaluate several available building sites and select the most suitable

FEASIBILITY

—compare scope to budget to assess whether financial goals align with project goals
—real estate market valuation study to confirm the project is a sustainable investment
—needs assessment to enumerate project goals and confirm client’s project objectives

PRESENTATION

—competition to present the architect’s design submission for a competitive selection committee
—rendering to illustrate conceptual layouts in site context

• Document Type: preliminary design
• Prepared For: client, lender, investor, developer, designer
• Usage: not for permitting or construction because it excludes pertinent bid and construction information. An architect or planner may not professionally seal planning documents and may include a disclaimer limiting the document’s use.
• Cost: scope dependent; 3%-6% of total construction value
• Services: Services that prepare planning documents include The Test, The Sketch, The Budget.

Planning documents define strategic design parameters used to develop detailed design documents.

DESIGN DOCUMENT:

Architects use planning document decisions to develop community, site and building design documents.

PURPOSE: to conceive and develop a design

Design documents are sketches, drawings, photographs and models to develop design solutions or coordinate designs with others.

SOLUTION

—explore design studies to determine the best design for all program, site and environmental conditions
—brainstorm diagrams to quickly develop different solutions that satisfy the design problem
—constructive critique to evaluate design merit, offer improvement suggestions and enhance the design
—material selections to identify the materials, fixtures and products that define the project

COORDINATION

—solicit design feedback from design team and client to improve the design or modify to meet stakeholder intent
—design review, code compliance, constructability review to confirm the design is correct, meets code and is buildable
—file distribution to design team for related design work or design-build
—budget refinement to check the budget against financial goals

• Document Type: schematic design, detailed design
• Prepared For: client, designer, consultant, contractor
• Usage: not for construction because it excludes pertinent bid and construction information
  not for permitting because it is not professionally sealed and may include a disclaimer
• Cost: scope dependent; 3%-5% of total construction value
• Services: The Sketch, The Details, The Consultant, The Budget

CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENT:

Construction documents are the most common and publicized professional design service. Architects derive construction documents from planning and design document information.

PURPOSE: to publish the project and identify all site and building components

Construction documents are drawings, specifications and contracts that establish the project design, fit and finish

DRAWINGS

—design sheets prepared and sealed by all professional trade disciplines (landscape, architect, engineers, interiors)
—inventory schedules (plant, window, door, cabinet, hardware, fixture, finish) to identify all products and their respective locations in the design
—construction details to illustrate construction technique, installation and forensic building components
—3D illustrations to show all components working together as a building assembly
—construction estimate to fund the construction cost and provide cost guidelines for bid evaluation

SPECIFICATIONS

—manufacturers 3-part specifications to identify the product composition and installation for all specified products
—product cut sheets to explain product-specific criteria necessary to meet the design intent
—working drawings obtained from manufacturers to illustrate warranty-compliant installation for building assemblies

CONTRACT

—owner-contractor agreement to clarify involved parties’ roles and responsibilities
—supplemental legal documents such as construction schedule, draw schedule, submittal list, insurance certificates, etc. to provide necessary documents to administer an awarded contract
—bid package to establish bid criteria and deliver comprehensive documents to prospective bidders
—bid review to evaluate bids and select a qualified contractor

• Document Type: final design; ready for construction
• Prepared For: client, lender, developer, contractor
• Usage: sealed documents are the only documents usable for permitting and construction
• Cost: scope dependent; 3%-5% of total construction value
• Services: The Docs, The Budget, The Advisor

Like a frog egg full of potential, the architect gave birth to planning documents to prove a concept, nurtured the concept through the design phase where design figuratively, shed it’s tail & grew legs becoming a tangible design solution that the architect expertly transformed into the viable construction documents — ribbet!