Development brief
We prepare a development brief for the chosen use.
The assessment in detail
We establish what the property must be able to accommodate, to what standard and within what budget. We express the owner's objectives as clear requirements for the designers and agree the implementation schedule.
From an idea to a design brief
We clarify who will use the building and how, how much space they will need and how the rooms relate to one another.
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The brief also sets out requirements for daylight, protection against summer overheating and maintainability. Revenue-generating areas, shared spaces and technical service areas are identified separately. We align the requirements with the regulatory and technical constraints identified, specifying the options to consider, how compliance will be checked and who is responsible for approval.
- Intended use, space requirements and expected quality.
- Building elements to be retained and proposed interventions.
- Budget, timetable and owner approvals.
- The scope and limits of design and specialist appointments.
A clear brief for the designers
The delivered brief includes a schedule of areas, a requirements schedule, the budget, key deadlines and the tasks for each discipline.
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It can form the basis for requesting proposals for design services and subsequently assessing the design options produced. When the brief changes, we present the expected cost, time and operational implications and prepare the investor's decision. Designs for statutory approvals and construction are prepared by the appropriately authorised designers appointed for those tasks.
How we approach the assignment
The basis of the briefWe start with previous assessments and the development direction selected by the owner.
We discuss future users’ needs, operating requirements and the features worth preserving. For unresolved issues, we identify what must be clarified before design begins and what should be explored through design options.
Verifiable requirementsFor each task, we record who is responsible, when coordination is required and the condition for acceptance.
We distinguish fixed requirements from optional solutions. This allows proposals to be sought for the same scope and design options to be assessed against common criteria.
Let’s discuss the development brief.
At our first meeting, we review the selected use, the assessments completed to date and the decisions still outstanding. We establish the level of detail required in the development brief, who will contribute to it and what the deliverable must contain.
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