Planning is a tool that helps to organize a project, and provide a meaningful way to analyze. In architecture, a project only begins with planning. This typically entails a process that begins at the earliest stage, to connect all the variable or data that are deemed important.
Let’s take a look planning as a tool and explore how this serves architects to develop ideas, mitigate risk and create value.
Start with Planning:
To properly plan a project, ultimately requires a understanding of the issues or challenges involved. This is true for a small residential or large commercial project. For example, various tasks meed to be identified, such as the building program, schedule, budget, aesthetics, site, building codes and other such data all require analysis and a way to navigate through it in a meaningful way. One such way to organize this information is through a planning process, that not only organizes and collects important information, it leads to a deeper understanding. Often the process of engaging the required information leads to a more confident design process. It may even lead to substantial solutions that would otherwise not even be considered. And that of coarse is the goal.
This process, when engaged properly, leads to clarity and a thoughtful development of all the issues of the project. This process provides the initial steps, and organizes the building objectives for later stages. It should come as no surprise, that through the planning effort, establishes goals and reveals opportunities. The planning process does add value to any project as it mitigates the risk, and can establish the budget. When the planning process is properly completed, it can identify specific areas for savings, and better control how the budget will be spent. This process alone can provide substantial value to the client and even exceed the design professionals fee for a project.
Hiring an architect for your residential project may not be possible for everyone. However, it can be beneficial on many levels, to seek a consultation, and perhaps engage in an initial exploration stage. This planning stage can assist with engaging your program with the form and function of your home. It also will set important mile markers and guideposts. The architect’s experience and ability to provide guidance through what can be a complicated endeavor, helps the client achieve greater efficiencies and aesthetic value that are simply hard to put a price on. This planning process provides the client with site specific solutions that are alighned with how you live.
When considering a building infrastructure project, you need a plan! With soo much at stake, the planning process with help to develop an organizational structure. Through planning, it provides the client with clarity. This also works as a way to develop your creative approach, because it all works together. In lieu of the many requirements a building project encompasses. The process of developing ideas over time will provide opportunity for assessment and refinement along the project path.
Often, our initial ideas do not turn out to be so great. We simply need a way to work through it over time. Steven Spielberg said “all good ideas start out as bad ideas; thats why it takes so long.” The process can be a winding road, but it can produce a way to connect the dots.
In our work at Arc Caste Studio, we begin by meeting with the client and ask question in order to seek out an understanding of the clients objectives and vision. As we build on the program, we are able to develop ideas in a meaningful and harmonious way. The planning engages a thoughtful process of understanding form and function and exposes challenges along the way.
Unfortunately, many residential projects that surround small town USA, may entirely by-pass planning, and select a prepackaged design. However, this leads to Medicare results at best, but in many cases the lack thereof looses out on aligning specific program, budget, function, and aesthetics. When it comes to finding ways to minimize planning, it can unfortunately lead to a domino effect of challenges that require solutions to be worked out at later stages. This tends to be more time consuming and costly.
A Case in Support, of Hiring an Architect to Help Plan:
By way of a simple example, If an architect can be engaged to review your residential plan, and they are able to improve by finding ways to have greater functionality and save just 100sf, that represents a major cost savings. i.e., for a building cost of say $250/sf, that can be a $25,000 savings! (using a very conservative building cost for SF value.) This is a tiny example, however it provides a case for engaging a planning process. In addition, aligning all the diverse functions, budget and aesthetic preference also provides solutions that are well thought out in advance. And minimizes risk. Our building infrastructure represents an important part of our lives. Winston Churchill said, “We shape our buildings and thereafter they shape us.” Our building infrastructure has a way to inspire us and influence how we live. It can even affect the quality of our physical lives.
The Power of Planning:
Having a planning process in place will help in clarify objectives and to create clear and meaningful goals. Planning provides a framework, and serves as a guid post of collected ideas and thoughts. The plan is also a way to document ideas through sketching and important notes that serve to help in solidifying a picture of the project. Remember good ideas It can also be used to build upon.
This process of planning like an architect, can be quite foreign to some, however the process does work across all disciplines. The principles are often very similar. However, as an architect, I can help clients begin the process and order the overall structure and framework by which a cost effective and value drive process can be created. In short, with no planning process, or guide, chaos can rule the day. However, when clarity is developed early on, it leads to bringing ideas and concepts to fruition in a meaningful way.
Hiring an architect for your residential project may not be possible. However, it can be beneficial, to inquire of your local architect to seek a brief consultation. Perhaps if nothing else, to engage in a preliminary plan to help you begin or evaluate were you are. It never hurst to develop ideas and recognize potential problem areas before you get into construction. The architect’s experience, can be utilized to your favor and provide guidance through what can be a complicated endeavor.
The planning process provides the client with meaningful way that leads to solutions. The act of building really requires careful thought and planning.The importance of planning in architecture is simply priceless.