Design Development
The bridge between concept and construction — plans, sections, elevations and materials, fully coordinated.
Design Development is a crucial part of the early design process in architecture — an interim check between the schematic design and construction documentation phases. The name describes exactly what happens at this stage: the schematic concept is developed into a more refined and articulated architectural idea, diving deep into finishes, materiality and system integration.
This phase is critical because it saves time and money later in design and construction — it can serve as the basis for cost prediction in bidding, and these documents are often used as part of the approvals process for early building permits.
Design Development documents typically include a full architectural drawing set — site plan, floor plans, sections, elevations and details — plus structural, MEP and civil engineering drawings, landscape architecture drawings, and input from other consultants such as acoustics, fire protection and building envelope where needed. A draft project manual with at least outline specifications accompanies the drawing set — the more developed the documentation at this phase, the more successful the phases that follow tend to be.
We treat all six elements — plans, sections, elevations, materials, coordination and specifications — not just as deliverables, but as tools to explore the design itself, and clients often use them to get preliminary pricing on the project before committing to construction documents.