Frequency:     Infrequent    1 |  2  | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5    Frequent

Importance:   Unimportant   -4 | -3 | -2 | -1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |  3  | 4   Important

Description

In this step, architects present design concepts mainly using sketches.

Why Pain?

Challenges in schematic design lie in: (1) Visualizing draft ideas for design validation. (2) Evolving a concrete design from draft ideas to meet requirements from owners and design codes, situation of the site and architects' own expectations. Sometimes large gaps are found between the design and the requirements and expectations after it is visualized. Redesign and careful presentation are then needed.

Workarounds

(1) Architects need design software that makes conceptual sketching a quick, flexible and convenient process;

(2) Revit's massing function should be made easier and quicker to use for this stage by allowing easy direct manipulation on the drawings and massing comparison. A good example is Sketchup, although Sketchup has limitation in modeling complicated shapes and facets, which requires architects to still rely on hand drawings. Whatever software for use in this stage should facilitate architects' quick and flexible sketching and modification in a subjective and sensational design process.

(3) Currently some architects make physical massing model and scan it to 3D digital model in this stage, like what Frank Gary does. This way is especially useful to model nonlinear shapes. It could be inspiring for the software tool design.

Roles & Report Relationship

- Design Institute:   A.B.C.D
  Project principal & Principal architect & Senior & Junior

- Foreign & Private:  
  Project architect