Sample Design Approach
The development of a project master plan is a multiple step process. The ultimate goal is for the master plan to articulate the long-term growth of the project and define the implementation process and design directives relative to function, aesthetics, budget and phasing. A master plan illustrates the vision for the future and provides the road map to get there.
Design master planning is a participatory process. A typical project has multiple stakeholders; owners, neighbors, community, and utility companies. Each of these groups has a unique perspective on how the project operates, what improvements are needed and what additions or changes would be most beneficial. An open, communicative process results in a final plan in which all parties feels truly vested. We have developed a process that encourages participation. The process consists of the following steps:
Assembling critical information is the first step in the master planning process. This step’s purpose is for the team to gain an understanding of the physical conditions of the project. Critical information includes existing building plans, surveys, soil and other reports that help provide a clear picture of the existing condition. In this case, it is the Owner’s responsibility to provide any existing documentation of the site and buildings. A visual site conditions assessment and evaluation is undertaken to determine existing conditions.
Intensive Needs Assessment is the second step in master planning. This step consists of meetings with various user groups in design charrette and/or focus group sessions. Interviews with key individuals and the circulation and compilation of questionnaires to assist in obtaining a broad understanding of the owner and local communities’ needs, is an important part of this assessment.
Program Development involves preparation of a functional space program, which is recorded into a matrix/template format. The documents are intended to be schematic, preliminary in nature, and used to inform the master plan development and conceptual floor plan layouts.
Preliminary talking documents are then created after the program development has been defined, and for the purpose of all stakeholder reviews. We have found that it is easier for those participating in the planning process to react to a possible solution than to invent a plan from scratch. We will prepare conceptual plans based on analysis, needs assessment and the preliminary space program. We refer to these plans as “Talking Documents” because they are used to elicit a response and to point the team in the right direction for further plan development.
Master plan development and construction documentation typically encompasses the creation of details, refinements to floor and site plans, detailing of phasing and implementation plans, and preliminary budget information. JHAI understands that flexibility and multiple design options are key to a successful master plan. If budgets, scheduling, or prioritization change, a well designed master plan will not require significant changes to the construction documents.