3 Stages of Renovation Design Drawings

There are normally three stages to the remodeling plans that your designer will draw.

1. The initial concept plans [sketch, preliminary or discussion drawings].
2. The developed designs.
3. The final design document - includes final design working drawings, specifications, tender document, building consent application, any special construction engineering documents.

1. Concept Plans

The concept plans show what the designer has in mind, and how your ideas have been converted into a working plan.

They usually include a floor plan, elevations [side on views] and one or more perspective drawing from various angles.

The design concept plan should have taken into consideration your existing structure, site conditions, your budget, and any special town planning and building code requirements.

The designer will meet with you to present his/her concept and leave them with you to review in detail. At this time, you need to take the time to really go over every detail, as this is the time to make the changes, without adding additional design costs.

At this stage you should:

1. Make a copy of each drawing so both you and your spouse can make individual notations on the drawings.
2. Then work together to compose a final consolidated mark up version to present back to your designer.
3. Delete items you don’t like, and replace with versions you do like.

Remember, that there may be constraints such as height restrictions or site cover which may have been behind your designers concept. This should have been portrayed to you at the meeting.

Meet with the designer to review your revisions.

Ask:

• If any of your revisions are ‘constrained’ by building restrictions
• What impact on budget your changes will likely have - Your architect/designer should be able to guide you here.
• Any reason that the designer feels their version is preferential.

At this point you need to decide if you are comfortable with your designer, and wish to proceed through the rest of the design process with them.

Don’t feel pressured about staying on. It’s quite common for owners to go through the concept stage with more than one designer.

2. Developed Designs

Once you have a set of agreed concept plans, your architect/designer will draw up the developed designs which include the changes you agreed in the concept stage.

At this stage, you will discuss:

• Materials you will use for the exterior cladding, flooring, roofing, windows, doors and interior fittings and fixtures.
• Details of lights, power points, cable jacks, security sensors, door opening directions, furniture placement, window openings, AVC vents, and all appliance locations and heights.
• Interior design – if you are planning to do the interior design yourself, now is the time to hand over all your ideas to the designer. If not, many designers and architects work with an interior designer or do the interior designing themselves. Alternatively, you may prefer to hire your own interior designer. The important thing is that everyone is working closely together and keeping up with the requests of the designer.

To complete the final specifications, the designer must know every fitting, paint finish etc. This includes knobs or handles for your cabinets, light fixtures, tiles, shower or bath fittings. An alternative for this is to agree a fixed sum to cover each of these items. This is often referred to as a prime cost sum [PC sum]. This allows you to choose the items yourself at a later date.
Be aware though that the items you choose will need to ‘fit’ into the building dimensions and should gel in with the overall décor.

Final Design Review

A final review of the detail design is made between yourself and the designer.

At this stage the designer will most likely engage a quantity surveyor to estimate the costs of the project before the job is put out for tender. This gives you a more accurate assessment as to whether the project is within your budget.

If the design is particularly cutting-edge, you may want to to pay another architect or building consultant to review it for you.

3. Final Plans and Specifications

The final design documentation includes detailed drawings as well as specifications for every feature.

The plans are used:

1. In the tendering process to get quotes from contractors, subcontractors and perhaps quantity surveyors.
2. To gain building approval from local authorities.
3. As working documents by the builder and contractors detailing how the project is to be completed.
   

The quality of the final plan and specification documents plays a large part in the quality of the finished product. If the builder finds the plans or text ambiguous, additional times must be spent to ensure the correct version is attained, or in the worse case, the building is not completed as you expect. This leads to costly, stressful disputes and can also create difficulties in obtaining any building compliance certificate.

Next Step: Selecting Colors For Your Home

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Design Index | Getting Ideas | Home Plan Designs | Choosing a Designer | Design Brief | 3 Stages of Design | First Meeting | Choosing Colors | Interior Design | Choosing An Interior Designer |

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