Hello, welcome and thank you for joining me today!
Last post I got a little bit philosophical and talked about the importance of the seed, roots or foundation of any project really, but specially for building design and construction projects. Today I would like to expand on the subject, and get more specific about the pre-design phase of the project.
The decision to start a renovation, expansion, new construction or any kind of construction alteration is big and oftentimes, emotional. It could be a change of lifestyle that triggers this decision, or maybe you have been thinking about it for a while, saving, collecting pictures of your dream spaces, or maybe just dreaming about how it would feel like to wake up, work, or walk around those wonderful spaces. You think about the fresh smell, the light, and the sensation that this place would have. There is usually a big investment involved as well, and you want to use it in the best and most effective way possible.
You look for a professional, because you want to get to those plans that will give you the key to develop those dreams, or that investment, and to ultimately get the building permit and start construction. You are ready to see some construction happening as that will get you faster to your goal! Then, you contact an architect and find that the process comes with a series of steps, and some of those steps cover items that you already have kind of clear in your head.
I understand the feeling of being overwhelmed by this process, but following those steps, backtracking and getting a professional to conduct a quick study to develop your project's parameters is probably the best decision that you can make for the success of the project. Just imagine skipping that phase, getting a drafter, paying their fee, getting to the building department and finding out that there is an easement, or a convoluted zoning regulation that prohibits your development as drawn. You would have to get back to the initial phase, and pay for another design, sometimes in a couple of iterations until the plan is approved. Then, owing to the fact that so much time has already been invested, the approval comes with many hastily made decisions that will have to be modified in the future, during the construction phase, where moving things around is even more expensive, and so on.
On the other hand, a well developed program and an early design study will give you a set of guidelines specific to your site, regulations, needs, budget, ideas, and preferences. This is the exploration phase. In this phase, we gather information, develop a program, specify a general budget for the construction project and generate guidelines that will serve as “the guiding stars” for the rest of the project. This is also a good time to offer new ideas or concepts that you have not considered.
Now, don’t get me wrong. Construction and renovations are very intricate with so many unknown factors that can affect the design in the future that are very difficult to assess since the beginning and surprises may still arise, but spending adequate time on each part of the process will reduce the possibility of those unwelcome surprises in a significant way.
Each firm or studio approaches each design phase in a different way. I recommend you to ask detailed questions and find out what is included in each phase. At Unfolding Lines, our goal for the pre-design phase is to develop a booklet with all that information located in one place. That way, every time you are wondering about something you can always go back and find it there.
For residential projects, our pre-design phase includes the following, and usually some other extras that are particular to your project project:
Client Information: We ask questions, gather your needs, requirements, aesthetic preferences, special guidelines and goals to develop the program. Special user requirements are researched, noted and explained as well.
Project Information: Site location, description, special features, general vegetation, general description of utilities, orientation, access, terrain characteristics, important views, existing building descriptions and information, etcetera.
Zoning and Building Department Information: Initial zoning ordinance analysis and Building Code Analysis. We include most constraints to the site development and general guidelines that can affect the project in the future. Some sites are located in historical or hillside zones for example.
Regional Information: Location climate and factors that can affect the future development.
Sustainable design guidelines and recommendations.
Building systems: Description of existing and/or desired building systems.
Neighborhood guidelines and analysis: Some sites have neighborhood design guidelines or constraints that are important to take into consideration during the project development.
Your ideas, style, design images and recommendations: We gather images from you, and add some others that may be fun to take as inspiration as the project develops.
Space layout diagrams: Based on the information collected, we develop diagrams with spatial interactions and zones.
Existing Conditions Survey: We develop an architectural building survey with the existing building interior and exterior conditions. We document the existing spaces, with significant equipment location, draw them and deliver a set of drawings that will be used to develop the project. This survey is for design purposes only, and it is not a site survey. In most cases, you will also need a site survey from a Licensed Surveyor.
We have some clients that approach us with a list of vague ideas of what they want, and they are looking for clarity. Others have developed some sketches and done some preliminary research. They are just two different starting points, and we start developing the project from that point forward. Design is a collaborative process, and the client’s input and clarity at this point is very important.
I hope by now you have more clarity about pre-design. While it may seem sometimes redundant, it is a very important part of the life and development of the project. It would be the equivalent of your doctor prescribing medicine without making a complete diagnosis.
Accurate diagnosis, goals and direction are part of our core values at Unfolding Lines. We have a commitment to deliver quality work to our clients, and this is a very important part of our process.
Do you want to learn more about the programming or pre-design phases? Or maybe you are starting your project and have some general questions? Give us a call, and we would be happy to help you!
In the meantime I will leave you with an interesting piece of information:
Do you know which area of the brain is in
charge of planning, reasoning and organizing?
The frontal lobe in the cerebrum is
the “executive” part of the brain
and also unique to humans.
Thank you for your support!
And please help me reach more people and share it with your friends, family and colleagues! To know when a new blog post is out you can follow us on Instagram and facebook.
Gracias!
Citlalli
Direction is more important than speed
Richard L. Evans
References:
-Parts of your brain and
interesting things they do
https://www.aurorahealthcare.org/patients-visitors/blog/parts-of-your-brain-and-the-interesting-things-they-do
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Special thanks to my editor, Ilya Godes!
Citlalli is an architect and a mom who enjoys
finding the extraordinary around us and
understanding what makes each person thrive.
She believes that art, and good design should
be accessible, and her motivation is to help build
a better world for the next generations.
She has worked on residential and commercial
projects for 15 years, and decided to open her own
studio in Los Angeles, California, aimed to make
great architecture accessible and affordable to more people.
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