Architectural and interior design services

Being on budget

There are various aspects that can be used to evaluate the success of an architectural and/or interior design project. First, there is its functional aspect, which relates to how the planning of the space and the designing of the systems of a building achieve the level of comfort and the ease of performance expected by future users. Secondly, there is its aesthetic aspect, which refers to the visual and general sensual appreciation of how forms, scale, proportions, colours, etc.  meet one's innate criterion of sensuous pleasure provided by our appreciation of the beautiful and the exceptional. Lastly, but not the least, there is its financial aspect, which refers to the cost of achieving the previous two within the constraints given by the financial limitation available to a project.

In this brief article, we will review how a project cost is managed throughout its multiple phases from pre-design to construction completion. 

1.  Cost Targeting

For an architectural and/or an interior design project to be on budget, two actions shall be taken. First,  we have what can be called Cost Targeting, which is also called Cost Planning.

Cost Targeting is carried through at the earliest phase of discussion between client and design professional.  At that stage, the client in addition to be providing the architect or lead interior designer  with a complete list of spatial and functional needs, the client shall also disclose the project's cost expectation.  From this initial collection of information, in conjunction with previous experience and historic data, the design professional should be able to fit size, scale, form and function to the available budget.  As the target is laid down, the design process can then moves from conceptual to design development stage. From that point on, the target budget has to remain clearly in view to avoid undesirable outcomes. For that reason, that second sequence of activities is called Cost Control, also called Monitoring of Construction Cost.

2.  Cost Controlling

Design development is this process where creative licence would play an important role in defining the unique physical characteristics that distinguish one project from another. This comes with a risk.   Detailing can rapidly add cost to a simple concept, that was initially simply sketched with few broad lines only. It is therefore  the responsibility of the project architect or the lead interior designer to constantly review the work in progress. Therefore, careful reviews of the work in progress shall be performed regularly and shall be performed with great objectivity to prevent excess or unnecessary high standards of quality and form. Controlling cost shall prevail mostly at that stage.

As the design becomes sufficiently developed, the work advances into the production of the building permit and construction drawings phase, at which time construction details are refined and the various material selected. The project manager shall then prepare cost information on individual components of the project and make this available to the client.  All along during the design process, the project manager shall oversee the work of the production team members to ensure that the project remains within the initially defined budget and if an important deviation from the target is found, appropriate measures and decisions to adjust the design shall be taken by both the project manager and the client.

In order to achieve a better control of the cost in especially complex projects, the project manager have the option of getting assistance using the services of cost consultants, quantity surveyors or to simply have few discussions with reputable construction contractors, whom should be able to provide reliable information on current and local cost of labour and material.  

List of factors effecting a bottom line

To illustrate the complexity involved in controlling the cost of a project, we are providing the following list of factors that can affect a bottom line.

1. Economic and Political
Inflation
Market Conditions
The use or not of union labour
Interest rates and financing costs
Exchange rates between nations
Political and Social Climates
Changing legislation
Municipal regulations

2. Environmental
Site characteristics
Weather conditions
Project Location
Prevailing Hazardous conditions
Demolition and the required shoring technique

3. Building Type
Method of construction
Building height and number of storeys
Building mass
Choice of finishes
Choices of systems
Planned life of the Structure

4. Methods of Project Delivery
Complexity of bidding procedures
Insurance requirements
Bonding requirements
Regulations
Recycling
Safety and clean-up
Scheduling construction to not disturb neighbouring areas and functions 

5. Clarity or lack of the scope of work
Lack of technical data
Lack of a defined program
Timing and deadline for scheduled opening