Construction Curiosities #17
Do you know the 6 phases of Construction? & 2022 Q3 Market Report
Hey! Happy Saturday! Matt here. Welcome to the Construction Curiosities newsletter. Especially to the New Subscribers. We continue to grow each week!
As always, THANK YOU for giving me a tiny bit of real estate in your inbox. If you haven’t shared this with your friends, go ahead and do it so they will know how cool and smart you are.
This weekly Newsletter explores my Curiosities around the Construction Industry. It's meant to make you think, smile, and become a more well-informed Construction Professional.
Summary
This week we will look at:
One Musing: 6 Phases of Your Project
One Resource: Market Conditions Report
One Quote: An Eraser or a Sledgehammer
One Meme: Deck Permits
One Musing
One thing I’ve realized is that so many people in the Construction Industry don’t understand how the Design Process works. Aside from Architects/ Engineers and those who work in Precon of course. Truth be told, I didn’t fully understand either until I started working for an Owner’s Rep firm and was involved in the design process.
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) breaks up the whole construction process into 6 phases. 4 of which are Design. I’m going to walk you through the whole construction process in layman’s terms and simple illustrations.
6 Phases of your Construction Project
Programming
Programming is the stage where you figure out what you want to build. Let’s say you want to build a house. How many bedrooms do you want? Bathrooms? Do you want an attached garage or detached? Do you want a game room? Open concept?
Schematic Design (SD)
In Schematic Design or SD stage, the architect will take the requirements from programming and prepare a series of rough sketches. This will show you the general layout of the house and the size of the rooms. The house floor plan can be put on a site plan so you can see how it is positioned on the property.
Sketch credit goes to me. There’s a reason I wasn’t allowed in architecture school. 😂
Design Development (DD)
In the Design Development or DD phase, the drawings are more detailed. The design consultants really get to action. The Structural, Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, Landscape, etc. start to take real shape. Outline specifications are put together that list all major materials, equipment, and finishes.
By the completion of 100% DD, all major decisions should be made.
Sketch credit goes to Steven Biersteker. Go give him a LinkedIn follow and learn a thing or 2 about architects and architecture. His sketches are worth the price of admission alone.
Construction Documents (CD)
In the Construction Documents (DD) phase, the drawings and specifications are completed. All the construction details and specifications are completed.
At 100% CD all the information is there for the project to be bid on and built.
Drawing credit goes to google images.
Bidding
Through one of many procurement methods, the project is bid and a contractor is hired.
Construction
If you don’t know what this phase is… Why are you even reading this newsletter??
Well, there you have it. The extremely oversimplified version of the Construction Phases. I hope, if you were one of the many who didn’t know how design works, you at least now have a high-level understanding of the process.
Did you know it all or did you learn something?
One Resource
DPR Construction’s Market Conditions Report Q3 2022
One Quote
One Meme
And I would have gotten away with it too, if It weren't for you meddling HOAs
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Let me know in the comments or send me an email (matt@constructionyeti.com) about what you liked, didn’t like, want to see more of in the future, or have suggestions! Look forward to hearing from you.
Have a great weekend!
The six phases of Design and Construction you listed are mostly associated with a single delivery method, Design, Bid, Build (DBB). This is the least successful method for a Construction Owner to maximize their investment. It turns out that designing the whole project without engaging Trade Partners and the General Contractor to verify cost, availability, and compatibility of design elements doesn’t actually get you the best product. Who woulda thunk it? This is a huge reason why 75%+ of construction projects don’t finish on time and at budget. IPD for example doesn’t typically use the SD, DD & CD phases of Design. There are typically several phases of Construction also, depending on what you are building.