Introduction - The Architectural Process
This manual will help you to prepare for the process of
designing and building your new facility.
1 Identify
your Need(s)
Each building project requires a
careful evaluation of what is needed. Once a project is 80 percent at capacity,
it’s time to start thinking bigger. When that time comes, the next step is to
2 Implement
a Planning / Building Committee
Planning and Building Committees
are integral to the process of design. They represent your project both outward
- representing the needs to the architect and builders, and inward – sharing
design and budgeting to the administration and benefactors. The members of this
committee, or these committees, are often very active in the organization,
broad-minded, level headed clear thinkers. The perfect balance in these
committees is found when there are both general thinkers – with a broad range
of experience and exposure, and specialists - who can finesse aspects of the
design so that the result is a finer representation of the need. It is vital
that building and planning committees have at least one member, preferably
their chairperson, with a strong business and accounting sensibility. There are
going to be large cost considerations in any project and it is vital that
someone understand and be able to explain how the funding is obtained and
distributed. A committee of 5-7 is ideal
in size, for schedule coordination and cohesiveness. A secretary should
document all decisions.
The planning committee should, before the process of
design even begins, obtain:
- A site survey that documents boundaries, topography, locations of trees over 6” in diameter, adjoining buildings, streets and curbs, building setbacks, easements, and the location of utilities.
- Zoning restrictions for the site
- Deed restrictions
- Drawings of existing facilities, if applicable
Planning Committee Do’s and Don’ts
Do:
- Express your concerns to the Architect
- Ask questions of the Architect
- Alert the Architect if something appears to be wrong
- Expedite payments to Architect and Contractor
Don’t:
- Give the Contractor instructions – Communicate via the Chairperson to your Architect who will them work with Contractor
- Allow members of the organization to perform construction unless they competitively bid for the work. Consult with your Architect.
- Make unnecessary changes.
Selecting an Architect
Selecting and Architect is one of
the single most important, and difficult, aspects of Construction. There are
lots of architects out there that are good at lots of different things. Some
are generalists, and others specialize in certain aspects of design: like
residential, commercial, or even more specifically - restaurants or religious
design.
There are two main thought
processes in architect selection.
Performance-based selection
is when an Architect is selected based on his or her background and work
history. The committee reviews and selects the Architect based on prior experience
and interview connection.
Design-based selection is
when an Architect is selected based on ideas they are asked to bring to the
table before the project officially gets awarded. Oftentimes, several
Architects will be invited to participate in preliminary visioning, or even
given a program to work with, and will provide very preliminary sketch ideas
based on these criteria. Some Architects will do this for free, others will
not. But a small fee in exchange for knowing that your Architect truly understands
your vision before you get into a multi-year working relationship with them is
sometimes very comforting, making this an ideal form of preliminary interview.
An Architect Questionnaire is the first place to
start in this process. This allows the committee to review side-by-side the
qualifications of all the Architects without seeing the Architect’s portfolios,
which can sometimes be so artfully created that the information you might be
looking for may not be present. These documents describe the Architect’s
education and firm experience, the team they propose for the project, list of
related work, references, list of current workload, and a written commitment to
attend all meetings.
Once the Architect Questionnaires are reviewed and
culled, a smaller group of potential Architects may be asked to submit
portfolio materials.
Once 2-3 preferred Architects are chosen, interview
should take place, preferably on site, with entire Building and/or Planning
Committee(s). You might make a list of potential questions for the Architect to
answer, and send that ahead so they can thoughtfully prepare for the process.
But in my experience, the best interviews are not held to a strict regimental
standard but are easy, flow, and might even take off on several different
tangents. A great Architect will see this, and flow you right back into your
next question so that they may address your concerns.
Once you have selected a preferred Architect, your
chairperson will begin the process of contracting with them for their services.
It is highly recommended that you use the AIA Contracting forms, which protect
the rights and responsibilities of both the Architect and the Owner to the
greatest extent possible. Most Architects will charge between 8-12% of the
estimated construction cost for their work. A famous Architect will often
charge between 12 and 15%.
Course of Design
Schematic Design – Develop a Building Program and Masterplan
A Building Program establishes the
sizes and uses of areas required to meet your needs. This document provides two
major benefits – it gives the Architect a guideline to design by - so that the
end result reflects the need, and it assists the organization itself in laying
out and understanding it’s ideals. As the program is developed, the organization
can check itself against its purpose, realign itself to that purpose if
required, and evaluate its functionality.
The end result of
programming should include:
- Organization Mission Statement
- List of Goals
- List of Needs
- Information about the property
- Budget
- Specific requirements of different program areas, i.e. education, accessibility, administration
Sometimes, when there are many
buildings, or many phases required, a Masterplan is ideal. This document
specifically addresses site and surrounding area, in a level of detail far
beyond the scope of a Building Program. The exact size and shape of the
building is not necessary at this time. A Masterplan allows the building and
planning committees an opportunity to see the functional relationships between
different aspects of a building, identify phasing requirements, as well as
identify relationships between inside and outside space. The Masterplan is
expected to be a “living” document, not set in stone, as the program develops
or future needs are changed, the Masterplan is changed. It should give a fairly
accurate snapshot of the design ideas as they are idealized today.
After these processes are
completed, or alongside them, the Architect will prepare Schematic Design
documents, which will include conceptual plans and elevations for the building
and site, as well as a conceptual cost estimate for the work.
The cost for completing Schematic
Design Documents is usually about 15% of the Architects’ total budget.
(Masterplanning and Building Programming are separate services.)
The cost for completing Design Development
Documents is usually about 15% of the Architects’ total budget.
Design Development – Finesse the Design
After the organization approves
the Schematic Design Documents, the Architect will prepare more detailed
documents allowing for inclusion of technical criteria like mechanical, electrical,
plumbing, and green design considerations, as well as outline specifications.
An updated and much more clearly defined construction estimate is prepared.
The cost for completing Design Development
Documents is usually about 15% of the Architects’ total budget.
Construction Documents – Prepare
Documents for Contractors
After the organization approves the Design
Development Documents, the Architect will prepare working drawings, which will
elaborate each dimension and detail for the Contractors to use for
construction.
The cost for completing Construction Documents is
usually about 40% of the Architects’ total budget.
Bidding and Negotiation –
Choosing a Contractor
Your Architect will submit, on your behalf, the
plans to the city or county building officials for permit review. Alongside the
process, the projects will be announced to interested builders. This process
can happen in many ways, and your Architect can assist you in determining which
method is right for your organization. The result of this phase is a
Contractual Agreement with your preferred Contractor. To be clear – you have a
Contractual relationship with your Architect(s), and with your Contractor,
separately. Your Architect and Contractor do not have ANY legal relationship
other than a desire to get your project built to the design standard you
select.
The cost for completing Bidding and Negotiation is
usually about 10% of the Architects’ total budget.
Construction Administration – Watch the Building Grow from the Ground Up!
Construction
Administration is the phase when the building goes from designs on paper to a
tangible edifice rising above the land. The Architect and Contractor will work
hard to ensure that the building result is an accurate refection of design
intentions and program requirements. Your Architect will assist the Contractor
with supplementary drawings, site visits to answer questions and document
progress, review the Contractors pay Applications, prepare and authorize
changes to the work (Change Orders), determine the date of substantial
completion, prepare the final punchlist, and collect warranty data.
The cost for completing
Construction Administration is usually about 20% of the Architects’ total
budget.
