Architectural Design

1st ProofTitle: BA: Architectural Design

Job No: PD0710-67/4028

Chapter 3 final (3.5)_.qxd:layouts to chapter one 7/24/10 12:24 PM Page 150

Construction and occupation

The design project

Once the architect has produced construction

drawings that are sufficiently detailed to obtain prices

from building contractors and approvals from statutory

bodies, the project can begin on site. Traditionally,

the architect leads the design team of consultants and

channels communication between the contractor and

the client. The architect will manage the project and

control its quality. The architect’s production of drawings

and models tends to decrease in proportion to the

completion of the building.

However, design does not stop at this point. Unexpected

contingencies arise that must be catered for. For example,

a shortage of one material may lead to a redesign of an

element using another material. During construction there

is a gap between the speculation of the drawings and the

reality of the building. This is very similar to the gap between

the idea and the drawing during the initial ideas phase. For

example, standing on the upper levels of the scaffold around

a new building could afford an unanticipated view of a river

and a window may be repositioned to take advantage of it.

During this stage of a project the architect needs to be

aware of the beginnings and the core ideas of the project to

ensure its integrity. Early drawings anticipated the occupation

of the building; the architect will have grown very familiar

with the place and its people by this stage and should remain

sensitive to their reactions to the emerging building. This

important feedback can inform design decisions during

construction. Once the contractor hands back the building

on completion, ownership reverts to the client. The architect

can no longer wander freely within ‘their’ building or make

any changes to it beyond the correction of mistakes. They

will normally return with the contractor six months or a year

later to agree the remedy of any defects. The occupation

of the building is the first opportunity for the architect’s

predictions and innovations to be tested as a whole.

Typical activities

at this stage

Construction drawings

Design through making

1:1 site samples and

mock-ups

Quality control

Materiality

Research

Decision-making

Control

Feedback

Managing complexity

Collaboration

Text

1st ProofTitle: BA: Architectural Design

Job No: PD0710-67/4028

Chapter 3 final (3.5)_.qxd:layouts to chapter one 7/24/10 12:25 PM Page 150