Each Design Phase Has a Defined Standard of Completeness - Understanding What's Expected at Each Phase Prevents Owner Disappointment
One of the most persistent sources of client disappointment in architecture engagements is misaligned expectations about what the architect will provide at each design phase. A client who expects a fully coordinated structural plan at the schematic design review is disappointed when they receive only a bubble diagram and a basic floor plan. A client who expects schematic design to be a flexible exploration phase is frustrated when the architect presents what feels like a final design. The AIA's design phase structure - Schematic Design (SD), Design Development (DD), and Construction Documents (CD) - provides a framework for communicating what level of completion is expected at each milestone, what decisions need to be made by the owner at each phase, and how each phase builds on the previous. The ARE PjM exam tests design phase deliverables as a project management competency: the project manager must understand what each phase produces, what owner decisions each phase requires, and how the project advances through the phases toward construction-ready documents.
Schematic Design (SD)
Schematic design explores and tests design concepts. SD deliverables typically include: site plan; floor plans at a schematic level (rooms and spaces shown without full dimensioning); key building sections and elevations; exterior material concepts; a preliminary code analysis confirming project feasibility; a schematic cost estimate. The standard of completion: approximately 15-30% of final construction document content, focused on concept and massing rather than detail. Owner review at the end of SD is a program verification review - does the design meet the program requirements and the owner's aesthetic vision? Owner approval at SD is required before DD begins. SD is also when the architect confirms zoning and code feasibility.
Design Development (DD)
Design development develops and coordinates the SD concept. DD deliverables include: fully dimensioned floor plans; all building sections and exterior elevations; preliminary interior elevations; structural system selection and preliminary framing scheme; MEP system selection and major equipment locations; preliminary specifications (outline specifications); updated cost estimate. Standard of completion: approximately 50-60% of final CD content. Owner review at DD confirms that all major design decisions have been made before the more expensive CD phase. DD is the phase where the architect must complete all design decisions that will drive the construction document content; changes after DD are more costly to incorporate.
Construction Documents (CD)
Construction documents are the complete, coordinated drawings and specifications from which the contractor will build. CD deliverables include: all architectural drawings (plans, sections, elevations, interior elevations, details, schedules); all engineering drawings (structural, MEP, civil); specifications (all CSI MasterFormat sections applicable to the project); completed code compliance documentation; permit applications. Standard of completion: 100% - sufficient for permitting and bidding. The IBC Building Permit is issued based on the CD set after plan check review.
Key Exam Points
- SD: 15-30% complete; concept and massing; schematic cost estimate; owner review for program/concept approval.
- DD: 50-60% complete; all design decisions made; full coordination between disciplines; outline specifications.
- CD: 100% complete; coordinated drawings and specifications; permit-ready; basis for competitive bidding.
- Each phase requires owner approval before the next phase begins - this is a contractual requirement in AIA B101.
- Cost estimates at each phase: schematic estimate (SD), design development estimate (DD), bid documents estimate (CD).
AREprep's PjM project management content covers design phase deliverables, owner approval milestones, the relationship between design phase completion and contract administration responsibilities, and how phase-based project management is structured in the AIA B101 Owner-Architect Agreement - giving ARE PjM candidates the design phase management knowledge the exam tests in scenario questions about what the architect delivers at each phase and how the design process is managed from start to permit issuance.
Study PjM on AREprep
AREprep's PjM flashcards and practice exams are built around the actual NCARB exam guide - so every study session targets what the exam tests.