The design aim of a building includes what it is for, who will use it, and how it should be utilized. A design intention is a crucial and vital aspect of the design process in architecture, as it is in any creative profession. Early design decisions, that is, what the designer plans to create, are sometimes referred to by the term.
The Importance of Design Intention
When design intent is preserved, the entire construction lifespan is shortened, the cost of rework is decreased, and end-user satisfaction is increased. Most significantly, design purpose assures a project’s long-term viability.
If the project deviates from the original goal, it is less likely to endure the test of time since it becomes obsolete sooner. As a result, owners must spend extra to keep the facilities running at a specified level.
Causes of Design Intent Failure
Few project stakeholders go out with the aim of ignoring design intent, yet the unpleasant fact is that it is frequently overlooked on projects. A mismatch is one of the most common reasons design purpose is neglected. A successful job necessitates the collaboration of many diverse professions, yet this degree of cooperation is easier said than done.
Architects and design team members are generally visual thinkers. While the idea is to design the project with intent in mind, constructability may be compromised while bringing those exact plans to reality. Alternatively, while some engineers and general contractors have an aesthetic vision, their primary responsibility is to assure that the project can and will be physically created.
Nonetheless, a successful project requires both usefulness and aesthetics, which requires a combination of visual thinking and construction quality, as well as a desire to grasp the opposing viewpoint in order to meet the design objective.
Strategies to Maintain Design Intent
Develop Better Specs
Specifications direct the building process and physically carry out the design’s goal. Specifications, which are frequently generated sequentially, may fail to capture an important portion of the design purpose owing to the fragmented process. If anything is forgotten when drafting specifications, it is virtually guaranteed to result in a problem achieving the design’s goal.
Builders must ensure that they truly grasp components in connection to not just the project construction but also the overall system performance while generating specifications. Small value, high relevance components are frequently what important to the customer and thus contribute to a solid build.
Products may be replaced in both specification and construction, whether owing to financial restrictions or an inability to find the initially sought material. Some substitutes may be acceptable, while others may have an impact on the overall design or jeopardize the design goal.
Introduce Collaboration Earlier
When cooperation is introduced early in the process, many difficulties may be avoided since you can ensure that the relevant team members are involved with the project from the planning phases. This extends beyond contractors and architects to include everyone who may have meaningful feedback to provide.
For example, when developing a healthcare facility, it makes logical to include physicians and nurses as end users in the design process. Because they would be using the present facility every day, they will be able to pinpoint exactly what works and what does not work about the design. This type of intimate knowledge might help you save time by avoiding mistakes during the design and construction phase.
It might be beneficial to include the design team, architect, or plan owner in these talks so that they can communicate their design vision with the greater group. When the design owner provides some of the narratives underlying the idea, teams may debate the project from the perspective of the design objective. Talking things through may help boost the design owner’s and client’s trust in the team who will be bringing the idea to life.
To provide the best benefit, these discussions should be continuing throughout the design process rather than one and done. When you spend in coordinating with many stakeholders up front, you create the stage for a flawless project. Change orders and dispute are unavoidable if you do not invest in coordination early.
Use Mobile and Cloud-Based Construction Software
While meeting in person is desirable, it is not always practical in the construction industry, especially considering the number of individuals engaged in a single project. When it is not possible to get all stakeholders together, mobile and cloud-based technologies can fill the void. This centralizes communication and bridges the gap between the office and the field.
Using mobile applications may help you collect every piece of input for quick follow-up on QC concerns while streamlining project management and job fulfillment, ensuring nothing is forgotten. Mobile and cloud-based technologies enable all project stakeholders to be held responsible for fulfilling and sustaining design intent by allowing them to coordinate from anywhere and at any time.
To conclude, every project is unique, and the design goal is an essential component of a successful construction. Maintaining the design intention in every work allows you to save time spent on each build, increase customer satisfaction, and be more productive overall.
