[2] DESIGN PHASES

1 - Common Agreement

design-phases-table-landscape.pdf

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Usually when we talk about the phases of design, or the process of design in Vietnamese, we immediately think of the design works within the design, which belonging to three phases: Schematic Design, Identified Design (Design Development) and Construction Documents. Then, when translated into English for a Google search, we use the corresponding English name which are Design Phases or Design Process, however, we usually get 3 results: 5 phases, 6 phases or 7 phases, in which there are stages that are not design work and are not entirely the work of the design side. 

• 6 is the popular result, meaning not counting the Building Permitting phase (number 4 - right column), perhaps this phase is integrated into a certain phase, suitable for the time that licensing documents must be submitted.

• Corresponding to what was just mentioned, if we include the Building Permitting stage, the result will be 7 as shown in the right column.

• If the result is 5, this is an old definition that does not count the phases of Building Permittng (number 4 - right column) and Pre-Design (number 1), meaning these two work items - Pre-Design and Building Permitting - even if seriously included in the work cycle, they are not numbered and listed in the list of design phases as defined.

This comes as a surprise to many people, right? We have to make things clearly because the word “Design Phases” in this case does not mean Phases for Design but means Project Phases Related to Design Work; correspondingly, “Design Process” is not “the process for design” but the Project Process Related to Design Work. Those phases that the designers basically do not have to design are two phases after Construction Documents phase which are Bidding - Negotiation and Construction Administration, and the Building Permitting phase which is usually before or after the Design Development phase

Please note that because it it is easy to get confused or misunderstood if translating "các giai đoạn thiết kế" (phases for design) into "Design Phases" and "chu trình thiết kế" (process for design) into "Design Process" and searching online with these English keywords. Thus, the general conclusion is that, if we only count the stages that include the proactive work of the design side, then subtracting one phases that are less design in nature, which is Building Permitting, we have 6 phases as in the left column.

Why are some phases that not much related to design work still included in the list?

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The first phase - Pre-Design - is included because at this time the two parties get to know and learn about each other, the design party visits and surveys the current situation before start to design the project. This stage sometimes takes place before a contract is signed, and the two parties may not continue to collaborate after that. For architectural consultants, at this phase, before signing the contract, they can often visit, survey and consult for free in many cases, and also consider it in other cases.

The Bidding - Negotiation phase at first seems not to be involved in the design, it is true that it is less involved, but it does not mean that the design is not involved. This stage depends on the job and the management of the design office, whether the architect is involved or not. The design work here is to update the design - drawings of two parties: the contractor and the architect after the contractors have been chosen and are introduced by the owner to the design party for collaborating together.

The final phase - Construction Adminstration - may not be part of the architectural process or it looks like that, but in reality the architects are often very much involved while the project is being built, not just Supervision, but also design adjustment, usually correcting old design details accordingly, but even changing by a new design, which may not be for the whole project but for replacing some details or parts of the building, to adapt to the construction situation and actual situation (economic conditions, material supply,...).

The writer does not explain much about the details of each stage to avoid a long article, but on the surface of word, the meaning of each stage name is understandable to ordinary people to deduce its nature. In the section 2 right next, there is also a general explanation of the 3 main phases for the design work.

2 - Some terms of phases that have the same meaning but different words stand for

Many Vietnamese offices as well as some foreign offices that the writer consulted, they almost only named 3 design stages for design work, meaning the active work phases of only design side, which are Schematic Design, Design Development, and Construction Documents. However, for these three stages, the phrase they are named is different even though the nature of the work is the same, usually when they are translated into English. So below, the writer presents some explanations to help customers or colleagues understand clearly, because the writer himself is confused when entering different companies and seeing different naming ways.

The 2nd phase - Schematic Design

The words stand for this nature and used in both Vietnam and internationally which is "schematic", “preliminary” (sơ bộ), when naming the phase in English, people apply Schematic Design or Preliminary Design. This is the first stage in which almost only the design side participates and no other parties (other disciplines) participate. At this time, the architects begin to design and complete a set of drawings in the most preliminary but sufficient so that the client can clearly see what his future project looks like. So what about the Concept Design phase? This is a very important phase, isn't it? And also many people often mention Concept Design during the design process, it that right? It is a phase that belongs to Schematic Design, but many design offices and companies want to use the word Concept or Conceptual instead of Schematic and Preliminary, however, the nature of the work is the same. Thus, we summarize the name of this phase along with the corresponding English name:

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Thiết Kế Sơ Bộ

Schematic Design,

Preliminary Design

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Thiết Kế Ý Tưởng

Concept Design,

Conceptual Design 

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The 3rd phase - Design Development

This phase is an transferring stage between Schematic Design and Construction Documents. The Schematic Design or Concept Design, after being approved, will be enhanced a bit to clarify the design and include the participation of other disciplines such as Structure, ME-P. In Vietnam, this phase name is regulated by law and is also used by many companies as Thiết Kế Cơ Sở (Forming Design). In English terminology, this phase is known as Embodiment Design or Design Development. Thus, we summarize the name of this stage along with the corresponding English name:

Thúc Tiến Thiết Kế,

Thiết Kế Phát Triển,

Khai Triển Thiết Kế

Design Development,

Developed Design,

Development Design

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Thiết Kế Cơ Sở,

Định Hình Thiết Kế,

Thiết Kế Nhận Dạng

Identified Design,

Forming Design

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Thiết Kế Hiện Thân  

Embodiment Design

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* Lưu ý:

1.   Many companies translate the Vietnamese word Thiết Kế Cơ Sở (Design Development) as Basic Design, this is not wrong, but the nature of "Basic" in English is similar to Vietnamese word which is "Cơ Sở" when they are understood as "indentified", “forming”, "to be based on" but also has meaning “fundamental”, "essential". Currently, the term Basic Design is used in the sense of "essential", so you should avoid misunderstandings if you submit a bilingual Design Development Document. Currently, the writer uses the word “Identified” or “Forming” when converting to English, or we can keep the inherent English phrase for this stage definition which is Design Development (see table), while the Vietnamese name must be kept as “Thiết Kế Cơ Sở” in accordance with legal regulations.

2.   For some large projects that are required to comply with Vietnamese law, there is an additional stage after the Design Development stage, which is Technical Design, to further clarify the developed design before proceeding with the construction drawings and exporting the final documents. However, within the design party, there is no need to create this phase in the process for design because Design Development, other names are Forming Design, Identified Design, when done carefully contains full technical content. “Technical designed” might be a characteristic of design that is common to all phases after the schematic stage.

The 4th phase - Construction Documents

This is the final phase of design before exporting (officially) the construction documents to the construction site. The Vietnamese word that has been used for a long time which is Construction Drawing Design, the corresponding English term in the table is Construction Documents. Some other Vietnamese words used instead are Thiết Kế Kỹ Thuật Thi Công, Thiết Kế Chi Tiết, Thiết Kế Kỹ Thuật Chi Tiết, Thiết Kế Thi Công. Some alternative English phrases are Construction Technical Design, Execution Technical Design, Detailed Design, Detail Design, Technical Detailed Design. Thus, we summarize the name of this stage along with the corresponding English name:

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Hồ Sơ Thi Công,

Thiết Kế Bản Vẽ Thi Công

Construction Documents,

Construction Drawing Design,

Executive Drawing Design

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Thiết Kế Kỹ Thuật Thi Công

Construction Technical Design,

Execution Technical Design

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Thiết Kế Chi Tiết

Detail Design,

Detailed Design

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Thiết Kế Kỹ Thuật Chi Tiết

Technical Detailed Design

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Before ending this article we have this important notice which is probably valuable for customers. That is in our work as architects, for small and medium-sized projects, most of them lack a phase in the design process. It seems that after completing the Schematic Design (2), the design consultant will proceed directly to the Construction Documents phase (4) and basically not go through the Design Development phase (3). This situation is not necessarily wrong because it is determined by the market, and we are a small office with limited economic resources and sometimes make the same decision. However, the problem is that when you want to carefully design for customers, you want your client to go with you through all the phases, it is difficult for you to explain to them the value of the contract or customers can compare your team with other teams. So if customers know this in advance before going to a consulting design group, it will be much better. We have presented it more clearly in another article, which is "[3] Phases for House Design - How Many Are Enough?". Hopefully you take a little time to read both of these articles to get an overall understanding.

Thank you.

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(Bài viết đúc kết từ các nguồn tài liệu khác nhau và từ kinh nghiệm của người viết - The article originates from different sources and from the writer's experience.)