The Importance of Design and Planning for Commercial and Residential Projects

Construction is not an easy job. It requires keen attention to detail and 100% of your effort. Even if you are handing off the project to a developer, it is crucial to be active throughout the process. The first part of the construction activity starts with identifying the right piece of land. We addressed this topic in our previous post. If you haven’t read it yet, click here to have a quick read. Once you have found the perfect piece of land, the design and planning stage is the next big task on your plate.

The route to a successful project is through efficient design and planning. Contractors and owners should be on the same page, driving the project forward. In this piece, we shall discuss the key aspects to consider and implement for the design and planning process.

Identification of Engineers: Identifying the right engineering crew will shape your project and give it good direction. From civil engineers to architects, landscape engineers, MEPs, surveyors and more, ensure that your engineering crew is robust, transparent and dedicated to the job at hand. It is important that they are well connected, coordinated and put in a collaborative effort. It is advisable to take some time out and check on their other projects in neighboring cities, collect feedback and assess their previous work.

Stay Connected: As an owner or developer, it is vital to introduce yourself to the city and insist that you be copied for all communications between the city and the engineers. Be sure to set up a meeting every 15 days to stay up-to-date with the status of the project, address and solve roadblocks if any and plan the next course of action.

Strategic Opinions:When the project reaches about 50% of its design and planning process, it is advisable to get a third-party consultant’s perspective. Seek the consultant’s view on the plans, design, structural integrity, MEP and more. Substantial value engineering at this juncture will help you choose a cost-effective, reasonable and uncomplicated way to take your project ahead .At Texas Sparks Constructions, this process has helped us gain insights and perspectives which have helped us save costs and stay on top of our game.

Approvals: Once the plans and designs are in place, ensure that the engineers submit the documents to the city. The city will definitely get back with reviews, comments and revisions. Take steps to ensure that the team sits together to work on the reviews, address the comments and fix the plan and design. Often in our experience, we have seen that the engineers make errors in re-submitting the corrected plan. Ensure that the engineers submit the revised plan and get the final seal of approval from the city. This is a crucial point for your project. So, make sure to stay on top of the game and stay in the loop of all activities.

Documentation: Once the team receives the final seal of approval from the city, upload the same in a drive/cloud Make sure to only give the stamped document for bidding as this is where owners get misled. If the unapproved document is presented at the time of bidding, the chances of losing precious time and finances is inevitable! Acquire the latest CAD files and other pertinent documentation and ensure that it is updated onto the cloud/drive.

The design and planning phase’s goal is to guarantee that everything goes according to plan and stays true to the timeline. It also helps the owner/developer to be a part of the process from the beginning. Without proper design and planning, no construction project can be successful.