Conceptual Planning
​​
-
Market: Commercial | Retail | Mixed Use | Multi-Family | Medical
-
Our Role: Planning + Architecture + Construction
-
Project Value: 10K to 16M
-
Project Duration: 6M to 3YR
​
In a traditional sense, conceptual planning helps the project team envision possibilities, establish goals, define priorities and in some cases, build consensus within a community. We take it several steps further because our projects typically involve clients that are are dealing with time constraints for due diligence periods and purchase agreements. Because we build, our conceptual planning is influenced by our experience with construction and cost engineering. Some firms consider the influence of cost at an early stage to be limiting. We feel it’s a constraint that leads to great projects. We gather information on zoning, topography, site orientation, land development codes, environmental elements and a dozen other items before we put pen to paper. Here's the trick. You have to understand the impact of those items on the budget in order to influence and properly develop the project goals. The conceptual planning phase is where your dreams come into focus through constant evaluation of the possible solutions. If you don’t understand the balance between building area, parking ratios, impervious surface ratio, cut and fill, retention and detention, curb cuts and turning lanes, you will be over budget before you get started. Now, take that a step further. The building area we’ve outlined on your site plan has a cost too. What does that area represent? What is the construction type? What are the possible structural systems? What are the building enclosure and interior construction costs? All of these will impact the initial design of the building. Most firms prefer to deal with the harsh impacts of cost much too late. We don’t. It’s an integral part of our conceptual planning. Thinking holistically at a very early stage is not easy. In fact, it’s very hard, but that’s when we role up our sleeves and say let’s get to work!