Whether you're planning on a new home or a space for your business, designing and constructing a building is a complicated process. Modern architectural companies provide professional teams that guide you through the journey every step of the way. They take all your requirements into consideration and provide you with a complete plan for the building design procedure along with all the needed documentation and permits that are required. To understand this process easier, read about the five essential stages that are implemented in every building project.
Pre-Design Stage
So, what are the important stages of designing a building? Before any designing takes place, you need to sit down for a chat with an architect to discuss your general requirements. This is the preliminary stage in the complex design and construction process that modern Australian companies implement. A building is an expensive and disruptive undertaking, so it’s important to firstly determine if it’s needed at all. If it’s a residential building, you will need to determine the location, size and other requirements you and your family might have. On the other hand, a commercial building requires a detailed analysis of your business needs, staff requirements, relationships with clients, and so on. A team of experts will give you the best solutions to satisfy your client’s needs.
Once they create a general outline of your requirements, the company will put together a team. In the past, buildings followed set patterns that were repeated without additional consideration or instruction. Over time, buildings became more complex and with this rose the complexity of the building design. Today, one person isn’t enough to undertake a whole project. For this reason, a design team consists of an architect, structural engineer, services engineer (mechanical and electrical engineers), along with other designers such as landscape designers, interior designers, fire engineers, etc.
Feasibility Study
Once they determine the location of the building and the general idea of how the building will look like, the team will then perform a feasibility study. This includes researching all of the legal and physical conditions of the property where the construction will take place. This study helps to identify any constraints, risks and opportunities, as well as obtain a better understanding of the property in question. Investigations typically include:
- Structural surveys of existing buildings.
- Checking for underground chambers, voids, tunnels, pipes, watercourses, etc.
- Examining the ground for its bearing capacity, mineral composition and chemical composition.
- Looking for any protected or invasive species of flora and fauna.
- A review of the surrounding neighbourhood.
This information helps the team determine if they can execute the project. If it is doable – it updates their financial viability assessment, their schedule and gives them a better understanding of the skills they will need to deliver the project.
The pre-design stage and the feasibility study are building design stages that don’t require any design work. They’re all about identifying the requirements of the client, determining if they are feasible or not and deciding if the project should proceed or not.
Design Development
After you get a green light that your project can take place, it’s time to determine how the building will look like in detail. For this phase, designers develop a set of drawings while taking into consideration all the important aspects of the project. Later, they show these outlines to potential contractors to determine the preliminary costs. These sketches contain detailed information about how the building’s interior and exterior will look like. They show the precise window and door placements, as well as the materials that will be used. In order to get a clearer picture, the team will also include a structural engineer along with consultants for plumbing and electrical systems. At this point of the building design process, you can clearly see the project coming to life and envision yourself in your new space. The company will provide you with a detailed 3d model of the building, so you can get a better idea of how the building will look like in reality.
Construction Documents
After the designing phase is complete, the drawings and specifications are converted into documents that are necessary for communicating the design to the builder. These documents state detailed information, such as the materials, finishes, fixtures, equipment and appliances that need to be installed. Even though the design seems complete, this is the longest phase of the design and construction process. However, this is a crucial part of successfully executing your design and the team of experts need to make sure that every detail is in order. At this stage, the designer team is still open for any suggestions you might have referring to the project.
Building Permitting
The last phase consists of attaining the required information in order to get a building permit. This information shows that the project complies with the applicable land use, building and energy codes, as well as other guidelines and regulations required by the city or jurisdiction that issues the permit. During this phase, you only need to be patient and wait for the legal procedures to resolve. Their costs and length vary depending on the jurisdiction, complexity of the project or any community design review processes.
