what are you studying the feasibility of doing?

rkitektur?

a soccer academy on a piece of land that was formerly a military base in florida

holy phase one environmental report batman.....

there are really not hard and fast rules for this. it depends what the client's make-or-break issues are in calling the project feasible. from your description the study probably must include:

-area calculations relative to program

-analysis of what can stay/be reused, what needs adaption/renovation, and what needs to be demo'd

-environmental report (el jeffe's spot on) - probably more in depth than a phase I

-some level of design proposal, even if just master planning

-technical analysis: is this merely a flat spot of grass or an engineered turf with subsurface drainage, lighting, etc?

-cost analysis of all of the above

is the environmental report and technical analysis completely outsourced? to who?

TIA

where can i find out more about environmental reports, and the phases? (please assume I'm totally dumb on this one.)

thanks

i think the client's issues had to do with services provided to the area and the future planning of surrounding highways, etc. does this make sense?

environmental report would most likely be outsourced to an environmental consultant, sometimes in your civil engineer's office, sometimes separate. talk to a civil engineer, an environmental engineer, or a geotechnical engineer to get further guidance.

the phases are not understood quite like we understand them; they're descriptive of the level of investigation required. a simple investigation might only look at water quality and sample the soils randomly in certain areas. a more intensive analysis will involve some digging, drilling, historic research of site uses, whatever is deemed relevant.

technical analysis may or may not be outsourced depending on what level of intervention is expected. per my examples above, if it's a flat plot of grass, you can probably determine what it entails. if it's engineered turf, yeah, you'll probably need some help. depending on how much time you have to commit to this (and the client is willing to pay for), even the more technical solution may have to be estimated without outside help - it's just less accurate if you're not familiar with the systems/installations.

re: your last. yes, this aspect of your client's concerns make sense and are relevant to your study. they are maybe hard to pin down, however. you may find out from your local planning/development authority what projects are in the works in the area, you might know some from business journals, etc., but beyond that it's a matter of some speculation, i would think. you may know, for instance, that the dept of highways is widening a 4 lane to an 8 lane, you may know that a parking structure is being planned, but you may not know what smaller developments may be in the works. these other possibly-adjacent projects could be complementary to your proposed use - but they could be in conflict. sussing this out is probably going to require a level of footwork on your part, how much to be determined by you and your client.

i would agree with Steven Ward. i would also add that an intensive zoning analysis be done along with a building code analysis. this will tell you permitted uses, height restrictions, modifications due to change in use, etc.

i've done a couple of these. mostly they're done and delivered in narrative form either 8.5x11 or 11x17 bound or in a notebook. almost never done with full sized drawings. they tend to be very intensive and thick. cost estimating is one of the most important consultants to have.

call the state and county to find out about erosion control, soil borings, retention etc. always best to begin at the beginning

thanks everybody.

i think i need to see one of these feasibility studies. i've asked a few architects i know but no luck. anyone have an idea where else to look?