Construction Document Phase
Once the Owner has approved the previous phases, the Architect prepares detailed working drawings (formally known as blueprints) and specifications, Which the Contractor will use to establish actual construction costs and build the project. These drawings and specifications become part of the construction contract.
Bidding or Negotiation Phase
The owner selects and hires the Contractor. If the Owner is choosing from among several Contractors the Architect can help to prepare bidding documents as well as invitations to bid and instructions to bidders, the conditions of the contract, and the form of the agreement between the Owner and Contractor.
Construction or Contract Administration Phase
The Architect can assist the Owner by making site visits to observe the construction efforts to determine, in general, if the project is being built according to the plans and specifications. The Contractor is solely responsible for construction methods, techniques, schedules, and procedures.
Predesign Phase
The Architect and Owner mutually determine the circumstances and constraints of the project. The Architect will check building codes and obtain or prepare drawings of existing conditions. The result of this effort will be a written program or "scope-of-work" statement.
Schematic Design Phase
This phase establishes the conceptual design , scale and relationships among the components of the project.The primary objective is to arrive at a clearly defined, feasible concept while exploring the most promising alternative design solutions.
Design Development Phase
In this phase, the Architect expands upon the approved schematic design studies to develop more detailed drawings illustrating other aspects of the proposed design including Floor Plans, interior and exterior finishes, elevations, building code compliance, etc. In smaller projects, it is common to combine the first three phases of work into one phase.
