What is the Design Team?

The OCI design team for construction projects consists of an architect and engineers. Often, the team itself may consist of an architectural firm and an engineering firm which themselves employs several architects or engineers. On smaller projects, we may simply have one architect or engineer who is tasked with your project. Each of these groups can have individuals that specialize in specific areas of design or engineering.

Architects

The architect or architectural team is responsible for the design stage of the project. The architect will take an idea the owner has and if that idea is feasible, create a design around it. Different types of architects may specialize in different types of projects. Some architects specialize in specific types of buildings, while others specialize in a subset of the project itself. For example, on a single project, you may have an architect who is designing the physical structure for the project and a second landscape architect that is responsible for designing the exterior portion of the project.

Architecture is both an art and a science. Modern professional architects seek to produce buildings that are both aesthetically pleasing and functional. Increasingly, architects are focusing on incorporating sustainability into their designs, and charting out new ways to add value to the client through design processes.

Engineers

Our design team will almost certainly consist of one or more engineers in addition to the architect(s). Broadly speaking, engineers are responsible for ensuring that the finished product of the construction project is safely and appropriately constructed. But this isn’t all engineers do on construction projects. Engineers make sure that the project is as efficient as possible, reducing costs while maintaining necessary safety features. Engineers will also conduct an initial survey of the building site to assess feasibility for the project and get a sense of any special accommodations that may need to be made. An important aspect of what civil engineers are responsible for is ensuring that all local and state legal requirements are met for your project. Early on, this means closely tracking changes to the design to ensure that plans and specifications include any necessary requirements. As the construction project progresses to the physical construction stage, the engineer will regularly review construction to verify that everything is being built according to requirements. Effective engineering firms also specialize in optimizing the building process by finding ways to build more efficiently, reducing both costs and time associated with the project.

The Design Process

Each design team will approach their own creative process differently. That being said, the design phase itself generally occurs very soon after the start of the project. During the first phase of a project, the owner approaches an OCI construction project manager to explain their idea and determine the feasibility of the project. If the construction project manager determines that the project is feasible, they will bring a design team on board within a short period of time. Bringing the design team onto the project early is both necessary and advantageous. It is necessary because the design must come before the construction phase can begin. We will also need a design before you are able to secure the necessary permitting and entitlements for the project. Getting an early start on the design process also allows the client’s team to quickly gain a sense of whether the structural design is possible, what constraints there are, and whether any entitlements will be necessary. As the client, you will also want to get the design teams in place and started on the project as soon as possible because the entire process can take a great deal of time. Every construction project is unique. Some projects may also require multiple revisions, each of which will take extra time. The first draft and subsequent revisions represent a collaborative effort on behalf of both the architects and engineers. When the architect comes up with a design for the project, the engineer will explore a variety of things, including what materials will be required, what support systems will need to be in place, and possibly what design aspects will need to be adjusted. If any adjustments need to be made, the design will be sent back to the architect. Once that draft is done and has been approved by the client and architect, the engineer will need to go over it again to ensure that all safety, legal, and regulatory requirements are met.