During each architectural phase, our goal is to guide clients with clarity and intention. As Bay Area architects, after the conceptual foundation of Schematic Design is developed and approved, the project transitions into buildable architectural solutions with a deeper, more technical phase known as Design Development, the second of the 5 Basic Architectural Services.
This stage represents the shift from big “pie in the sky” ideas to coordinated, buildable architectural solutions. It is where your project begins to take real shape—through precise refinement, informed material decisions, and detailed integration of engineering systems. It is also the point at which we start to align the design with your budget, ensuring that aesthetic goals and financial expectations move forward together.
Design Development is essential for both residential and commercial architecture projects, especially in the fierce Bay Area building market. It ensures that the design is not only visually satisfying but also technically sound, code compliant, and ready for accurate pricing going into Construction Documents. In regions like Marin County, where building conditions, environmental considerations, and regulatory frameworks are among the most stringent in the country, this phase is extremely critical.
“Architecture begins as vision, but becomes real through detail. Design Development is where that transformation truly happens.”
— AIA Practice Guidelines.
What Is the Design Development Phase?
Clients often ask about the difference between Schematic Design vs. Design Development, and understanding the distinction provides clarity on how architectural projects evolve.
- Schematic Design (SD) explores conceptual ideas, spatial relationships, general massing, and the overall vision.
- Design Development (DD) resolves technical decisions, coordinates preliminary cost estimates, begins relationships with the different engineering disciplines, refines the layout and defines materials, and prepares the project for construction documentation.
Where SD answers “What will it be?”, Design Development answers “How will it look and how will it work?”
As Marin County, Bay Area or California architects, we navigate the unique demands of region. This includes seismic requirements, steep hillside sites, wildfire zones, environmental protections, and strict local community design guidelines. DD is where these components are integrated cleanly into your design.
How Architects Refine Plans After Schematic Design
Design Development is where the architect expands conceptual sketches into detailed, coordinated information that builders, engineers, and permitting agencies rely on.
Floor plans are reviewed and adjusted during Design Development to confirm dimensions, correct conflicts, and coordinate details before Construction Documents begin
1. Refining and Developing Floor Plans and Spatial Relationships
In Design Development, the architect takes conceptual floor plans into dimensionally accurate, technically coordinated documents. Spatial relationships are refined, room proportions are adjusted, and circulation patterns become clearly defined. This level of precision is essential not only for client understanding but also for engineering and general contractor coordination.
For Bay Area architects, additional local considerations such as seismic zones, Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) requirements, FEMA flood zones and strictly compliant energy codes shape these refinements.
This stage typically includes:
- Confirming room sizes and adjacencies
- Establishing accurate wall assemblies and thicknesses
- Integrating door and window placements
- Adjusting circulation flow
These efforts help transform early concepts into realistic, buildable spaces.
Material boards help architects and clients make informed decisions about finishes, textures, and visual direction as the design moves toward buildable clarity
2. Material and System Selections
Design Development is also where material selections starts to come together. Choices made in this phase influence aesthetics, durability, maintenance, cost, and performance. Architects guide clients through the evaluation of materials and systems, ensuring all selections support the project’s goals and fit within the architectural intent of the project.
In Marin County and the San Francisco Bay Area, material selection also involves considerations such as sustainability, fire resistance, energy performance, and other environmental sensitivities.
Typical DD material decisions often involve:
- Exterior finishes, cladding, and roofing systems
- Window and door systems with energy and performance ratings
- Interior finishes such as flooring, tile, cabinetry, and lighting tones
- Building envelope strategies and insulation types
- Preliminary fixture and appliance directions
These choices provide the foundation for accurate pricing, a streamlined permitting process, and a clear path into Construction Documents.
3. Design Review: When Local Ordinances Require Additional Review
In many Bay Area jurisdictions, particularly throughout Marin County, a formal Design Review process may be required before a project can move forward. This review focuses on massing, materials, and how the project fits within the surrounding context. Unlike building permit review, which evaluates technical compliance, Design Review evaluates visual quality and community impact.
Design Review is often triggered by substantial exterior changes, additions that alter height or massing, new construction on steeper hillsides or environmentally sensitive zones. Cities such as Mill Valley, Larkspur, San Rafael, Sausalito, Belvedere, Tiburon, Corte Madera San Anselmo, Novato and others each have their own criteria and levels of scrutiny. The County of Marin has its own Design Review process that is often more stringent than local municipalities.
During Design Development, we aim to shape the project with these standards in mind so that the design aligns as closely with local expectations and reduces potential bureaucratic hurdles. Typical Design Review submissions include refined plans, elevations and building sections, materials description, shadow studies as required, and clear visual documentation that demonstrates how the project fits within its setting.
By preparing a thoughtful, well coordinated Design Review package, we hope to streamline the approval process and support a smoother transition into permitting and Construction Documents.
Specialty consultants use BIM modeling to align structural, mechanical, and electrical systems with the architectural design—an essential step in the Design Development phase
4. Coordination With Structural, Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing Consultants
Design Development is when the architect leads the integration of the various engineering disciplines. The goal is to ensure that all building systems including structural, mechanical, electrical, energy, plumbing, and specialty systems—fit cohesively within the architectural design.
Strong consultant coordination is one of the defining responsibilities of the architect during DD. It reduces construction conflicts, eliminates guesswork for contractors, and ensures long-term building performance.
This is particularly important for Bay Area high- end residential, commercial and especially civic or industrial projects where complex systems must be seamlessly incorporated without compromising the design intent.
Consultant coordination typically involves:
- Structural framing and lateral system concepts
- Mechanical system sizing and preliminary duct routing
- Lighting layouts and electrical load planning
- Plumbing routing and fixture placement strategies
- Energy modeling, Title 24 compliance, and sustainability
By integrating engineering concepts early, Design Development strengthens project predictability and technical coherence to local ordinance and building codes.
A collection of architectural drawings and study models used during the Design Development phase to evaluate layout options, refine details, and coordinate design
5. Code Compliance, Zoning Verification, and Regional Regulations
Design Development also addresses all major code and zoning compliance. The architect evaluates local building requirements, reviews site-specific regulations, and works to align design decisions with local, state, and federal standards. Detailed verification continues throughout the entire project, but the foundational work is extremely important within Design Development.
For Marin County architects, it is important to review:
- Wildfire building requirements (WUI compliance)
- Hillside and slope stability
- Flood or coastal zones
- Energy standards and green building requirements
- Community design guidelines
Key areas of code and zoning validation include:
- Zoning setbacks, height limits, and land-use restrictions
- ADA accessibility (especially for commercial projects)
- Fire safety and egress considerations
- Structural codes and seismic design zones
- Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) compliance
Addressing these components early creates a smoother permitting process and minimizes costly redesign later.
6. Budget Alignment and Cost Evaluation
Design Development is also an essential checkpoint for the project’s financial health. With the design now more detailed, contractors or estimators can provide a DD level cost estimate, often called a Ballpark Estimate. This allows clients to understand how design decisions impact the budget before the project moves into the more intensive Construction Documents phase.
Budget evaluation during DD typically includes:
- Updated construction cost estimates
- Adjustments to materials or systems to maintain budget
- Early value-engineering discussions
- Prioritized decisions for scope refinement
The goal is to ensure the project proceeds into construction documentation with accurate expectations and minimal financial surprises.
“Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.”
— Steve Jobs, The New York Times, 2003.
Deliverables Produced in the Design Development Phase
By the end of Design Development, we will typically provide a coordinated set of documents that illustrate the building’s architectural character, systems, and construction intent. These documents generally include:
- Dimensioned and coordinated floor plans
- Exterior elevations with material callouts
- Building sections and roof plans
- Schematic structural plans, depending on project size
- MEP diagrams, typically commercial projects only
- Window and door callouts
- Preliminary building envelope details
- Refined material palettes
- Some lighting and electrical concepts
These deliverables serve as the springboard for Construction Documents (CD) and provide contractors with the information needed to price the project accurately.
Why the Design Development Phase Matters
Design Development is a major hinge point of the entire architectural process. It ensures clarity, reduces risk, strengthens coordination, and further aligns design decisions with budget, code, and performance expectations.
For both homeowners and commercial clients, this phase defines the project’s success. A well-executed Design Development package supports accurate pricing, smoother permitting, and a predictable transition into the Construction Documents phase.
Where to go from here: From Design Development to Construction Documents
Once DD is approved, the project advances into Construction Documents (CDs), the third phase of the 5 Basic Architectural Services. CDs transform the refined Design Development set into detailed, technical instructions used by contractors, fabricators, engineers, and permitting agencies. Because Design Development has already resolved major decisions, the Construction Documents phase proceeds more efficiently and with fewer revisions, fewer delays, and fewer surprises.
Contact me today to discuss how we can bring your architectural ideas to life!
