Assembling A Collaborative Team - Other - Page 16
Assembling a Collaborative Project Team
Why a robust Initial Project Brief is crucial
Without a robust brief, the Concept Design stage cannot begin productively
and, more crucially, may be taken in a direction that is not suited or aligned to a
client’s goals and objectives. It is fair to say that the brief needs to be developed
in tandem with the developing Concept Design before it is finalised at the end of
Stage 2, along with the Concept Design, but it is also essential to acknowledge
that the brief and any associated Feasibility Studies should be sufficiently
developed during Stage 1 to facilitate an effective start to Stage 2.
Stage 0
At Stage 0, the aim of the brief is to consider the client’s Business Case and the
strategic aspects of the project:
• Is the project, as anticipated by the client, taking the right strategic approach?
• What are the desired Project Outcomes?
• Is there a better way of achieving the desired outcomes?
• Is the site appropriate?
•Would refurbishment or an extension of an existing building be a more
appropriate solution?
By stringently testing the client’s Business Case and their initial thoughts on
their requirements, all parties can proceed to Stage 1 confident that the Project
Strategy is robust. This gives the client the comfort of knowing that the strategic
aspects are correct and ensures that the project team is less likely to go down a
‘blind alley’ at Stage 1.
Stage 1
The goals of the briefing aspects at Stage 1 are to progress the client’s detailed
briefing requirements and to test them against the specific issues associated
with the site as well as considering matters such as Project Outcomes,
Sustainability Aspirations and the Project Budget. It is recognised that there is
a fine line between briefing and feasibility aspects and the development of the
Concept Design; however, a skilled ‘briefmaker’ will avoid making the leap to a
design solution or drawing firm conclusions at this stage. In the Guide to Using
the RIBA Plan of Work 2013, the increasing use of BIM ‘briefing’ models linked
to an area schedule is noted as an example of how new briefing techniques and
tools are facilitating more effective briefing processes.
The three briefing stages in the RIBA Plan of Work 2013 and their importance are
considered further in Chapter 5.
www.ribaplanofwork.com
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