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BATCH A — KNOWLEDGE CARDS (Definitions & Principles) - BATCH B — APPLICATION CARDS (What Would You Do?)

6 important questions on BATCH A — KNOWLEDGE CARDS (Definitions & Principles) - BATCH B — APPLICATION CARDS (What Would You Do?)

A client gives you a one-page brief saying "build us a school for 500 pupils". How do you proceed?

I treat this as a Statement of Need. I convene a briefing workshop with the client, users, and facilities team to capture business drivers, curriculum model, spatial requirements, site context, budget envelope, and programme. I benchmark against comparable schools for cost and area norms. I develop a draft Strategic Brief, iterate it with the client, and progress to an Initial Project Brief that can support concept design.

Two stakeholder groups have conflicting requirements. How do you resolve this?

I facilitate a value management workshop. I identify each group's underlying interests (not positions), find shared goals, generate alternative options that satisfy both, and use the client's prioritisation matrix to decide trade-offs. The resolution is documented in writing and signed off by the client before it enters the brief.

The client wants to make a major change to the brief after Stage 3. What do you do?

I apply formal change control. I issue a written change notice, assess cost, programme, design, and procurement impact, present two or three options to the client with my recommendation, and obtain written approval before any design work starts. I update the brief register with a new version and communicate the change to all stakeholders.

How do you capture operational and FM requirements at the briefing stage?

I engage the operator and FM team in Stage 1 workshops — not at Practical Completion. I use the Soft Landings Framework to structure the capture. I require the brief to include operational performance targets, energy in use, maintenance access, and post-occupancy evaluation commitments.

The client wants to shortcut the briefing stage to save time. How do you respond?

I explain — with data — that poor briefing causes the majority of downstream variations and cost overruns. I present a compressed but structured briefing programme that preserves the critical activities (stakeholder engagement, sign-off, risk workshop) while meeting the client's timeline. I document the client's decisions in writing to protect them and myself.

How do you ensure the design team delivers against the brief?

I set up a brief-to-design traceability matrix — every design decision maps back to a brief requirement. Design reviews at each stage test compliance. Any deviation is raised as a formal query requiring client sign-off. This prevents drift and creates an audit trail.

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Developing / Project brief

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BATCH A — KNOWLEDGE CARDS (Definitions & Principles) - BATCH B — APPLICATION CARDS (What Would You Do?)

6 important questions on BATCH A — KNOWLEDGE CARDS (Definitions & Principles) - BATCH B — APPLICATION CARDS (What Would You Do?)

A client gives you a one-page brief saying "build us a school for 500 pupils". How do you proceed?

Two stakeholder groups have conflicting requirements. How do you resolve this?

The client wants to make a major change to the brief after Stage 3. What do you do?

How do you capture operational and FM requirements at the briefing stage?

The client wants to shortcut the briefing stage to save time. How do you respond?

How do you ensure the design team delivers against the brief?

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