Concept Design: How To Get It Right

Embarking on a project can be an exciting but perilous experience.

Anyone who has previously worked on a project for the building and construction industry will know that it is never simple and that it rarely goes as smoothly as everyone would like.

For this reason, you need to know how to get your initial concept design right, it’s a crucial stage in the process – you might not have anything physical to show but if you plan things right you’ll have a project to be proud of.

Read on to find out some of the things we think are most important for getting your concept design right from the beginning.

Cost Management

When all is said and done, one of the biggest factors in any project is the cost.

Everything comes down to how much money there is to spend and what particular things will cost.

Once a budget has been set it is unusual for there to be any change, especially when funds are coming from someone else, but often there are changes in the build process as the design develops.

Therefore managing cost is very important.

The initial budget estimate is critical in setting the correct cost level before embarking on construction.

Value Engineering might be a useful thing to look into at this stage as it will evaluate materials, systems and processes and how they will function in terms of cost.

Evaluate Your Alternatives

If you immediately land on the best suited, best priced method or material then you’re very lucky indeed.

In order to get the best for your project you should ensure that you have evaluated any alternatives.

This will help you to get a better idea of what the most economic tools and equipment are for the job.

There are several ways to do this, you could look at the life-cycle of something, the cost-effectiveness or the net savings you could make.

What Can You Achieve

There are a variety of factors at play when planning any project, one of them is keeping in mind the things you want to achieve.

Getting the ideas and aims of your concept design right goes a long way towards helping you achieve your end goal, rather than leaving you disappointed later.

• Aesthetic – How do you want the finished product to look? Is the look crucial to the project or can it be adapted without any detrimental impact later on?
• Historic – Are there any historic preservation limitations and will this mean that you have to adapt what you want to do with your project?
• Safety & Security – Is the security of the finished project of high importance? Safety is always a concern, but if the building is used by vulnerable parties – such as children and the elderly – you might consider extra safety measures.
• Operation – An efficient operation is key in creating efficient staffing levels and operating costs, therefore you need your design to suit the operation.

If you try to tackle these issues and marry your concept with what you want to get out of the building you will undoubtedly face fewer problems as the project and construction progresses.

Aedifice Partnership is a leading consultancy and project management firm specializing in delivering high-quality projects across various sectors, including care homes, residential properties, education establishments, and commercial properties.

Our range of services includes project management, chartered building surveys, CDM and quantity surveying among others.

Here at Aedifice we can provide input and advice for your concept design from the very beginning, helping to ensure that you can deliver the project in line with a budget or any other factors.

Contact us today for more information and our professional team will be able to assist you with your project.