Once you approve the schematic design work completed in the previous phase, we will begin the construction documents phase of work. This phase includes generating the dimensioned plans and construction details needed to permit the project, describe the design intent for the construction process, and get an accurate bid from the general contractor. This is also when we coordinate our design work with engineering and additional work from other necessary consultants. Basically, this is where we take the design concept, and dive into all of the details and decisions needed to direct the construction of your home or ADU.
Construction Documents
Your design team will take the schematic design and further develop the design including developing dimensioned plans and construction details, coordinate with the structural engineers and other consultants, and work on any details or decisions that could potentially impact the construction cost. This includes the selection of all finishes, fixtures, and equipment (FF&E) - if something is to be attached to the house during the construction phase, we need to accommodate that in the construction documents. We will work with you to make all of the necessary design decisions and material selections necessary to complete the overall design of the project.
Some of the hundreds of decisions we make during this phase include selecting the doors, windows, flooring, tile, fixtures, appliances, and other finishes. We also draw the interior elevations, cross-sections, key construction details, cabinetry layouts, lighting plans, and other drawings as needed to describe the design intent. Together, we will evaluate and review the construction scope, elements, and details to ensure that the final elements meet the project’s objectives and are aligned with your goals, ideas, and aesthetic taste.
Each construction document set includes the drawings necessary to describe the specifics of your projects. Typical sets may include drawings such as a site plan, demolition plans, floor plans, roof plan, multiple cross-sections, wall sections, structural engineering drawings and calculations, interior and exterior elevations, construction details, as well as door, window, and finish schedules, as required. Some projects may require additional drawings or fewer drawings depending on the specifics and complexity of the project.
Although we will execute this phase with care, there are often aspects of the design that need to be updated later, during the permitting and construction administration phases of work. This is a standard procedure as part of the design, permitting, and construction process. No construction document set is ever perfect and often drawings or details need to be adjusted based on site conditions, permit review by the local building department, or codes and regulations that may change during the duration of the process.
Engineering and Other Consultant Reports
During the design process we will determine what additional expertise or reports are required to both guide the construction process as well as get approval from the local building department. Reports and consultant work may include but are not limited to: arborist reports, hazardous materials report, wetland and riparian resource study, geotechnical report, structural engineering, energy efficiency analysis, light and shadow studies, noise study, property survey, other engineering and special inspections, and other similar reports, surveys, and/or studies. We will let you know what additional studies, reports, or consultant work will be required to complete your project as we work through the predesign, schematic design and construction documents phases.
An engineering firm or firms will be enlisted to complete any structural and/or other engineering that is required. We will get cost estimates or bids from each consultant and communicate those costs with you when applicable. All work by consultants become part of the construction documents set and the General Contractor must abide by all drawings, calculations, reports, and studies as they construct the project.
This is a drawing sheet from one of our ADU Construction Document sets, which includes a floor plan, roof plan, and reflected ceiling plan along with notes and legends to help clarify the drawings for the general contractor and their team.
Other Articles in Our Design Process Series:
Phase III - Construction Documents