Design Phases
Concept Design
This design phase generally involves the application of a design ‘idea’ to the practical provision of a facility. This design is usually a free hand drawn sketch.
The Concept Design phase may be used to define of verify the brief and may often involve the testing of different approaches/options. During this phase, ideas (concepts) are developed through open interaction by the team of the key elements of the project.
At the end of this phase, the basic building blocks of the project are defined in general terms and coordinated between design principles.
Preliminary Design
Preliminary Design generally involves the further refinement of the preferred concept to facilitate testing it against inputs from the team, including cost estimates and regulatory approval. The hand drawn sketch is transposed into a Computer Aided Design and exact measurements are included on the scheme.
During this phase the project concepts are developed into firm schemes, where the relationship and sizes of spaces and facilities are defined and coordinated between the design disciplines. At the end of this phase, the project should be clearly defined.
Developed Design
This is the phase where the scope of each component in the design is clearly defined and coordinated. This may involve production of detailed information including sketch details of all significant componentry and their interrelationships.
Developed design generally provides sufficient information for the client/user to clearly understand the aesthetics and functionality of the building, internal spaces and facilities.
Detailed Design
Detailed design generally provides a level of documentation that clearly defines the design, specification and extent of all building elements. The design should be comprehensively coordinated with other disciplines.
Rooms become more life like with doors, beds, sinks and curtain tracking and decisions are made around the colour scheme and materials used within the facility.
Construction Design
This phase is where the requirements defined in detailed design documents are integrated with changes that may occur during the tender and contract process with the construction requirements such as site conditions, proprietary and performance design elements, erection requirements, and fabricated shop drawings to crease drawings that can be directly ‘built’ from.