Accommodation and Briefing Studies

The processes that generate an architectural design begin long before the first sketch is made, and involve many people other than the architect. The architect must have a thorough grasp of these pre-design issues in order to produce an effective design – and that requires a good brief.

What is a Brief?
The brief for an architectural project is a message between clients/users and designers. The message must be meaningful to both parties, and this is a problem when their two worlds are usually very different. A brief written wholly by clients/users, or one wholly written by designers, may not communicate the right information. In fact, brief writing is a skill requiring an understanding of both users and designers – a skill which fits ideally with CAR's range of expertise. In order to build up the information in a brief, CAR uses research techniques including [User Surveys], as well as interviews and activity analysis methods.

CAR's Modular Approach
There is no standard format for a design brief. In practice it can vary from the extremes of a single, vague conversation to a document with hundreds of pages of detailed data – but neither of these approaches is likely to be successful. In all but the smallest projects a written brief is necessary, and CAR's practice is to organise the material into a manageable number of 'modules' dealing with distinct issues. Each module makes the connection between client/user requirements and design considerations for the particular issue, establishing a shared understanding about design objectives.

The modules in a CAR brief vary from project to project, but might typically include the following:

  • Departmental structure
  • Specific functional/environmental requirements
  • Projected growth
  • Security
  • Entrances
  • Disabled access
  • Car parking

The benefits of a good brief for both the process and product of design are enormous – with benefits for both the clients/users and designers.

Selecting the Design Team
A good brief is vital for the success of a building project, and so is a good design team. CAR can help with the final pre-design task – the selection of the design team. This usually involves generating a long list of practices with relevant experience for the particular project, and selecting a short list in consultation with the client. The shortlisted practices can be interviewed or invited to submit design ideas in response to the brief. CAR acts as technical advisor when the client makes the final selection. This ensures that the design process sets off in a constructive and productive way from day one.

Projects

Higher Education

  • Client: University of Cambridge Study of present accommodation, activities, and expansion needs of Faculty of Architecture and History of Art
  • Client: Allies and Morrison, Architects Studies of accommodation needs and preparation of design briefs for new buildings for Faculty of English and Institute of Criminology in the Arts Faculties site, Sidgwick Avenue
  • Client: Clare College, Cambridge Studies of College accommodation needs and design brief for new extension; planning study of site for extension; advice on design team selection and management of invited concept design competition, leading to appointment of design team and successful design development

Commercial offices

  • Client: i2 Ltd Briefing study for the short- and medium-term accommodation requirements of an expanding software development company

Speculative offices

  • Client: Tartan Ltd Research to refine the brief for new speculative developments in business park locations, where there is no end-user to provide a design brief. The requirements and priorities of developers, investors, planners and users were all researched.

Publications

W. Fawcett. ‘How do user requirements affect high tech design?’ High Tech Buildings 89 Conference, London, 1989.

W. Fawcett. ‘Staff satisfaction in new offices: findings of an interactive computer questionnaire’, Property Management vol.10, no.4, 1992, pp.338-346.

W. Fawcett. ‘Architecture: functional approach; or, the case for user research’, Architectural Research Quarterly vol.1, no.3, 1996, pp.8-15.

W. Fawcett. ‘Investigating visual preferences: a structured comparison approach’, Hong Kong Papers in Design and Development vol.1, 1998, pp.18-25.

W. Fawcett, I. Ellingham & S. Platt . ‘Reconciling the architectural preferences of architects and the public: the Ordered Preference Model’, Environment & Behavior, 2008.

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contact:
[William Fawcett]
Although a design is not generated by the brief but by the architect's own design knowledge, the form of the brief plays a vital role in focusing effort towards solutions that are relevant to the client's requirements. Although a design is not generated by the brief but by the architect's own design knowledge, the form of the brief plays a vital role in focusing effort towards solutions that are relevant to the client's requirements.
Volumetric design exercises are sometimes carried out in conjunction with briefing analysis, as in this example from an accommodation study for a university building in Cambridge. Volumetric design exercises are sometimes carried out in conjunction with briefing analysis, as in this example from an accommodation study for a university building in Cambridge.
CAR wrote the brief for the successful new Faculty of English building in the University of Cambridge (Allies and Morrison, Architects). CAR wrote the brief for the successful new Faculty of English building at the University of Cambridge (Allies and Morrison, Architects).