Our Approach

Efforts in regards to the project are spread across the process, limiting efficiency:

• Brief is fragmented, with bits of information being gathered by many, not always qualified parties, and at different times.
• Requirements are not fully covered, or information is contained within many sources with potential for contradictions, errors or omissions.
• More detailed project data gathering process begins once the designers are appointed, with the designer’s engagement being based on limited information and changing brief.
• Late detail and information gathering delays the main design effort in the process, pushing decisions into stages where such variations become much more difficult and expensive.
• Lacking preparation, the brief continues to evolve during the design process and even construction, with a substantial flow of enquiries back directly to the Client, under pressure, influencing working relationships, the design team, cost, time and fees.
  

Our systems have been set up for the Clients' convenience, outside of and preceding the traditional process. Applying our extensive experience, stemming from years in the construction and architectural sector on senior positions, our approach ensures:

• A structured and organised service, shielding the Client.
• A service tailored to your specific needs. The Client is informed, prepared and supported.
  
• Critical drivers such as Client requirements, quality, purpose, existing constraints that affect the cost and time, are established early.
• All information contained in one document set, constituting a concise source of data for all to refer to, and one deliverables can be checked against.
• Critical third party information that may affect progress is identified, and wherever practical gathered, before the design process begins.
• Design team selection conducted based on thorough data and suitability, with higher fee and performance certainty.
  
• A service that is unbiased, short-commitment first point of contact. Can be approached as early as the idea becomes apparent, without the need for a lengthy or costly appointment.
• Available throughout the project on an ad hoc basis should the Client choose to, whether to lend a second pair of eyes, share an opinion, or just provide comfort and clarification. 
  

The Effort Curve, set out by Patrick MacLeamy in most widely used form, shows the relationship between effort and time in a design process, demonstrating the benefits of focused and early works:

• "The premise behind the Effort Curve (which became known as the MacLeamy Curve) is that costs are easiest to control early in the process." Source: Design Inteligence MG
• "Once a project is under construction, changes become exponentially more expensive than they are in the design stage." Source: DIMG
• "Moving the effort forward in time in the process, avoids corrective actions which would be much more costly further down the line." Source: DIMG
• By focusing and concluding the technicalities of a project brief BEFORE the project commences, the design team can focus on what matters at the right time, applying gathered information to the design, focusing on opportunities and best design solutions, rather than being distracted and delayed by data gathering.