Every architecture holds a story that conveys a message. The design process in architecture is the process of developing the story and its underlying message. The design process is very important for producing good architecture because it helps an architect to work sequentially and systematically. The process of design is cyclical and iterative, which can be defined as a five-part process. It can vary from architect to architect. Following, we will look at these five parts of the design process in more detail.

Identify the Issues & Set the Goals:

What does design mean? Design means problem-solving; it is akin to math, where you solve a problem under certain conditions. So, before starting designing, we need to identify those conditions or issues.

Architecture is a very context-based sector; its application heavily depends on context. So, to identify the issues, the designer should analyze the given site, study the surroundings of the site, meet with the client, and understand the expectations because at the end of the day, we will design something for them. For that, it is very important to understand their needs and expectations. And also, a historical study of the site and surroundings.

All of this provides you with some data and knowledge. From this, you can find some issues that need to be solved through your design. And then you will set the goals along with these issues for your design. That’s called a concept. The concept is very important for the architectural design process. It plays the role of radar for your design throughout the entire journey of designing.

Developing Proposals:

After identifying your issues and concept, you will start brainstorming about the problems and how they could be solved. The research in the first phase helps you to develop solutions for identified problems. As the proposal-making phase continues, you will gain clarity about your project and design. In this phase, you will critique your solutions or proposals based on your knowledge and research of the first phase. The research of the first phase will become more refined in this phase. Sketches and models will be used in plans, elevations, and sections to develop proposals, along with 3D discoveries to imagine a contextual approach to the design. In this phase, you will have to set your mind to fast-moving ideas and exploration of many ideas.

After reaching an initial level of satisfaction in developing a proposal, it needs to be analyzed. At this point, we must set some analytical criteria based on the context by which we will measure our proposal. Then we analyze the initial proposals and assess their performance, making changes according to our analysis for better alignment with the criteria. This phase is continuous. You need to analyze almost every single time for any changes in your design.

Review and Development:

Now it’s time to take reviews and criticism from the client. Once we are satisfied with our proposal, we present it to the client. Listening to their feedback is important. After the client meeting, we have to analyze the critiques from the client and find out specifically what changes we need to make in our proposal. In this phase, convincing and communication skills are vital for the architects. This phase can happen numerous times. In the beginning, we say the process of design is cyclical and iterative, which means the process is repetitive. Once we get the review and make changes in the proposal, we again take the review for the changes from the client. This cycle will continue until the client is satisfied and the analysis suggests that the criteria of the project have been met and the design can develop.

For the students, this phase is often called a critique. Where one will present their proposal in front of their teacher and get criticized. Many students get nervous and fear criticism. But it is a good opportunity for students to discuss the project with the teacher. It is also a good opportunity to challenge their ideas.

Detail Design:

Once the client is satisfied and the criteria are met, we will enter the detailed design phase. Here, we will develop a more detailed design of the best-fitted proposal and make all necessary drawings with structural and mechanical details, along with a detailed 3D model. At this phase, more detailed considerations come into play, like materials, textures, fittings, color, etc. In this stage of design, we also have to make the initial plan for construction operation. Here we also need to determine the cost of the overall project because the cost will greatly influence the choice of materials and others related to the operation. Overall, this phase is more mechanical and engineering-oriented.

Rendering:

For some, it is a very exciting phase of the design process. This is where the imaginary design will be brought into reality in a virtual setting. The client most probably doesn’t understand the detailed design drawings we did in the previous stage. But they can understand the sense of space and the aesthetics of it. For making the overall output understandable to the client, rendering is so important nowadays. There are also some marketing purposes, especially for large-scale projects, where the client will try to advertise the project. In these cases, rendering plays a vital role. Finally, with the rendering, we complete the design process.

In conclusion, I want to reiterate that the architectural design process is completely subjective. It can vary from architect to architect, connected to context. Every architect and designer has their design process. The process I mentioned can be used as guidance. It is always up to you what your process of designing is; it will be based on your view, inspiration, and perception about design or architecture.