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How long is the schematic phase compared to design development and construction phase?

projecttocplane

Is the design process in professional practice like an iceberg where all the necessary components of realizing a concept, like development and construction, are below the small schematic phase?

 
Dec 9, 14 9:51 am
Non Sequitur

schematic is at most 5%... often less than 1% of a project. CD and DD are around the 50% & 30% marks respectfully. So, it's more like an iceberg of icebergs

Dec 9, 14 9:54 am  · 
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projecttocplane

So what you learn in architecture school, at least in early years, is only touching on the schematic phase?

It seems like there are some detail drawing and structural analysis going on in some student projects.

Dec 9, 14 10:03 am  · 
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null pointer

I've spent 4 months in schematics at times. I've spent 8 hours on schematics other times. It really varies widely depending on your scope of services and the project type.

Dec 9, 14 10:05 am  · 
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Non Sequitur

barely... at best.  Schools teach how to think abstractly, which is a useful skill. While dishing out concepts and sculpting foam is a worthwhile design process, when a client's money is involved, better get started on those working drawings.

Dec 9, 14 10:09 am  · 
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null pointer

Again, it really depends on what your scope is. In the suburbs, NS might be right, in a major metro, you might simply be hired to do schematics. There are a lot of firms that haven't stamped stamped a single drawing in years and make tons of money from concept and schematic design packages.

Dec 9, 14 2:09 pm  · 
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natematt

There really is no defined number. I've worked on a lot of projects that were at least 1/4 SD.

 

Dec 9, 14 3:11 pm  · 
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mightyaa

ha.. there is a defined number if you have access to the billing and contracting.  The way we contract, typically it breaks out like this for a traditional design/bid/build project:

5% Schematic design; conceptual level

15% Design Development: Refinement of the concept

50% CD's:  Detail oriented, and don't discount the further refinement and design of the smaller features.

5% Spec's and GC contract negotiation:  Paper... lots of paper

25% CA:  Construction Administration while the project is being built.

So it depends on your school how this plays out.  Studio typically only covers the design chunk, so really only 20% of what you'll be doing in the real world on a project.  The other classes though come into play during CD's as well as some design; Like Building Envelopes, Solar, Structural, etc. and heavily influenced the early design concepts.  You basically will draw upon everything you learned in school and use it throughout the completion.   But it's that internship where it fills in the nitty-gritty.  And you don't ever stop learning....

Dec 10, 14 12:07 pm  · 
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