Common buildings and high-rise towers are built with specific reasons in mind, a specific design intent. Buildings can be used for residential, socio-political, or commercial purposes, while towers like skyscrapers can be used as corporate offices. But why is one building considered a commercial establishment and another building as an apartment complex?
Simple, they were designed in that way.
What Is Design Intent?
Design intent covers the following points: what a building is for, who is using it, and how it should be used. An architect may explore several questions during the design phase like which design elements are integral to the project’s purpose and what makes a building design valid. What materials or forms will best bring this vision to light? How does one translate that intent into an experience of the space? However, true intentions can get lost as the general contractor or related builder consultants are concerned with other matters.
In some cases, the project objectives gradually grow into a commonly lost focus. As the intent becomes less clear, the consequence results in rework and change orders. A loss of design content is also a common cause for budget and schedule overruns. In order to overcome this issue, architects, designers, engineers, project management, construction teams, and even client must prioritize design intent throughout the building process.
Why Design Targets Are Often Not Met?
The most common reason why intention is often not met comes from the misalignment between entities involved in the project. For example, if the structural engineers do not fully understand the design intent of the architect, how can they both deliver on the actual purpose? Moreover, if the designers aren’t listening to the contractor, how can they accomplish what is expected of their roles?
It is important to note that design intent is all about forming a serious understanding of long-term impact, not just the delivery of a physical building. Basically, architects and the design team are visual thinkers and their goal is to design a project according to that intent. In some cases, constructibility could be challenging when bringing those specific designs to life. On the other hand, general contractors and related engineers must ensure that the project can and will be built in all practical manner. In other words, it takes both impact attunement and economic sensibility to construct a meaningful project.
Why Design Intent Matters?
Here are some reasons why design intent matters in the construction project:
1 When the main purpose of the design is understood across the board, the construction of the project can be executed smoothly, with few objections from the owner, as well as tame down on those frustrating change orders. Everyone has no doubt what the project is for and how the community benefits from it in the long run. If the intent is not communicated well, proponents may request multiple changes that may not only demoralize workers but also confuse those who backtrack and redo things to clashing directions.
2 Clear design intent reduces the entire construction cycle, decreases the cost of rework, and uplifts the end-user satisfaction.
3 A good design intent guarantees the long-term viability of a project. For instance, if the project is unfaithful to the impact it is designed for, then it is less likely to stand the test of time and will more likely to become outdated fast.
The design intent is one of the elements of a successful construction project. Building industry players must understand the importance of it in order to avoid any disputes and issues within their working environment.
What do you think could help communicate design intent better? Comment below if you have some ideas or hard lessons to share. We’d love to hear your story. Please don’t forget to follow us on our social media accounts. For any inquiries about Philippine property development planning or architectural services, please feel free to contact us.
