Guide to Using the RIBA Plan of Work 2013 - Other - Page 61
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The RIBA Plan of Work 2013 places greater emphasis on what happens post
handover, when a building is ‘in use’, than previous versions of the Plan of Work.
This includes considering the services that facilitate a successful handover and
services which assist with the fine tuning of operational aspects until a building is
performing as anticipated.
It takes into account whole life costs, including the running costs of the building,
and also extends to consideration of ‘softer’ issues, such as the impact of the
building on its occupants, users and surroundings. All of these matters can be
seen as the Project Outcomes.
Importantly, the RIBA Plan of Work 2013 considers the tasks that must be undertaken
in earlier stages in order to facilitate these outcomes. They are integral to the design
process and have a significant bearing on a project’s long-term success.
Whole life costs are considered in this chapter while Project Outcomes are dealt
with in Chapter 5 and the importance of the Handover Strategy in Chapter 7. There
are various overlaps between these subjects and with other subjects, such as
sustainability. Some of the points made therefore apply holistically and not just to
one of these particular subjects.
What are whole life costs and why are they crucial?
Before considering whole life costs (also referred to as life cycle costs) it is
crucial to consider traditional design processes, the factors that influenced the
introduction of whole life costs and the cultural barriers to their integration into
a holistic design process.
On the majority of projects, the Concept Design progresses once the Initial
Project Brief has been agreed with the client. As part of the briefing process a
Project Budget will be set and the designers, as part of their Schedule of Services,
will be required to produce a design that meets this budget. This is typically
achieved by the issue of regular cost estimates, usually produced by the cost
consultant, as the design progresses, with the latest cost estimate signed off
at the end of each stage, along with the design proposals. The cost estimate is
ultimately replaced by the contractor’s tender and this cost (which may not be
finalised until after the building has been handed over) is typically referred to as
the capital cost (or CAPex) of the building.
Cost estimate
The latest estimate for the capital cost of a building.
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