What is an Architecture Master Plan and do you need one?
Yes.
Now here’s the more detailed answer.
When discussing single family residential architecture projects, a Master Plan is really just a marketing term. It’s a more relatable way to describe what we technically call Schematic Design. You might also hear Conceptual Design or Preliminary Design. Both Master Plan and Conceptual design have very specific and very different meanings when discussing larger architecture projects, urban planning or city development. Within the context of single family residential projects I’ll be using these terms synonymously.
Architecture Project Phases
The real answer to this question comes down to understanding the entire architectural design process.
There are five traditional project phases:
Pre-Design
Schematic Design
Design Development
Construction Documents
Contract Administration
You can read more about these phases and my take on the architecture design process right there.
Some projects may have more phases or sub-phases, some may have fewer, but this is the benchmark. We can simplify it even further by thinking of any residential addition or renovation as having two phases: Schematic Design and Construction Documents. Schematic Design is approximately the first 1/3 and construction documents the remaining 2/3.
This means that whatever you are doing, whether it be a large addition, whole home renovation, knockdown and rebuild or new construction, you will need to go through Schematic Design, or a Master Plan, as part of the normal design process. You have to go through this process even if you (think you) know exactly what you want. There’s no going straight from what’s in your head to a permit-ready set of drawings without going through Schematic Design.
Architecture Master Plans
The term Master Plan usually comes up when people don’t know exactly what they want, which is most of the time. Or if they have lots of ideas and aren’t sure what’s realistic or how to effectively execute these ideas. Or if they want to do an interior renovation now but plan for an addition in the future. If you call up an architect for help figuring this stuff out you might say Master Plan, which is cool, but what you are really asking for is Schematic Design services.
So what exactly do you get with a Master Plan? At the end Schematic Design you should have a feasible design. I know that’s not a super exciting answer, but stick with me.
A feasible design means it’s buildable. You have done the required due diligence about the property and zoning so you know what and how much you can build. You have accurately documented the existing conditions. (Just these two things could be called a Feasibility Study, but I don’t want to get us too off track) And most importantly, you should have a design that is constructable and achieves the owners' goals.
For example, I almost had the perfect design to share with some clients. Only issue was that they have three kids and my design could only support two bedrooms. Assuming they would not part with one of the kids in order to realize my beautiful architecture, this is an example of a design that was NOT feasible. Other NOT feasible designs would be anything that requires you to build more than what’s allowed by zoning, anything that’s significantly over budget or anything that requires technology that does not yet exist in order to remain standing. This is often referred to as a Skyhook.
Keep in mind we’re still only 1/3 of the way through the process, so the Schematic Design plans don’t have all the detail needed to actually build the thing, or get it permitted. But your architect has considered these things, and more, to the point that they know it will work and they will be able to bring the project through the next stages. The result is that you have should have a single set of plans that document a design with enough detail that you can get initial bids from contractors. Most importantly, by the end of Schematic Design you should have accounted for all of the programmatic elements and explored various design solutions that achieve your goals.
SCHEMATIC DESIGN FLOOR PLAN
This is a good example of a Schematic Design Floor Plan. Though it lacks the level of detail needed for construction, it does a good job of defining the shape and size of the spaces as well as their relationship to each other. This level of plan (and the thought that goes into it) is enough for owners to understand what their project will be and for builders to begin to get a sense of the scope of work.
Architecture Design Process
The manner in which this happens is the architect’s process and is something you should ask about. Personally I like to iterate floor plans as much as possible, so while we might start with two or three concepts, my clients may end up seeing a dozen or more variations until we get it perfect. Some architects and clients might want to share or see less. I like to share more.
What does a Master Plan cost?
I don’t know, how much does a bag of groceries cost? (stealing this from somewhere, I’ll give appropriate credit as soon as I can find the reference again) Are you shopping at Giant or Whole Foods? Did you get fish sticks or lobster?
It can vary, but for a quick exercise, let’s say the anticipated construction budget is $400,000 and the architecture fee ends up around 6%. And Schematic Design is just the first 35% of the work, you might be looking at around $8,400 for a preliminary design. Could be more, could be less based on a million factors. My typical fee during this phase is $6,000.
CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS FLOOR PLAN
This is what a floor plan might look like in the Construction Documents phase. You can see much more detail on this plan than what's shown on the Schematic Design plan. What you can't see here is all the other drawings and details that make up the Construction Set. While the Schematic Drawing set might be four to five sheets, a construction drawing set might be twenty, thirty or more, including sections, elevations, site plans, structural drawings and more. All these things inform the floor plan you see in a construction set.
CONCLUSION
I think that’s it. You now know enough to be dangerous. Got questions or want a Master Plan for your dream home? Just send me an email.