§ 01 — THE PROBLEM
Going Over Time and Budget Is Not Inevitable
The number one problem in design and construction is projects going over time and over budget. On a daily basis, we see clients moving into the design phase before the research is started. This is like a surgeon beginning an operation without a diagnosis, or building a house on a bad foundation. The problem compounds from there.
The fix isn’t more contingency or a bigger budget. It’s doing the right work at the right time. That means starting with pre-design research before you hire a designer — before you draw a single line.
§ 02 — PRE-DESIGN
Phase Zero: What Has to Happen First
We call it Phase Zero because it all happens before design starts. This is the research phase: understanding the site, the legal requirements, the program, the budget, and the team. Getting this right is the single biggest factor in whether a project finishes on time and on budget.
The question to ask yourself: on a 1-to-10 scale, how clear are you on exactly what you need? How aware are you of all the options your site can accommodate? How confident are you in the legal requirements? If you’re not close to 10 on every one of those, you’re not ready to design. The pre-design phase is how you get there.
§ 03 — THE PHASES
From Sketch to Permit to Build
Phase 1 is Schematic Design — taking the research and starting to develop a solution. Rough sketches, spatial relationships, the organizing idea of the project. Phase 2 is Design Development — transitioning those ideas into a two- and three-dimensional model with real dimensions, real materials, real costs emerging. Phase 3 is Construction Documents — the drawings and specifications the contractor builds from.
Each phase builds on the one before it. Jumping ahead — starting schematic before the program is clear, starting construction documents before the design is resolved — is how projects get expensive. We don’t skip phases. We move through them properly.
§ 04 — THE RIGHT PARTNER
Questions to Ask Before You Hire
Choosing the right design professional is the difference between an enjoyable process and one plagued with problems from start to finish. Before you hire, ask: What unique value do you bring to this specific type of project? How do you add value to maximize return on investment? Do you offer a pre-design analysis service? What are the specific challenges for my type of project and how have you handled them?
The right designer will answer those questions specifically and confidently. They’ll also be able to tell you exactly what construction administration looks like — site visits, quality validation, trade coordination, problem resolution. That last phase is where the design is either protected or lost.
§ 05 — THE THROUGH-LINE
Measure Twice, Cut Once
A builder’s mantra, and the most concise version of everything on this page. The time spent in pre-design and early phase work is not a delay. It’s the investment that prevents much larger delays later. Every assumption you don’t make at the start is a problem you don’t have to solve mid-construction.
We run this process because it works. Clients who move through pre-design properly build more confidently, make better decisions, and finish closer to time and budget than those who don’t. That outcome is not an accident.
