What makes today’s design process different from the past?
From an architect’s perspective, it means going beyond a good-looking design. Results—for the client—are instead the focus. Imagine design in the context of a business plan for the product development process. This way, you can begin to recognize essential touch points that are early and ongoing evidence that results will meet expectations.
These essential stepping stones in the design workflow take advantage of all the information available—research, data, local code, environmental issues, etc.--on the specific challenges and opportunities of the project, especially in a venture such as the Meritage reNEWable Living Home.
On such projects, the home building organization leaders need to serve as the expert pool. They engage in the design process at the key decision-making stages, and help keep the process on track. It is important to create a collaborative environment that encourages involvement from stakeholders in each discipline. Each of them has an impact on contributing to the delivery of the house, from start to finish.
At BSB Design, the firm follows a 10-step process to ensure the team remains aligned with its client’s goal
The design process is more than the home design—as BSB reviews each applicable decision point, the team verifies the validity of the assumptions made along the way. The firm's goal is to make minor course corrections along the critical path to completion. This way, we avoid being caught at the end of the process with a design that doesn’t work, can’t be built for the price target, or misses the market.
For the reNEWable Living Home, BSB was thoughtful about revising several aspects of the design to respond to the theme of renewal and resilience.
The process starts with consumer and market research to understand what the prospective buyer wants. This leads to a design “program,” a list of assumptions about product type, size, features, and cost targets that guide the design team in its efforts. The program must be validated by the team—ignoring this step increases the chance for doubt in your design decision-making, and often leads to delays and redesign due to changing priorities. In this case, the Meritage team was able to provide guidance on specific climate considerations that slightly altered the design.
The collaboration and orchestration of team members' input is crucial. With the reNEWable Living Home, the sales team directed us toward features that the buyers in that geographic location are asking for, like the pocketing door system that allows for a seamless indoor/outdoor connection. Interior designers validate that the plan accommodates the furnishings necessary to appeal to the target buyer, and the purchasing team and construction team confirm that the cost of construction remains on target and that the home can be built within the existing systems of the builder and its construction team. Resolving these issues on paper is essential to maintaining a steady workflow and preventing costly surprises later.
The review processes must include value engineering, and the review team must include all the applicable trades. Oftentimes this is the group that identifies cost, labor, and material strategies that can have the greatest impact because these individuals are dealing with assembly problems daily. Conducting a “paper frame walk” with the group at the appropriate stage validates those design-stage assumptions, and any corrective changes required can be done with minimal course correction. Stay tuned to see if the on-site frame walk with the Meritage Homes team drives any changes.
By maintaining a focus on process, collaboration and effective decision-making, this design process helps understand that there is a way to improve sales results, consumer satisfaction, and profitability through design.
Visit www.builderonline.com/renewable for frequent updates on the Meritage reNEWable Living Home.
