Before what is often considered the commencement of a project is a predevelopment phase where the needs and bases of a new facility are studied. This phase allows for a thorough consideration of what the new facility is to accomplish, and allows for a detailed discussion of what the facility should encompass.
Undertaking this predevelopment work seamlessly ties into our working methodology of engaging our clients and other stakeholders in a process that seeks to create a solid basis for every decision that is to follow in the project development. This process is a cornerstone of our practice.
We deliver functional programming services or other predevelopment services such as producing feasibility reports or assisting in securing project funding. This work is sometimes an undertaking independent of the project development, commencing prior to our clients seeking an architect to develop a new facility. We have been brought onto other functional planning teams working to develop larger, multi-faceted facilities at the request of our clients to lend specific knowledge and insight around issues that many functional planning firms may not be familiar with. In other cases, where the new facility may be in an area of our expertise, we are engaged to develop the entire functional plan.
As stand-alone assignments, we have developed functional plans for number of community health centres, women’s shelters, multi-function service agencies, shelters for homeless people, and for a portion of a large hospital. We have also produced functional plans for a wide range of other project types on which we were previously retained as project architect.