RIBA Stage 3: Your Guide to Successful Design Development

Stage 3 of the RIBA Plan of Work is an essential step in ensuring the architectural and engineering information prepared in Stage 2 is spatially coordinated. In this stage, the focus is on testing and validating the Architectural Concept through Detailed Design Studies and Engineering Analysis.

Key Takeaways

Spatial Coordination	Ensures architectural and engineering information is aligned, tested, and validated through design studies and engineering analysis.
Stage 3 Objectives	Ratify assumptions from Stage 2, layer more detail onto the design, update project strategies, conduct a building regulations review, and submit a planning application.
Design Studies & Engineering Analysis	Align design, project strategies, and outline specification with the budget and manage cost implications for achieving project outcomes.
Cost Exercises	Update strategies with additional detail, integrate building conservation principles and address fire safety, inclusive design, health and safety, and sustainability concerns.
Project Strategies	Update strategies with additional detail, integrate building conservation principles, and address fire safety, inclusive design, health and safety, and sustainability concerns.
Planning Application	Submit a planning application once the design is spatially coordinated, addressing impacts on neighbors, local context, and environment.
Plan for Use	Test building performance requirements, engage end-users and specialists, and embed post-occupancy evaluation, handover, and aftercare requirements in the procurement strategy.
Sustainability	Depending on the procurement route, lead designer, design team, client team, and potentially construction team.
Key Stakeholders	Lead designer, design team, client team, and potentially construction team, depending on the procurement route.
Importance of Stage 3	Ensures a well-coordinated design, aligns with project budget and stakeholder feedback, and sets the stage for successful construction in Stage 4.

What is Stage 3?

Stage 3’s primary goal ensures spatial coordination of the building design before progressing to Stage 4, which produces detailed information for manufacturing and constructing the building. Stage 3 doesn’t adjust the Architectural Concept; instead, it ratifies Stage 2 assumptions and adds more detail to the design.

Design Studies align with Cost Exercises, and developing the Outline Specification might require design iterations to match the Cost Plan with the Project Budget. Product suppliers and specialist subcontractors could be consulted at this stage to test or finalize specific design aspects. Spatially Coordinated design enables designers, including specialist subcontractors, to finalize their information in Stage 4 without significant design iterations.

Project Strategies require updates, additional detail, and a Building Regulations review. A Stage 3 Design Programme ensures timely task execution. A Planning Application can be submitted after completing Stage 3 and obtaining client sign-off on a Stage Report capturing design development work.

Who is involved in Stage 3?

The lead designer and design team are crucial in this stage. The client team participates in Stage 3 coordination for client decisions. The construction team may engage if procurement requires early contractor or specialist subcontractor inputs.

The client team and design team must comprehend stage outcomes, required tasks for achievement, and the effects of preparing Employer’s Requirements or a Planning Application on Information Requirements and related tasks.

Stage 3: Spatial Coordination

Several activities take place in Stage 3 to ensure Spatial Coordination. These activities include:

Conservation

Performed design studies and engineering analysis to evaluate technical solutions for building conservation. This process is informed by specialist subcontractors and conservators, as well as analysis, surveys, and theory. The objective is to develop the building conservation aspects of the design in more detail, with a focus on minimizing harm to historic fabric.

Undertake a Building Regulations review and recognize any Building Regulations exemptions.

Integrate building conservation principles into a spatially coordinated design aligned to project stakeholders’ consultation feedback.

Identify and record any risks to significance, sensitivity, and conservation principles and mitigate any deviation from the conservation Project Outcomes (e.g., to accommodate inclusive design requirements).

Establish the input and responsibilities required of specialist subcontractors and conservators and the availability and lead-in times of specialist materials to inform the Procurement Strategy.

Prepare and submit a Planning Application and application for the listed building or scheduled monument consent at the end of Stage 3.

Cost

Perform Cost Exercises for testing detailed aspects of design, Project Strategies, and Outline Specifications. Utilize Design Studies and engage suppliers or specialist subcontractors, if needed, to assess affordability. Consider cost implications for achieving Project Outcomes, including statutory requirement compliance.

Continuously update the formal Cost Plan with enhanced cost certainty as the architectural proposal develops in detail, aligning it with the Project Budget. Increased certainty enables balancing cost increases with project contingency reductions.

Design Studies and Engineering Analysis

In Stage 3, design studies and engineering analysis validate and test technical solutions related to building conservation, fire safety, inclusive design, health and safety, and sustainability. These studies and analyses add detail to the design, ensuring alignment with the project budget and outcomes. Spatial coordination of the design may involve consultation with product suppliers and specialist subcontractors for specific design aspects.

Project Strategies

Project strategies need to be updated during Stage 3, and additional detail added. A building regulations review is also undertaken to recognize any building regulations exemptions. This review helps identify any risks to fire safety and mitigate any deviation from the fire safety strategy. Additionally, it includes key design decisions relating to fire safety in the stage report. The building conservation principles are integrated into a spatially coordinated design aligned to project stakeholder consultation feedback.

Planning

Planning tests the spatially coordinated design in detail before submitting a planning application. Design studies evaluate the proposals’ impact on neighbors, local context, and environment, using specialist consultants if needed. The process includes preparing environmental impact assessment, heritage statement, design and access statement (if required), and supporting planning documents.

Likely planning conditions like pre-commencement and post-completion operational planning conditions are established, and section 106 contributions and community infrastructure levy requirements are confirmed with planning consent. The planning application is submitted when the design achieves sufficient spatial coordination for development, requiring only minor iterations after obtaining planning consent.

Plan for Use

Design studies and engineering analysis test building performance requirements and conclude design reviews, incorporating input from end-users, facilities managers, specialists, design consultants, and contractors (if appointed). These requirements integrate into a spatially coordinated design that aligns with project stakeholder feedback. Procurement strategy embeds post-occupancy evaluation, handover, and aftercare requirements. Updates to the record of performance risks inform Stage 4 tasks and deliverables.

Sustainability

Design studies and engineering analysis test sustainability outcomes, including building performance assessment using the Plan for Use protocol and further design development. Submit Building Regulations Application and interim certification applications, such as BREEAM.

Integrate sustainability outcomes into a spatially coordinated design, align with project stakeholder feedback, incorporate post-occupancy evaluation insights, and review precedents. Update the performance risk record to guide Stage 4 tasks and deliverables, mitigate deviations from sustainability outcomes, and incorporate post-occupancy evaluation requirements in the procurement strategy.

The Lead Designer and Design Team

In Stage 3, the lead designer and design team play a crucial role in spatially coordinating the design. Client team involvement occurs when coordination necessitates client decisions. The construction team participates when the procurement route demands early contractor or specialist subcontractor input.

Conclusion

Stage 3 of the RIBA Plan of Work 2020 plays a critical role in the building design process. It ensures the spatial coordination of architectural concepts and engineering information from Stage 2 before proceeding to create detailed information for manufacturing and construction in Stage 4. This stage focuses on ratifying Stage 2 assumptions and adding more detail through design studies and engineering analysis. It tests technical solutions and integrates building conservation, fire safety, inclusive design, health and safety, sustainability, and planning aspects into a spatially coordinated design aligned with project stakeholder feedback and budget.

The lead designer and design team play a crucial role, with the client team participating when necessary for Stage 3 coordination decisions. The construction team may join if early contractor or specialist subcontractor input is required by the procurement route. Stage 3 produces a spatially coordinated design vital for project success. The client and design teams must understand stage outcomes, required tasks, and the impact of preparing Employer’s Requirements or a Planning Application on information requirements and tasks.