BYTNAR - TALKS
EPISODE 005 - STAGE 3 - SPATIAL COORDINATION
This episode is for people who want to know more about the process of project design and delivery.
If you ask yourself questions:
How to build consensus across design teams?
Is this the right time for the Planning Application?
What else do we need to consider, perhaps we identified specialist item designs?
What should we consider when it comes to tendering costs and is it in line with our budget?
What other strategic aspects should we consider?
How are we going to approach In-Depth Definition?
This episode should give you a broad idea of how the project design gains momentum in Architecture Engineering or Construction as we define what is going to be built.
This is Bytnar Talks the Engineer takes on construction episode five hi I'm Piotr Bytnar each day I help my clients plan and design building projects through Bytnar limited a Consulting Chartered Structural Engineers practice my biggest passion and the cornner stone on which I've built my business is find finding clever solutions for construction projects I am a chartered structural engineer and a bing software developer so you can rest assured that I will strive to talk about the best practices and the use of new technologies in the industry and if you're embarking on a construction project or are involved in planning designing and building the world around us you'll find this podcast useful in this episode I will talk about the stage three of the Reba and I TR T plan work [Music] 2020 hi and how are you guys welcome back to the new episode of bner talks I must admit the time flies it was just the beginning of the year and the release of the first episode and now we are nearly halfway through February and I am super excited to deliver this episode to you it feels like a standard thing to do now to sit down every Sunday afternoon to compose a new episode not for my friends for you it almost seems as if I've been doing it for a long long time now and I am glad to have you back here I love and respect all of your inperson feedback and hope you can hear it takes on the live form with every next episode I wonder why are you shy to share it openly on platforms like Linkin Facebook or otherwise but I know aec industry is not Mar marketing and sales so people are a bit introverted and shy but come on guys we need to talk without industrywide and Loud conversations we will not improve one bit but if you are new to this podcast and wonder what it is is this guy all about I'm now talking about the industrywide process of construction projects design and development called plan of work in the first episode I gave you an overview of all eight stages of that process and now we are on the stage three spatial coordination which is an actual fourth step in the process as stages start from stage zero all the way down to Stage 7 confused enough don't be you can always return to past episode to understand more about it in the episode one I showed you an overview of the process then talked about predesign design stages of the process in episode 2 and three last time I started the design part of the process with stage two called concept design where I emphasize the importance of collaboration between Architects engineers and contractors to identify the right concept we can and want to develop [Music] further today I will talk about the stage of the process that deals with F the development of the concept design at this stage we take the rules of farm and general layout andree on the start quote final end quote brief everyone agrees on and ensures the architectural vision and required function play correctly with the fire safety structural mechanical electrical and plumbing considerations for the project and ISC capable of discharging all building regulations in the next part of this episode I'll tell you in more detail what this stage is all about I will tell you what the stage is in a gist and six things to consider which are one consensus building two preparation for planning application three identification of specialist items designs four ction on tendering costs five strategic planning and six setting the stage for indepth definition so without further Ado let's dive into [Music] it okay so what is the stage in the gist special coordination is pretty much what it says on a tin but a little bit more more than that it is a rustage free which ensures that the structural design aligns seamlessly with the architectural Vision promoting not only structural Integrity but also an aesthetically pleasing and functional build environment effective communication and collaboration between Architects and Structural Engineers are par are Paramount to achieving a harmonious integration of Design Elements during this critical phase of the project this stage is all about reaching a consensus on major aspects of the build and making sure the proposal is as correct as possible leaving only minor changes to be addressed at stage four at this stage all specialist item design should be identified for delivery at the next stage and the design should be ready for the planning application this stage is not yet the stage where the project should should be costed for tendering but often it is now depending on the chosen procurement route such an approach will often result in major surprises down the line This stage is also the stage where most strategies for the delivery of the project should be ironed out and put in place to drive further in-depth definition of the project there are many strategies to be considered like sustainability inclusivity health and safety Etc but each in its own terms is so broad it's broad enough to call for a separate episode or several so I will not go into too much detail about them here but you can be certain that I will eventually talk about each and every single one of them in future podcasts so what are the six things to consider it the six things that I picked up and I think they're important to discuss here above anything know let's start with the first one I call it consensus building stage three involves extensive collaboration among stakeholders Architects and Structural Engineers to solidify a shared vision for the project the vision agreed agreed on in stage two concept design it is not the place to change the brief but to assure the concept was correct and to establish size Place orientation of critical elements load carrying paths stability system structural structural Foundation interaction and possible differential movement of elements it is the time where key decision related to spatial layouts structural systems and Architectural features are made fostering alignment among all contributors once we get the consensus on the most important part parts of it which is architectural concept and structural one we can move we can move on with the definition of the project and one of the other points to consider within within that stage is preparing the project for planning application so that's point two preparation for planning application is a pivotal objective of stage three the pivotal objective of stage three is to prepare the design for the planning application process making sure the threshold of required information is reached and that the building will not require substantial redesign if any at all at the latest stage all major components specifications and strategies are are or should be identified and refined to meet regulatory requirements laying the groundwork for necessary approvals including consideration for higher risk buildings and start of the golden thread on the information with requirements of Gateway One so we need to look after the planning application we need to have the the design ready for it with all of the with all all of the nitty grees there may some be out some outstanding things to consider later on but this this may be putting conditionings conditions in the planning in the planning process so not everything has to be ironed out there may be some play area we go area when you go out and submit your planning application but most of it especially the important stuff as fire structure the the architectural concept they all should be should be approved and coordinated and put through to planning planning permission another very important part here is as as I think you you can already gather from what's involved within that stage it's we're not going into the nitty-gritty of every single thing we're talking about the major major aspect of the development that need to be coordinated and agreen upon within this within within this stage so it is very important and and it is point three to consider on my list is to identify all of the specialist items all of those specialist things that will need to be designed later on we need to identify specialist items crucial to the project and it should be programmed their design and coordination should be programmed in the execution plan of the project so all these aspects can be coordinated prior to designs hitting the construction phase this includes specific structural elements often detailing of structural systems like steel connections reinforcement detailing glass structures ball trates stairs or hbac heating ventilation and air conditioning over ground pluming and mechanical and electrical elements at this point a general appreciation of possible details and the required space for such elements needs to be agreed on and check for clashes with main elements So to avoid future meddling with with main components in stages which should only deal with Technical and in-depth considerations obviously we won't know about all of those aspects just of yet like like pluming and layouts of it but we need to and we can assign spaces for this to to happen underneath the ceilings over flows or whatnot but you get the gist we need to think about it we need to assign space for it think how it's going to play with all of the other elements so we can a certain main critical parts will remain unchanged when when we move to next next stages of the process delivery and here we get to the cautionary Point caution cautionary on the aspects of tendering you see while stage three is not traditionally the pH Force sending the project out for tendering in the nature beasts of project delivery behave somewhat rushed and people think the level of details suffices for the purpose often full specifications are not ready nor are the Scopes of work defined in detail so caution is advised here as depending on the procurement route chosen premature costing may lead to unexpected surprises later in the project timeline and as you can probably guess right inflation of the of the cost and finally the part that is being further developed in this in this stage I like to call call those things strategic planning you see State free serves as a strategic planning juncture where the overall strategies for project delivery are F finalized each and every single one of these is Broad enough as I mentioned before to justify separate episodes so I will just mention them in brief you see we need to think about fire strategy structural design coordination clearances tolerances and dimensional performance of elements and systems as a whole need to think about CDM regulations health and safety cost planning how we going to control change what our are our sustainability deliverables building regulations obviously we need to get through the planning application and we need to know how the building will perform so performance specification to name just a few this L isn't exhaustive by no means every project will have a variety of different strategies things to consider and and plan on but this are typical one on most of the projects you see some people may think CDM doesn't is is only for for certain amount of the for certain projects of size and complexity where in fact it is applicable to all construction projects and we need to think about safety and delivery of projects whether they're small or large the different is with bureaucracy of the process if if the building is is a little bit bigger then we need to notify health and safety executive and and perhaps do things in more in more involved fashion also decision making regarding construction methods and scheduling and risk mitigation strategies is initiated to guide subsequent project phases at that stage so the six thing to consider will be setting the stage for in-depth definition what I mean by that is is setting the stage for the stage what a mamboo isn't it but never mind you get it critical strategies put in place during stage three Drive the in-depth definition of the project in subsequent stages right this sets the trajectory for a more detailed and refin project definition it sets the Target and specification for the next steps ensuring a smoother transition into subsequent construction phases and delivery of specialist designs well that was a tough one I had to write it down and and read it to you because yeah it is a bit mumbo jumbo but that's what it is it's this stage sets set stage for indepth definition of the project so if we don't have things well set and coordinated at that stage you can imagine what sort of mess will come with the next stage when we come to the when we come to the detailing of structures and and start experiencing clashes between between different parts of the build so that would be it that would be six points that I generally think should be considered and thought about in every single project but obviously they that can be more and less involved depending on the on the type of the project but that would be it [Music] so here you have it at its core stage three is about fine-tuning the blueprint agreed upon in stage two ensuring that the structural and Architectural elements harmonized seamlessly this stage is not a playground for major changes but a platform to solidify the shade Vision addressing critical elements like load path stability system and spatial orientations of elements and entire system I identified six key considerations which are one consensus building stage three kicks off with extensive collaboration cementing the shared Vision established in stage two concept design it's thought about changing the brief now but aligning on critical aspects such as special layout structural systems and Architectural features two preparation for planning application a pivotal objective is the preparation for the planning application here ensuring that the design meets regulatory requirements the stage act as the gatekeeper setting the threshold for necessary approvals and laying the groundwork for the golden threat of information three identification of specialist item designs specialist items crucial to the project from structural elements to hevac systems are identified and programmed during stret fre the goal is to coordinate these aspects before hitting the construction phase avoiding clashes with main elements caution on tendering here that's point four while not the typical tendering phase stage three often sees premature attempts at costing caution is advised as incomplete specifications may lead to surprises down the project timeline five strategic planning stage three serves as the Nexus for finalizing over changing strategies from fire safety and structural design to health and safety considerations decision decision making on construction methods and risk mitigation Strate strategies also take sens a stage here and six settings the stage for in the definition critical strategies laid out in stage three proper the in-depth definition of the project in subsequent stages this paves the way for a more detailed and refined project definition setting the target for a smoother transition into subsequent construction phases as we conclude this journey through the heart of rebba stage three remember that it's not just about architectural and Engineering intricacies it's a phase where collaboration careful planning and Alignment set the trajectory for a successful project delivery okay that is it from me for this episode stay tuned for more insights into the dynamic world of architecture structural and construction planning design and delivery [Music] all right few words from me guys thanks for thanks a lot for tuning in I think you can appreciate where the process is gently leading us step by step defining the project in more detail as we go I very often come AC I very often come across planning applications that are made earlier than stage three which then struggle to be fulfilled taking in consideration all the aspects of the build do not get me wrong it is very often coste effective to go out with planning at the concept design stage but such needs to be from the information point of view of the stage three what I mean by that it usually is the case with the architectural services provided by non-competent people that such designs are then impossible to deliver on site as they do not take in consideration structural ramifications build buildability aspects possible methods of erection building regulation and the leas goes on such designs are sent to plan in office for approval and it is not the planning office responsibility to check if such proposal is fit for purpose it is more to determine if such proposal is fit for the circumstance at Bitner we often help such clients to untangle themselves from the Peril of Il defined concept and make sure so the building can be built safely and to current legislation but frankly we much more prefer to be involved from the word go where we can achieve the magic that our clients are used to interestingly enough many of such projects come our way that have been taken by an engineer to develop further but these are then ill defined from the concept then more ofer than not coordination between the architecture and engineering aspects of it is missing poor client is happy that they have saved on the architect and the engineer oblivious to the fact that the contractor now will take such project and try to make the most out of it usually blaming both sites Architects and Engineers for all the costs the additional cost which will be transferred to the client to suit however sometimes we we are dealing with a better contractor who's well vest in the game and they usually contact Bitner for help in such circumstances we go back to principles and deliver designs that save the client a small fortune and make the construction better for the owner the planet and for the contractor to build how much they usually save you ask well I don't think I'm come quite comfortable or can tell you exactly sharing company Secrets but usually it is enough to pay for our involvement M and then again that much anyway I do not want this to be a sales speech but I want you to know my dear listener that it is important to approach competent people who recognize the industry standard process and its elements so you can benefit from the best definition of your project from the word go we like to say the paper will take it all whatever you write whatever you draw the paper will take it all but whether that can be built physically that's completely different story I hope you have found out something useful in this episode I look forward to sharing more insights with you in future episodes as however reach out to me on LinkedIn email me or Facebook I will always reply to you you will always be treated welcome whatever you say whatever you comment we like to hear your voice I will end this with the standard call to you please voice up your opinion I want to hear from you toodloo!
Piotr Bytnar BEng (Hons) MSc CEng MIStructE
Chartered Structural Engineer who deals with the Architecture of buildings. His Master's Studies led him to an in-depth understanding of risk and contract arrangements in construction as well as specialist knowledge in soil mechanics.
He and his team help homeowners and property developers to design and deliver construction projects reducing waste in time and the cost. He believes that the construction project is an iterative process that can be well managed and it is best managed if all the aspects of the project definition and management are dealt with in-house or coordinated by one organisation. His team works to all stages of RIBA and ISTRUCTE stages of work and enables contractors to deliver projects on-site providing risk evaluations, methodologies for execution of works and temporary works designs.
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