Last edited 09 Jan 2018

Concept design report

One of the outputs of the concept design stage is to produce a report which records the design concepts for major aspects of the project that might be worth developing as detailed designs. The report also identifies instructions required from the client.

The concept design report might include:

The aims and objectives of project.
A summary of the project brief.
Areas of compliance and divergence between the concept design and the project brief.
Identification of constraints, including local context, site levels, access, buildability, manufacturing, financial and local authority planning and building regulations.
The outcome of key consultations.
Statement of how the design meets the client's needs.

Site context and strategy.
Design and access statement.
Site layout, including car parking, hard surfaces, water features, art etc.
Landscape strategy.
Layout of accommodation, including analysis of adjacencies between functions.
Sections.
Elevations.
3D visualisations and/or physical models.
Fire strategy.
Services strategy including emissions targets.
Information and communications technology (ICT) strategy.
Maintenance strategy.

Outline specifications:

Quality standards.
Materials.
Definition of key construction elements, standardisation and non standard elements.
Prefabrication and mass production opportunities.
Long-lead items.
Proposals for major engineered systems such as: cladding, mechanical and electrical equipment, lifts, and structural frames.
Potential requirement for specialist design.
Outline proposals for structural systems and where appropriate method of demolition.
Outline proposals for building services systems.

Schedules of accommodation.
Planning strategy.
Soft landings strategy.
Cost plan, providing a break-down of the capital and ‘life cycle’ costs and identifying potential cost problems and cost reduction possibilities.
Procurement options such as two-stage tendering.
Programme and phasing.
Buildability and construction logistics.
The use of materials and the potential for re-use and recycling.
Waste handling (see also site waste management plan).
Sustainability.
Risk assessment.
Health and safety issues.
Areas requiring further research.
Instructions required.

The concept design report should only include required, or key co-ordinated information and necessary interpretation and should not duplicate information that already exists elsewhere.

Where building information modelling (BIM) is being used, publication of the concept design report may be part of a 'data drop' or 'information exchange' intended to ensure the project is properly validated and controlled as it develops. This may include:

Models (Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) models and native project information models).
Data structures (such as COBie files and schedules).
Reports (typically PDF’s, although native files can be more useable).