Programming/ Schematic Design

PROGRAMMING.

As we go down this road, I thought this would be a great opportunity to talk a little about the process of a commercial interior designer and the different phases of a project. 

A commercial project is broken into multiple phases from kick-off to end. The first phase is the information gathering phase, typically called, PROGRAMMING.  The Programming Phase is where all questions around the project scope are answered. It outlines the parameters of the project and once everything is “on the table”, so to speak, we have our PROGRAM in place with our directives.

During this phase, we meet to discuss the ideal goals, budget and initial schedule. We also have the tools in place to provide square footage studies prior to signing a lease. These tools help you understand employee headcounts + growth, the ideal square footage needed for your new space, and we can provide a company growth plan showing 3, 5 or 10+ years if requested.  

The PROGRAMMING PHASE involves documenting existing conditions, taking measurements, photographs and doing preliminary code research. Basically, anything needing to be documented to better understand the scope.

We take time to understand initial concepts for the desired look-and-feel of the interior which can include the company’s branding standards or any other big influencers that drive the design of an interior, ie. your personal tastes.  

We help guide our clients with the knowledge and experience we have to set realistic parameters, provide insight to navigate ideal budgets and have a vast knowledge of resources to help ensure the success of a project.

Once the PROGRAM is complete, we use the information to develop the schematic design. Wait, what is SCHEMATIC DESIGN?

SCHEMATIC DESIGN.

The Programming Phase gives us our program and our directives. The Schematic Design Phase generates preliminary schematic drawings of floorplans that show wall placement, furniture layouts, square footages, adjacency requirements, headcounts or any other requirements captured in the programming phase. 

This phase is my favorite phase because it can be so fluid. We take the project PROGRAM and develop schematic floor plans! For the same project, we can show a floorplan with a bank of offices on the perimeter utilizing exterior windows and the open office on the interior -OR- we can show a plan with the bank of offices on the interior and the open offices along the exterior window line. This phase is a conversation piece that explores different layouts to help guide the company to what best suits their workflow and culture.

The Schematic Test Plans, aka Floor Plan Options, aka Test Fit Floor Plans…are plans designed to show you options. These plans give you, the tenant, an opportunity to provide feedback and for us to design a space that meets your needs perfectly. It’s a plan to communicate the design and with our tools, we can easily walk you through the space and show you 3D views or panorama photos to help better communicate the design intent.

Next week:  PRELIMINARY PRICING!