4| Design Development:

At this point, the design of the building has been finalized and it is now a process of refinement of the approved schematic design. The drawings that have been generated to date are now further refined. Wall sections, interior elevations, preliminary schedules for finishes, materials, doors & windows, reflected ceiling plans, preliminary details and specifications are created. Depending on the project, a materials board will be generated that presents the types of finishes, materials and colors that will be utilized. The specifications identifies the quality of the components used in the construction of the building.

Our drawings and designs are further refined and coordinated with our team of consultants. At this point specialty consultants for acoustics, pools, media, theater and other unique disciplines are intergrating their input with the design team. Sustainable design strategies will be further intergrated and developed.
On public projects, another round of cost estimation is recommending to keep the project on budget and on target. Whereas on private developments, bringing in a contractor at this juncture would be a good way to fine tune the overall project budget, schedule and allows for development of a collaborative working relationship between the contractor and the design team.

For education projects, it is prudent to check in with DSA officials to verify that the code analysis and other design criteria are acceptable. This is the time to lock in the design and upon approval proceed into Construction Documents.