Design timelines for building projects can vary considerably. While the design process may last a few months on some projects, it can stretch out over years on others. The length depends on several factors.
We have worked with various client types, including small businesses, developers, universities, and hospitals. This experience has given us a firm understanding of how long it should take to design a project.
Although it is difficult to estimate a design timeline without knowing the project’s parameters, we can discuss a few reasons why timelines differ. This article will outline four factors that impact project timelines, giving you a better idea of your project’s length.
4 Factors that Affect Design Timelines
1. Your Organization’s Needs
The length of the design process largely depends on your organization’s needs. Before an architect can start design work, the owner should have a site, budget, overarching project goals, and a program—a list of spaces and their sizing requirements.
While some owners acquire this information before working with an architect, others need assistance establishing the project’s parameters. Depending on your needs, your architect may recommend various supplemental services, such as:
These necessary services are outside the scope of basic architectural services and will likely lengthen your project’s timeline.
At the same time, your project may benefit from activities that engage stakeholders and gather their input, like visioning workshops and benchmarking tours. These activities—occurring in pre-design—work well for schools, non-profits, private businesses, and municipalities.
Pre-design activities, like visioning workshops, may be necessary.
While we recommend stakeholder engagement on most projects, not every owner will go down this path. Multifamily and commercial developers may skip this step, especially when developing spec spaces. In these situations, concept development can start sooner, leading to a shorter design process.
2. Your Organization’s Internal Process
Your organization’s internal process can also affect the design process’s length. On every project, we recommend forming an internal committee to meet with the design team and assigning a point of contact responsible for communicating with the project manager.
Depending on your organization’s structure, the design committee may be the final decision-makers. Decisions can occur during regularly scheduled meetings, leading to a faster design process.
Other organizations may have a more hierarchical or bureaucratic structure. While the project will involve an internal design committee, decisions may be left to a board of directors or executive suite.
The design committee will need to relay information to decision-makers and get approval before moving forward. This additional step means more time between meetings and a longer design process.
3. City Reviews and Approvals
City approvals can also impact your design timeline. Depending on your location and project type, you may need to factor design reviews into your schedule.
Approvals are a common part of multifamily and mixed-use development projects. Although the design process for these projects may be on the shorter end of the spectrum, developers may need to wait until the city gives the green light to start construction.
Whether your project requires a design review depends on the location. For example, the city may require design reviews for downtown projects but not ones in other neighborhoods.
Reviews also depend on your funding method. Projects using Tax Increment Financing (TIF), for example, may be subject to additional oversight to ensure the design aligns with the city’s development goals.
4. Project Complexity
Lastly, a project’s complexity will likely impact the design timeline.
Complex projects involve more consultants. In addition to an architect, your project may involve civil, structural, and MEP (Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing) engineers. Some projects may even involve specialized expertise, like acousticians or IT engineers.
Coordinating with these various parties takes time, lengthening the design process. Projects on the simpler end of the spectrum, like an interior fit-out, involve less coordination. An architect or interior designer is responsible for most of the work, leading to a faster timeline.
Sustainable design certifications can also add complexity to a project. In the early stages of the project, your design team may need to perform studies and pricing exercises to determine which certification pathway is the most viable.
They may also need to devote more time to research throughout the design process. For example, the Living Building Challenge has strict material requirements, and the design team will need time to vet products and talk to manufacturers.
Sustainable design certifications may impact the design timeline.
Occasionally, the building’s site can add complexity to a project. Some sites may have difficult terrain, and the design team may need to work with a structural engineer to explore different foundation options.
Small, urban sites can pose similar challenges, and your design team may need to perform test fits and studies to discover the best way to position the building. For example, they may need to study shadows and find ways to minimize impacts on surrounding buildings.
In short, coordination and research can lengthen the timeline. While a project like an interior fit-out may be straightforward, other project types require additional work.
Learn More About Design Timelines
Design timelines differ from project to project. While most owners can expect to devote three to six months to the design process, some projects may need a longer schedule.
To determine how long the design process will last on your project, consider your organization’s needs, your internal process, the project’s complexity, and the potential for city approvals.
For some, a shorter design process may seem appealing. A shorter timeline can help you reach occupancy faster and minimize operational impacts.
Although a shorter design timeline may offer some benefits, it’s not without its drawbacks. Expediting the process can lead to quality assurance issues and even higher costs. Learn more by reading about four problems with a short design timeline.