Job Book 9th Edition - Book - Page 63
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Stage 0 > Strategic Definition: Supplementary Material: 0/SM4
0/SM4: The briefing process
Compiling the brief and developing the design are activities which interact.
Briefing is really a continuous process through to Stage 2 Concept Design, but
for convenience it can be regarded as evolving through three distinct phases.
The Strategic Brief is the starting point, and it should never be forgotten that
the client is at the core of the process. An inexperienced client, perhaps on a
smaller size project, might welcome the assistance of the architect in preparing
the Strategic Brief.
The briefing process must be appropriate to the nature of the project. Some
projects might depend upon planning and space standards which have already
been widely researched and are generally available. Other projects might require
considerable original investigation and extensive design studies. Such factors
are likely to influence both the cost and duration of the design process, and the
development of the brief.
The Strategic Brief
The Strategic Brief should set out the objectives which the client wishes to achieve
in the project and will probably refer to functional requirements, environmental
standards, levels of quality, lifespan and maintenance.
It may be anything from a broad preliminary statement of interest to a
comprehensive set of technical requirements. It will rarely be sufficiently clear
or detailed for design work but it should be seen as the basis for Feasibility
Studies. The Strategic Brief should:
•• state clearly the client’s mission and objectives
•• set out the client’s needs
•• indicate the impact of not meeting the needs
•• identify the triggers for change
•• place the client’s needs in a historic context, e.g. a pattern of growth and change
•• state what is expected in response to this statement
• state the sort of decisions needed and from whom.
Considerable further investigation and development work will be necessary to
bring the Strategic Brief to the level of an Initial Project Brief by the end of Stage
1. However, it should be seen as an important part of developing the brief, and
as such should be a formalised document to be agreed with the client.
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