STAGE 0

Strategic Definition

Job no

     

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Team members

     

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Activities related to BIM are annotated ‘BIM’. BIM
0.2 Procurement
Completed on Ref.

0.2.1 Consider the likely composition of the design

team and discuss this with the client.
Enter notes here Completed on
0.3 Programme
Completed on Ref.
 There are no specific programming Fig. 0/3
requirements at this early stage, but it is wise to
consider the programme for undertaking any
activities, including the pre-project
assessments, so as to understand the time cost
to your business. It is not unusual for clients to
expect the architect to share the risks in this
stage by working on a speculative basis, in
which case it is even more important to
measure time and cost. If this is the case it is
nonetheless important to set out the basis of
this work in a letter: an example can be found in
Figure 0/3.
Enter notes here
0.4 (Town) Planning
Completed on Ref.

0.4.1 Identify whether there are any planning policy

issues that might prevent the type of
development proposed. You can consult the
planning section of the local authority’s website
to find this out, or refer to the planning
consultant if one has been appointed.
Enter notes here Completed on
0.5 Suggested Key Support Tasks Completed on Ref.

The only action noted in the RIBA Plan of Work

2013 for this task bar is to review Feedback
from previous projects. However, there is a wide
range of activities that should be undertaken in
Stage 0 that do not sit within the other
headings.
0.5.1 Information required

0.5.1.1 Obtain information on the site, knowledge of

best practice in the specific building sector(s)
(residential, retail, education, etc.) and an
outline of the client’s needs or aspirations.
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0.5.1.2 Make preliminary checks on the client: these are

noted below in 0.5.4.
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0.5.1.3 Other inputs, such as marketing material, etc., Completed on

are noted below in 0.5.6.
 Enter notes here

0.5.2 Brief

0.5.2.1 Arrange a preliminary meeting, if appropriate, to

discuss requirements. The initial meetings
between client and architect will set the tone for
the future working relationship. Clarify your
respective roles and responsibilities.
Consider your reaction to the client and the
project:
Are you in general sympathy with the client’s
needs and aspirations – if not, will this have an
adverse effect on your work? Are the prospects
good for building up an understanding with the
client? This is the stage at which issues such as
the importance of environmental sustainability,
quality of the public realm or different
approaches to assembling the project team and
appointment of the contractor can be discussed.
Be properly equipped with information about
your practice and its work. Prepare a practice
brochure with details of your track record, key
personnel and a statement about your expertise
and experience.
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0.5.2.2 Establish the Strategic Brief. 0/SM4

Enter notes here Completed on 1/SM1
0.5.2.3 For some projects it may be beneficial to
introduce the Design Quality Indicator (DQI)
process.
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0.5.3 Appointment

0.5.3.1 Identify the likely role and nature of professional 0/SM3

services needed. Will you be acting as lead
designer, as project lead, as a design team
member, as consultant to the employer client in
design and build, as provider of information to
the contractor client in design and build, or even
as coordinator or manager for separate trades
contracts? Make an appraisal and consider
carefully the implications.
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0.5.3.2 Examine carefully any terms or conditions Completed on

 proposed by the client. Consider whether the
terms and conditions follow normal practice or
whether there is any specially drafted wording
that shows significant client bias.
Enter notes here

0.5.3.3 Check that there is no conflict with professional

codes.
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0.5.3.4 Check what the client has asked for concerning

indemnities, third party warranties, liability
period, levels of professional indemnity cover,
etc. and consider whether these are reasonable
and acceptable. If being considered for the
commission depends on evidence of
professional indemnity (PI) insurance cover well
in excess of that presently arranged, discuss
with insurers the possibility of providing such
cover as an interim measure, with the certainty
of extending it if and when the commission is
secured.
Enter notes here Completed on

0.5.3.5 If no terms are stipulated, draw up terms of

appointment that could be proposed.
Consider the minimum and maximum levels of
services which might be appropriate for the
project, but, in order to remain competitive, keep
strictly within the stated requirements when
compiling the proposal.
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0.5.3.6 Provide the client with the fee proposal, and be

prepared to negotiate if appropriate.
Price the client’s stated requirements at the
outset, no more and no less. You will need to be
aware of prevailing market conditions, but if you
quote a fee that is unrealistically low it might
mean that you have to cut corners and so the
quality of service you are able to provide will
suffer accordingly. There are obvious risks in
putting yourself under this kind of pressure.
Take the time and trouble to explain fully to a
client what you are proposing and why. For
example, statutory obligations and necessary
consents, Technical Design and procedures for
appointing the contractor and subcontractors
may well seem daunting to the uninitiated.
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0.5.3.7 Decide whether to accept the commission if Completed on

offered and confirm it in writing.
 Enter notes here

0.5.3.8 Submit appointment documents for signature Fig. 0/3

before commencing work. Ensure that future
review of the appointment is covered in case it
is required. Where a standard form is used,
follow the guidance notes exactly.
Should it prove premature to enter into a formal
memorandum at this point, when for example
the extent of professional involvement cannot
yet be determined, then enter into a preliminary
agreement as an interim measure, clearly
identified as such. See Figure 0/3.
Keep adequate and appropriate records of all
dealings connected with the project. Never
sacrifice proper paperwork for the sake of
assumed goodwill. File everything
systematically, whether in hard copy or in digital
form, so that items can be easily found and
retrieved. It is essential to have fail-safe back-up
arrangements to protect both work in progress
and records which may be needed for future
reference.
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0.5.4 Client

0.5.4.1 Identify the client, and the status and authority

of any client representative.
Note whether an individual is acting in a private
capacity or representing a charitable
organisation, consortium or a company, etc. If a
representative, then what authority is he or she
acting under and with what power?
In the case of a commercial client, make certain
precisely where the ultimate authority resides.
For example, the client’s company might exist
within a parent body.
Where the client is two or more individuals or a
family unit who have formed some kind of
association, be sure that you know who has
authority to make decisions, give instructions
and make payments.
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0.5.4.2 Understand whether the project is for direct

occupation by the client or is a speculative
development for sale or lease, and enquire
about the potential involvement of any third
party who may expect to be consulted, including Completed on
 funders.
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0.5.4.3 Check the experience of the client. Some clients

know exactly what is needed and what they can
realistically expect from consultants, while some
may never have built before.
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0.5.4.4 Check the soundness of the client.

Make discreet enquiries about the prospective
client’s business record and financial position. Is
there any known tendency to questionable
business dealings or hasty resort to threats of
legal action? What nature of client are they?
What previous projects have they
commissioned? What were they like to work
with?
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0.5.4.5 If appropriate, advise the client on the purpose, BIM

benefits and implications of implementing BIM
on the project.
Agree the extent to which BIM will be used,
including 4D (time), 5D (cost) and 6D (facilities
management), following software assessment,
and inform the design team.
Enter notes here Completed on

0.5.4.6 Advise the client on the scope of service for the BIM
integrated team, both in totality and for each
designer, including requirements for specialists
and the appointment of an information manager.
This is fundamentally a role required for projects
where BIM is to be implemented.
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0.5.4.7 You have a duty under the CDM Regulations to

inform the client of the Regulations at the
earliest opportunity. It is good practice to
generate a standard letter that is always sent
out with your first client correspondence.
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0.5.5 Project team

0.5.5.1 See note under 0.2.1 regarding bringing

together the design team.
Enter notes here

0.5.5.2 Check whether any other architects were Completed on Fig. 0/1
formerly involved with the project. If so, check
that their appointment has been properly
 terminated and notify them in writing of your
own appointment, when this has been formally
concluded. See Figure 0/1.
Enter notes here

0.5.5.3 A Design Responsibility Matrix should be BIM

prepared. This is a table that illustrates which
member of the project team is responsible for
each aspect of the design. The matrix provides
early clarity regarding design responsibilities,
which achieves a number of goals:
 It ensures that each designer is clear about
their design responsibilities and the level of
detail to be achieved for each aspect they
are designing, enabling their drawings and
specifications to be prepared accordingly.
 It makes certain that the contractor and any
specialist subcontractors are aware of any
design responsibility obligations to be
included in the Building Contract.
 It allows fees to be properly apportioned and
considered by each party.
 It reduces any ambiguities about
responsibilities, minimising the possibility of
disputes.
Enter notes here Completed on

0.5.6 General matters

0.5.6.1 Respond at once to approaches from potential 0/SM1

clients and submit a practice statement if 0/SM2
appropriate. If the project is of interest, ask for
further particulars, including details of the
selection process to be adopted.
Enter notes here Completed on

0.5.6.2 Check the client’s requirements for the 0/SM2

submission.
If competitive fee bidding is involved, make sure
that it is on fair and equitable terms and that the
given information is sufficient to permit
preparation of a realistic bid. Confirm in writing
any reservations or requests for further
information.
Enter notes here Completed on

0.5.6.3 Agree a common policy between fellow

consultants if the fee bid is to be a team effort.
Agree compatible working methods, procedures
and information format.
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0.5.6.4 Assess carefully what the project will require in Fig. 0/2
terms of practice resources before you quote a
fee. Do you have the necessary skills and staff?
Can they be made available for the particular
programme? If it looks as if you will be
overstretched, can you buy in skills or
subcontract work? Figure 0/2 is a project
resource planning sheet. Whether prepared
manually or as a spreadsheet, this could
provide essential information for a fee bid and
be a useful tool for monitoring small jobs.
Enter notes here Completed on

0.5.6.5 Decide whether it is realistic to undertake the

commission. Are you confident that the
timetable, quality of services and budget can be
met? What are the risks, and can they be traded
off against likely benefits to the practice if the
commission is won?
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0.5.6.6 It is important to note that the Construction

(Design and Management) Regulations 2007
(CDM Regulations) apply to the project once
you start to develop design elements that
cannot or will not be changed. This is generally
accepted as ‘initial design’ as described in the
Approved Code of Practice. This will be the
case irrespective of whether fees are being
charged, and is even the case with competitions
or bids.
The duties under the CDM Regulations are
imposed under criminal law, not contract law,
and therefore the consequences for any breach
are very serious and cannot be insured against.
0.5.7 Inspections/tests

0.5.7.1 There are no specific requirements for

inspections/tests in this stage, but you should
make yourself familiar with the site and its
context, particularly in terms of planning policy
and the key constraints and opportunities
presented by the site.
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0.5.8 Consultations, approvals and consents

0.5.8.1 There are no specific requirements for
consultation, approvals and consents in this
stage.
0.5.9 Cost planning

0.5.9.1 There are no specific requirements for cost

planning in this stage, but an understanding of
the likely capital cost parameters is necessary
to assess the viability of a project. Seek advice
from other consultants on this if necessary. You
may find that they are prepared to offer advice
on a speculative basis at this stage in order to
gain an introduction to the client.
Enter notes here
0.6 Sustainability Checkpoints
Completed on Ref.

Sustainability Checkpoint 0

There are no specific tasks listed in the RIBA

Plan of Work 2013; however, if the
Sustainability Aspirations are likely to impact on
how the project is defined then they should be
considered and included in the Strategic Brief.
Checkpoints
 Ensure that a strategic sustainability review
of client needs and potential sites has been
carried out, including reuse of existing
facilities, building components or materials.
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Key actions
 Review client requirements to distil their
Sustainability Aspirations and the expected
building lifespan against which capital costs
and costs in use should be balanced.
 Identify potential for cost-effective
enhancement of client aspirations.
 The client should consider appointing or
identifying a client sustainability advocate (in
a senior management position) and/or
appointing a sustainability champion within
the project team.
 Assess environmental opportunities and
 constraints of potential sites and building
assets, including sufficient iterative
modelling to support the conclusions of any
Feasibility Studies.
 Initial consultation with stakeholders,
identification of local planning sustainability
requirements and appraisal of existing
building, social, transportation, water,
energy, ecological and renewable
resources, including the need for pre-
construction or seasonal monitoring or
surveys, should be undertaken.
 Identify potential funding sources and their
eligibility criteria.
 Review relevant current and emerging EU,
national and local sustainability policies and
legislation and analyse their implications for
building, environmental and performance
targets.
 Identify and understand the final occupants’
needs in order to help to establish user
patterns, energy profiles and the
performance standards required.
 Obtain a letter from the planning authority to
verify any sustainability requirements.
 The client should consider the formal
adoption of a Soft Landings approach to the
project
(www.bsria.co.uk/services/design/soft-
landings/).
 The client should consider appointing a Soft
Landings champion.
 The client should consider the merits and BIM
protocols of using a BIM model to help
deliver sustainability aims.
Enter notes here Completed on
0.7 Information Exchanges
Completed on Ref.

0.7.1  Strategic Brief.

 Report to the client on project viability,
including planning policy, cost parameters
and development appraisal.
 Initial advice on likely consultant team.
Enter notes here Completed on
0.8 UK Government Information Exchanges
0.8.1 There are no Information Exchanges at this
stage.