RIBA Stage 1

Preparation and Briefing

• Briefing drawings: Ask the right questions to understand your needs and ambitions, capturing initial thoughts and questions on sketched layouts.

• Existing drawings: Help you procure a topographical survey and measured building survey. Incorporate this into our CAD system and produce a set of existing drawings, which will form the basis for all subsequent design work.

• Photo survey: Produce photo survey of all areas relevant to the project. 

• Cost plan: Define strategy for pricing the works. Note floor area and RICS’s online advice about cost per sqm. Identify project costs and resources required at different work stages.

• Legal framework: Assess the heritage setting, planning considerations and planning precedent. Define strategy for securing statutory consents. Review title deed.

• Project programme: Define key milestones and plan work. 

RIBA Stage 2

Concept Design

• Concept drawings: Appraise site constraints and opportunities. Reviews with you to define ‘Client Requirements’ and vision. Produce options and conclude with a set of general arrangement drawings at 1:100 with key measurements and key materials described. 

• Vision: Moodboard of reference imagery for key areas.

• Outline schedule of works: Produce schedule with which to seek outline cost advice by others. 

• Funding: Advise on available funding that your project may be eligible for.

• Coordination: Use concept drawings to gather early-stage comments from people in TJA's network: Engineers, fire safety consultant, Party Wall surveyors, quantity surveyors, etc.

• Site investigations: Trial pits, opening-up works and surveys are important, informing the design and reducing the risk of abortive work. 

• Pre-app: It is advisable to seek pre-app advice from the local planning authority, for which concept drawings and a heritage assessment should be prepared. This is about gaining planning feedback early on and bridge-building ahead of submitting a planning application.  

• Principal Designer: Advise you about duties under BR & CDM (health and safety). 

RIBA Stage 3

Design to Planning

• Planning drawings: Develop concept drawings into full set of general arrangement drawings at 1:100 with key measurements and materials described. Typical details are also required at the planning stage, when working with sites of historic interest, and these should be informed by the site investigations.

• Design & access statement: Prepare document to explain the design thinking to the planners. 

• Heritage Statement: Prepare document analysing the significance of heritage assets affected by proposed development and include an impact assessment. 

• Planning application: Prepare application form and submit planning documents. Expenses will include local planning authority’s application fee and price of planning maps. 

• Other planning docs: Support you in securing additional assessments or documentation if required e.g daylight assessment, tree survey, ecology survey, etc.

• Funding: Support you in providing documentation for any funding applications.

• Principal Designer: Prepare pre-construction information as required under BR & CDM (health and safety). 

RIBA Stage 4

Technical Design

• Tender drawings: Develop the planning-approved drawings into tender drawings that can be priced by builders. 

• Develop a design specification, outlining building materials, systems and components.

• Support you in arranging a party wall survey if required.

• Discharge any planning conditions as required.

• Produce pre-construction information as required under CDM regulation.

RIBA Stage 5

Construction & Project Management 

• Support you in the process of choosing a builder.

• Support you in choosing and administering a building contract.

• Develop the pricing drawings into a construction drawing set.

• Depending on the building contract, fulfil the role of Principal Designer and provide builder and homeowner with information as appropriate under CDM regulations.

• Depending on the building contract, follow on-site progress and respond to any queries the builder might have regarding the drawings or specification.