THEORY OF ARCHITECTURE 2

Architectural Design Process  The ‘successful’ or chosen architect will be

By: Ar. Chris Luna, uap hired – or commissioned – to carry out the
design project.
Introduction:

How The Process Works?

The architectural design process is organized to

ensure that objectives are reached in order of
priority; the highest priorities are addressed and
the largest design solutions are arrived at first,
then the details fall in place in concert with the
larger issues and ideas.

Without this approach, the resulting building is

just a random collection of unrelated decisions.
(ROBERT T. COOLIDGE, AIA)

The Classic Steps to the Process

The process is typically broken down into the
following steps:
1. Pre-Design Phase (PD)
2. Schematic Design Phase (SD)
3. Design Development Phase (DD)
4. Construction Documents Phase (CD)
5. Bidding & Negotiation Phase (BN)
6. Construction Observation/Contract
Administration Phase (CA)
7. Supplemental Services (SS)
 The architect works closely with the client in
order to clearly understand their user needs.
 The architect then produces a Design
Program.
 This is a written document that spells out the
characteristics that the new building must
have in order to satisfy the identified needs.

*Every project is unique, and not all projects

follow this process exactly

Architectural Design Process

A. Pre-Design Phase

 The Architectural Design Process begins

when a client identifies a need to
accommodate new or expanded activities

 The client will interview a number of

architectural firms in order to determine
which one will have the combination of
experience, skill and resources that will
make them the best choice to design the
building

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  The Design Program is a design brief for
the building
 It begins with a Problem Statement
 make a clear and sharply-defined
statement of actual problem
Project Goals and Objectives
Goals
Goals are high-level statements that provide
the overall context for what the project is trying
to accomplish.
Objectives
Objectives are concrete statements describing
what the project is trying to achieve.
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 the design concept (the thought, the idea,
model, theory, impression, perception,
philosophy etc.) that went into the evolution
of the project;
 The design objectives are statements
containing specific aims in how a project
shall be designed or planned.
 Most often, the DO relates to the PO (project
objectives).
 If the PO is intangible, the DO is the
tangible method of designing the
project.
 The design consideration/s refer to the
factors that may influence the achievement
of a design objective/s (e.g. lush vegetation,
traffic, social mores, population density,
orientation, building character, beliefs, etc.)
 The design criteria includes design
principles necessary to create a functional
and dynamic structures; standards, norms
and conditions the proponent should meet in
designing his/her project
 The Program also includes Design
Requirements. These are detailed and
specific properties that the building must
have in order to be successful.
 Space List - the functional areas that are
to be provided.
 Sizes and Dimensions - the floor area
and critical lengths and heights of the
spaces.
 Proximity Relationships - how close the
spaces must be to each other and the
type of access between them.
 Fixtures and Fittings - detailed built-in
features and equipment required to
support the functions of the spaces.
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 Special Features - anything unusual that
must be provided in order for the spaces
to function properly.
Site Analysis
The following elements typically are considered
in most sites:
1. Location: The site should be related to
major streets or landmarks previously
existing. There should be documentation of
distances and time from major places
2. Neighborhood context: Zoning of the
neighborhood is important and information
of this type can typically be found at the
municipal or city planning office. Features
include: architectural patterns, street
lighting, condition of existing buildings & the
immediate surroundings of the site.
The following elements should also be
analyzed:
 Reaction of the surrounding buildings
towards the site and people moving
around
 Existing paths (pedestrian, cyclist, and
vehicle)
 Landmarks: are distinctive sites that
provide way-finding for people in the
area, and which define the character of
a neighborhood
 Nodes: are key public gathering places
that encourage people to linger and
socialize.
3. Size and zoning: Site boundaries can be 6. Natural physical features: Information will
located by either verifying the dimensions be derived from the topographic features on
physically or contacting the municipal or city the site. A contour map of this magnitude
tax assessor’s office. can be located from the survey engineer.
 zoning classifications
 set-backs
 height restrictions
 allowable site coverage
 uses
 Parking requirements are obtained by
obtaining zoning classifications from a
zoning map, which can be located from
the city planning department.

4. Infrastructure, social, and political

boundaries.

5. Legal: Information can be obtained from the
deed to the property. The deed is
information such as the property description,
present ownership, and the governmental
jurisdiction the site is located in, and the city
or county.
Drainage problems as well as existing
natural features of trees, ground cover,
ground texture, and soil conditions on the
site should be directly observed.
7. Manmade features: Features located on
the site such as buildings, walls, fences,
patios, plazas, bus stop shelters should be
noted. The site and location of such features
should be directly measured

Documentation of existing historical districts

should be made, some of which may already
have reports completed. This information
can be taken the municipal or city planning
office for the site.

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 Working with the client, the architect will also…
 Identify the budget (maximum cost) for the
project, divided into individual cost elements,
such as site services, parking and
roadways, landscaping, foundations,
structure, building envelope, etc)
 Determine the project schedule, including
critical dates and lengths of time required for
various parts of the design and construction
work.

8. Circulation: The uses of streets, roads,

alleys, sidewalks, and plazas are important
in this inventory step. It is not necessarily an
analysis of these elements but more an
analysis of what occurs on these circulation
gateways

B. Schematic Phase

With the Program complete, and there to guide

the design activities, the architect will next
generate ideas.

9. Utilities: Information for utilities concerning

the site can be found through the utility
departments and companies in the local
area. They have a print of the drawing of the
information needed including the location of
all utilities and their locations around or on
the site itself.

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 Schematic Design is a search for an
essential organizing principle
 An idea that will suggest the overall
arrangement and form for individual and
groups of spaces that makes up the
building.

 studying the Massing Models on the site

considering:
 the location of the building relative
to property lines (setbacks),
There are a series of steps to the Schematic topography and other physical
Design phase: features
 The creation of 'Bubble Diagrams‘  the orientation of the building to sun,
illustrating the approximate size and winds, other buildings and
relative position of spaces, both the surroundings
horizontally and vertically;  access to/from the building and site

 'Fleshing out' the Bubble Diagrams into

two-dimensional rough Schematic Plan
layouts and three-dimensional Massing
Models, by incorporating specified floor
areas and critical dimensions (lengths
and heights) of Spaces;
 Making adjustments to the Schematic
Plans and Massing Models to closely
integrate the building and site
 The building is shaped to fit the site
and/or the site is altered to
accommodate the building.

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 C. Design Development Phase

 The architect revises the approved design in

response to the client’s comments and
needs

 The Schematic Design is developed to a

greater level of detail.

 During Schematic Design, a number of

alternative design ideas are generated, and
brought to the same level of resolution

 This process involves switching back-and-

forth between two-dimensional Schematic
Plans and three-dimensional Massing
Models checking that the requirements of
the design Program are generally being
 The architect coordinates the work of other
satisfied.
design professionals who are responsible for
different aspects of the building.
 The alternative Schematic Designs are
presented to the client who comments on,
 Engineers who design the structural,
selects and approves the 'best' design
mechanical and electrical services inside the
alternative for further elaboration in the
building.
Design Development stage of the process.

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 Civil engineers and landscape architects
who design the grading, drainage, planting
and site features outside the building
 During Design Development decisions are
made about the materials and methods of
construction to be used especially with
respect to the building envelope in order to
‘realize’ the design concept that was
established by the Schematic Design.
 During Design Development the space plan
is worked out in detail to ensure that the
layout of the Interior and circulation spaces,
will allow the building to function the way it is
intended to and building service systems are
designed that will support the function of
individual spaces.
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 During Design Development a cost estimate
is prepared to ensure that the design is
within the established budget.
 Also, the project schedule is reviewed to
make sure that it can still be achieved
 The developed design is presented to the
client for review and approval.
D. Contract Documents
 The Contract Documents stage is when
working drawings and specifications are
produced.
 These documents use a combination of
graphics (drawings) and written information
(notes, schedules and specifications)
describe the building thoroughly and
precisely enough that it will be possible to
construct it.
  In order to describe the building
thoroughly and precisely enough that it
will be possible to construct it, the
architect and consultants must carry out
an enormous amount of Detail Design.
 Detail Design is the design of the
many construction details of the
building, such as the way that the
materials and components of the
building envelope are joined
together to create a continuous air
and vapor barrier
 The Contract Documents will be used by
potential constructors to prepare quotations
- to tender competing bids - setting out the
price they would charge to construct the
building.
 Once a constructor has been selected, the
documents will form part of a legal
agreement – a contract – between the
constructor and the client/owner.
 Portions of the documents will be used by
each of the many sub-trades that carry out
specific parts of the work (concrete forming
and pouring, structural steel erection,
carpentry, plumbing, electrical work, etc).

 The constructor will use the contract

Detailed Design
 The arrangement, size and shape of
stairs, ramps, elevators and other
parts of the building’s circulation
system.
 The fabrication of doors and
screens and the assembly of the
partitions that create the interior
space plan of the building.
documents to coordinate and schedule the
work of the sub-trades so that everything is
done safely and on-time.
Topic Reference:
 UAP Standards of Professional Practice
 TECHNOLGICAL DESIGN – Architectural
Design Process (unknown author)
 The images in this paper came from
various sources from Google images
THIS PAPER IS FOR
ACADEMIC PURPOSES ONLY

 Detail Design also includes the

design of the many fixtures and
fittings – built-in components of the
building - such as cabinets and
counters.

 The selection of interior finishes,

such as floor coverings, ceilings,
paint and coatings.

 For this work the architect may

engage the services of another
design professional - an interior
designer.

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