ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN PROCESSWe believe that the first step of the architectural process begins long before an architect is even engaged, let alone hired. When you engage MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT SOLUTIONS you are ahead of the process already. We start thinking about architectural SOLUTIONS as soon as we see the site and talk to you about your goals for your project.
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We look into our database of similar projects based on type and location to begin the wheels turning for you in developing concept designs that evolve as we learn more about the site you have chosen, the neighborhood context and your own design preferences. We develop computer sketches for your review almost immediately in our engagement.
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THE MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT SOLUTIONS DESIGN PROCESS
Every design process is unique, and this generic step-by-step guide to the design process is only an example. The number of steps varies depending on the complexity of the project and whether you’re building a new home or commercial property, renovating or simply making a few small tenant or home improvements.
If you’re buying or building a new apartment building, commercial building or industrial site, market preference can guide the features to look for and how to renovate or make small improvements.
Step 1: Preliminary research
This first step is explained in detail below:
Every design process is unique, and this generic step-by-step guide to the design process is only an example. The number of steps varies depending on the complexity of the project and whether you’re building a new home or commercial property, renovating or simply making a few small tenant or home improvements.
If you’re buying or building a new apartment building, commercial building or industrial site, market preference can guide the features to look for and how to renovate or make small improvements.
Step 1: Preliminary research
This first step is explained in detail below:
- examining your current home and lifestyle or commercial projects needs
- developing your design narrative
- deciding your overall maximum baseline budget
- exploring sources of professional advice for each stage of decision
Step 2: Choose your Designer/Architect
Choosing the right Designer or Architect for your project is arguably your most important step on the path to your new home.
Architects and Building Designers
Designers fit into one of two main categories: Architect or Building Designer.
Architects are state-registered and regulated, and the legislation governing them varies from state to state. To gain registration under a State and the AIA (American Institute of Architects), a person must hold a recognized degree in architecture or demonstrate equivalent qualifications, undertake a period of experiential training and pass a practice examination. To remain registered, architects must hold appropriate professional indemnity insurance and undertake regular continuing professional development.
Building Designers regulations also vary between states. In Colorado, designers can prepare single family home designs but cannot prepare multi-family or commercial designs. Some cities do not allow designers to be the building designer of record without an architectural seal. The range of services offered by building designers varies significantly. Many hold architecture or other specialist design degrees; others are qualified drafting professionals who establish their own practices after many years of experiential learning.
Engage a Designer based on their experience, qualifications and demonstrated capacity to deliver the type and style of home described in your brief and for your climate zone. Make sure you get a copy of their professional indemnity insurance. Seek references from previous clients and, where possible, visit buildings that the designer has completed.
Choosing the right Designer or Architect for your project is arguably your most important step on the path to your new home.
Architects and Building Designers
Designers fit into one of two main categories: Architect or Building Designer.
Architects are state-registered and regulated, and the legislation governing them varies from state to state. To gain registration under a State and the AIA (American Institute of Architects), a person must hold a recognized degree in architecture or demonstrate equivalent qualifications, undertake a period of experiential training and pass a practice examination. To remain registered, architects must hold appropriate professional indemnity insurance and undertake regular continuing professional development.
Building Designers regulations also vary between states. In Colorado, designers can prepare single family home designs but cannot prepare multi-family or commercial designs. Some cities do not allow designers to be the building designer of record without an architectural seal. The range of services offered by building designers varies significantly. Many hold architecture or other specialist design degrees; others are qualified drafting professionals who establish their own practices after many years of experiential learning.
Engage a Designer based on their experience, qualifications and demonstrated capacity to deliver the type and style of home described in your brief and for your climate zone. Make sure you get a copy of their professional indemnity insurance. Seek references from previous clients and, where possible, visit buildings that the designer has completed.
Step 3: Site Analysis
Visit the site with MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT SOLUTIONS to do a ‘SWOT’ analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats). This is your first opportunity to work with your designer to see if your objectives align. It can take the form of a paid consultation or can be part of the design contract outlined in the next step.
The Architect/Designer (if already engaged by you) can make a concept plan and site analysis or MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT SOLUTIONS will value-add to your design narrative by identifying possible design solutions that capitalize on the site’s strengths and opportunities, and overcome its weaknesses (e.g. poor solar access) and threats (e.g. slipping soils, fire risk or flooding).
On the site, consider:
Tip:
If you do not select MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT SOLUTIONS as your preliminary designer, another designer’s advice is likely to be limited if they aren’t paid for it. Negotiate a set fee for this initial advice to gain a more comprehensive preliminary analysis and a detailed fee proposal for your project.
As a rule of thumb, expect the cost of full sustainable design and working drawing documentation for a new home/commercial to be 3–9% of the total budget, depending on the complexity, and on the higher end if project supervision is included. A good designer who produces a space efficient and climate-responsive home can save you at least as much as the cost of their fees, by helping you reduce upfront construction costs (through efficient use of space and materials) and ongoing energy costs (through climate-appropriate design). Good design begins EARLY and paying for concept design from MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT SOLUTIONS
is a smart investment.
Visit the site with MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT SOLUTIONS to do a ‘SWOT’ analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats). This is your first opportunity to work with your designer to see if your objectives align. It can take the form of a paid consultation or can be part of the design contract outlined in the next step.
The Architect/Designer (if already engaged by you) can make a concept plan and site analysis or MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT SOLUTIONS will value-add to your design narrative by identifying possible design solutions that capitalize on the site’s strengths and opportunities, and overcome its weaknesses (e.g. poor solar access) and threats (e.g. slipping soils, fire risk or flooding).
On the site, consider:
- climate responsive design and site specific variables
- orientation
- cool breeze access
- solar access
- views
- overshadowing by landforms, trees and buildings (site survey)
- slope (site survey)
- soil type (geotechnical report)
- bushfires risks
- stormwater drainage
- access and transport
- services (power, gas, phone, water, sewer).
Tip:
If you do not select MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT SOLUTIONS as your preliminary designer, another designer’s advice is likely to be limited if they aren’t paid for it. Negotiate a set fee for this initial advice to gain a more comprehensive preliminary analysis and a detailed fee proposal for your project.
As a rule of thumb, expect the cost of full sustainable design and working drawing documentation for a new home/commercial to be 3–9% of the total budget, depending on the complexity, and on the higher end if project supervision is included. A good designer who produces a space efficient and climate-responsive home can save you at least as much as the cost of their fees, by helping you reduce upfront construction costs (through efficient use of space and materials) and ongoing energy costs (through climate-appropriate design). Good design begins EARLY and paying for concept design from MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT SOLUTIONS
is a smart investment.
Step 4: Project Narrative Development, Fee Proposal and Design Contract
The First plan of your new Home/Commercial Project may emerge on the ‘back of an envelope’ or a simple napkin.
MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT SOLUTIONS has created several projects from "napkin sketches" and "back of envelope" sketches. Both those created by its clients or some created by MDS founder John Ewing. Seeing these initial "plans" develop into reality can be very fulfilling and exciting.
If your design contract was not signed earlier with a licensed architect, it is usually signed at this step. MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT SOLUTIONS does not employ any Licensed Architects but can provide you with contact information of our design partners for you to directly engage them. If you are unable to proceed to contract confidently after discussing the Archoitect/Designer’s fee proposal, consider seeking an alternative opinion from another Architect/Designer.
The project Narrative we began in the preliminary research stage remains a ‘living document’ that is frequently updated throughout the design process as a record of your agreed decisions. It should also form the basis of the designer’s fee proposal. Reference the Narrative in your final contract with the designer.
Beyond providing an ‘opinion of probable cost’ that typically includes a range of likely costs, designers generally don’t accept responsibility for the final cost of your project due to the enormous range of variables beyond their control. Buying off the plan can increase budget certainty but reduce design flexibility.
Review your preliminary budget and your Project Narrative with your Architect/Designer.
Ask your Architect/Designer to review your preliminary budget in light of your brief to identify potential problems and suggest strategies to deal with them. Designers generally work within a range of costs per square foot. Size is the major determinant of cost but other variables include preliminaries (e.g. government fees, geotechnical and engineers fees), site difficulty (e.g. slope, access, fire hazard, wind exposure), the construction system used, number and size of wet areas (bathrooms, laundry and kitchen), services (cost of water, sewer and energy supply) and access (e.g. drive construction, materials transport distances, travel times for trades).
Your designer should provide indicative costs for each sustainable feature in your brief and recommend additional ones that may be relevant for your site or climate. Apply life cycle costing to each item. In many cases, savings on utility bills exceed the additional costs, and often mortgage repayments, for these features. You will be saving money from the day you move in. ‘Quarantine’ these costings in your budget from the outset to ensure delivery at the end.
The First plan of your new Home/Commercial Project may emerge on the ‘back of an envelope’ or a simple napkin.
MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT SOLUTIONS has created several projects from "napkin sketches" and "back of envelope" sketches. Both those created by its clients or some created by MDS founder John Ewing. Seeing these initial "plans" develop into reality can be very fulfilling and exciting.
If your design contract was not signed earlier with a licensed architect, it is usually signed at this step. MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT SOLUTIONS does not employ any Licensed Architects but can provide you with contact information of our design partners for you to directly engage them. If you are unable to proceed to contract confidently after discussing the Archoitect/Designer’s fee proposal, consider seeking an alternative opinion from another Architect/Designer.
The project Narrative we began in the preliminary research stage remains a ‘living document’ that is frequently updated throughout the design process as a record of your agreed decisions. It should also form the basis of the designer’s fee proposal. Reference the Narrative in your final contract with the designer.
Beyond providing an ‘opinion of probable cost’ that typically includes a range of likely costs, designers generally don’t accept responsibility for the final cost of your project due to the enormous range of variables beyond their control. Buying off the plan can increase budget certainty but reduce design flexibility.
Review your preliminary budget and your Project Narrative with your Architect/Designer.
Ask your Architect/Designer to review your preliminary budget in light of your brief to identify potential problems and suggest strategies to deal with them. Designers generally work within a range of costs per square foot. Size is the major determinant of cost but other variables include preliminaries (e.g. government fees, geotechnical and engineers fees), site difficulty (e.g. slope, access, fire hazard, wind exposure), the construction system used, number and size of wet areas (bathrooms, laundry and kitchen), services (cost of water, sewer and energy supply) and access (e.g. drive construction, materials transport distances, travel times for trades).
Your designer should provide indicative costs for each sustainable feature in your brief and recommend additional ones that may be relevant for your site or climate. Apply life cycle costing to each item. In many cases, savings on utility bills exceed the additional costs, and often mortgage repayments, for these features. You will be saving money from the day you move in. ‘Quarantine’ these costings in your budget from the outset to ensure delivery at the end.
Step 5: Concept Designs
Designers often prepare several concept designs to communicate their thinking and allow you to assess them against your brief. They can range from a simple bubble diagram sketch on the back of an envelope, through to hand drawn concepts of form and spatial arrangements. Analyse them in light of the information in the Passive design articles that apply to your climate zone and raise any questions with your designer (see Design for climate).
Concept designs can help make initial sustainability choices. Concept designs should consider construction systems but not lock them in unless they are a fundamental component of your brief. The choice of high or low mass materials and the amount of mass required in floor, walls or roof to achieve thermal comfort varies depending on other design decisions including glass to mass ratios and heating and cooling systems. Input from a building sustainability consultant or assessor can be very useful at this stage to ensure that every opportunity to achieve high level thermal performance is locked in while the design is still very flexible.
Designers often prepare several concept designs to communicate their thinking and allow you to assess them against your brief. They can range from a simple bubble diagram sketch on the back of an envelope, through to hand drawn concepts of form and spatial arrangements. Analyse them in light of the information in the Passive design articles that apply to your climate zone and raise any questions with your designer (see Design for climate).
Concept designs can help make initial sustainability choices. Concept designs should consider construction systems but not lock them in unless they are a fundamental component of your brief. The choice of high or low mass materials and the amount of mass required in floor, walls or roof to achieve thermal comfort varies depending on other design decisions including glass to mass ratios and heating and cooling systems. Input from a building sustainability consultant or assessor can be very useful at this stage to ensure that every opportunity to achieve high level thermal performance is locked in while the design is still very flexible.
Step 6: Design Development
Through discussion with your Architect/Designer, choose the concept design that best suits your needs. The Architect/Designer then develops the concept into a preliminary layout. More than one concept can be developed in this way but each additional concept developed may increase design fees.
This important stage usually includes preliminary room arrangements, window opening sizes and orientation, indication of indoor–outdoor flow, furniture layouts and preliminary choice of construction systems. Spend time visualising your household living in the design at this stage. Revisit your analysis of your current home. Have problems been overcome? Have new ones been created?
The decision-making process for materials selection also progresses during this step as external and internal finishes are considered. Take this opportunity to identify sustainably sourced materials with low life cycle environmental impact (see Materials).
Tip:
To help with visualization of views, breeze and sunlight entry, consider making a simple cardboard model of the design with cut-out windows and place it on your site at different times of day and season. Make it yourself by gluing your designer’s plans and elevations onto cardboard, or ask them to make a model for you.
Construction costing is based on a rate per square feet, as is the cost of heating and cooling your home. The larger the home, the more it costs to build and operate. Reducing the size and reallocating that budget to sustainable features is an important focus during this stage of design. Trimming just a few square feet from each room can pay for double glazing or a photovoltaic array.
The larger the home, the more it costs to build and operate.
Through discussion with your Architect/Designer, choose the concept design that best suits your needs. The Architect/Designer then develops the concept into a preliminary layout. More than one concept can be developed in this way but each additional concept developed may increase design fees.
This important stage usually includes preliminary room arrangements, window opening sizes and orientation, indication of indoor–outdoor flow, furniture layouts and preliminary choice of construction systems. Spend time visualising your household living in the design at this stage. Revisit your analysis of your current home. Have problems been overcome? Have new ones been created?
The decision-making process for materials selection also progresses during this step as external and internal finishes are considered. Take this opportunity to identify sustainably sourced materials with low life cycle environmental impact (see Materials).
Tip:
To help with visualization of views, breeze and sunlight entry, consider making a simple cardboard model of the design with cut-out windows and place it on your site at different times of day and season. Make it yourself by gluing your designer’s plans and elevations onto cardboard, or ask them to make a model for you.
Construction costing is based on a rate per square feet, as is the cost of heating and cooling your home. The larger the home, the more it costs to build and operate. Reducing the size and reallocating that budget to sustainable features is an important focus during this stage of design. Trimming just a few square feet from each room can pay for double glazing or a photovoltaic array.
The larger the home, the more it costs to build and operate.
Step 7: Final Design
Make your final design and selection decisions of the following matters in light of advice from your Architect/Designer:
- Construction Materials
- Interior Finishes
- Final floor plan and building form details
- Construction systems
- Window type, size and orientation
- Shading solutions
- External finishes
- Heating/cooling system
- Major appliances (i.e. Kitchen, Furnace, Hot water system; Renewable energy)
- Water systems, e.g. rainwater tanks and water recycling if applicable
- Interior design elements
- Landscape design
This stage is often the greatest test of commitment, for both you and your designer, to achieving an environmentally sustainable home.
Final design is often when budget overruns become apparent and cost reductions are then made. This point is usually the single greatest threat to the environmental sustainability of your home because sustainability features are often considered ‘optional’ and eliminated in the trade-off process even though they may have relatively low cost.
These trade-offs are best managed by dividing your project into stages. Features you don’t need right away can be built or added later. Include the sustainability features at the start and reduce your bills from the day you move in. These features are usually less expensive to incorporate in the initial build than to add later.
Additional spaces or rooms designed into a total concept at the outset can be added cost effectively when future finances allow. Changes made after this stage has been signed off will likely add to design costs.
When both parties are satisfied with the design, submit the final design drawing to council for planning approval before design detailing, if a staged approval process is desirable. This approach can accommodate design changes required by council more cost effectively. The alternative approach (combined planning and construction approval) is more expensive if council requires design changes, which need to be made to both sets of drawings.
Quality Architectural Plans have 25-35 sheets for a SF home. The more details that are designed up front, the fewer problems as construction commences -
saving both time and money.
Step 8: Government Approval
Planning and/or construction approval/certification.
Straight forward designs on sites that are not subject to stringent planning controls are commonly submitted to government agencies for simultaneous planning and construction approval. One set of plans can address both planning and construction detailing. For more complex designs that challenge the standard approval process, separate submissions can be advantageous. These challenges are often associated with over-sized or master planned developments that impact on neighboring views or amenity, or are out of character with the surrounding neighborhood .
A statement of environmental impact is sometimes required at planning approval stage. This generally seeks an undertaking that your development will have no adverse impact on the local environment and often has a detailed checklist of items to be addressed.
Traffic Impact Studies might also be required for Larger Projects, as well as Habitat studies for endangered species. These should be ordered long before the Architect/Designer has completed their final drawings.
Planning and/or construction approval/certification.
Straight forward designs on sites that are not subject to stringent planning controls are commonly submitted to government agencies for simultaneous planning and construction approval. One set of plans can address both planning and construction detailing. For more complex designs that challenge the standard approval process, separate submissions can be advantageous. These challenges are often associated with over-sized or master planned developments that impact on neighboring views or amenity, or are out of character with the surrounding neighborhood .
A statement of environmental impact is sometimes required at planning approval stage. This generally seeks an undertaking that your development will have no adverse impact on the local environment and often has a detailed checklist of items to be addressed.
Traffic Impact Studies might also be required for Larger Projects, as well as Habitat studies for endangered species. These should be ordered long before the Architect/Designer has completed their final drawings.