Our goal is to help our clients bring their design needs, goals, and ideas from concept to construction completion. Proper planning enables our clients to have a foresight that promotes forward-thinking design, budgetary efficiency, and competent building/site functionality.

Our Planning services include:

Design Principles master planning services consists of creating conceptual site layouts that help clients determine the feasibility of a proposed land use, identifying its maximum development potential, and outlining the future growth sequences.

Site feasibility studies identify the constraints of a parcel of land and the actual percentage of property available for a proposed use. This helps prevent the client from purchasing land that appears to have an adequate buildable area but is actually only a fraction of what is required to meet their needs.

Planning for future construction is a critical aspect of the master planning process. We help identify the client’s overall development goals and immediate needs for a site. Using this and available budgetary information, we generate conceptual site plans that identify areas of initial development and areas of future growth.

Design Principles provides space-planning services that help clients develop productive and efficient environments that address current functional needs and future growth. New facility construction typically has fewer space constraints giving the client several layout options and design opportunities.  Remodeling an existing space can present more constraints and design challenges. Having a well thought out space plan can be most beneficial. In either case, our basic approach is the same.

We conduct detailed programming meetings with our clients to identify their space utilization needs, evaluate the efficiency of any existing uses, and create practical solutions that meet their design and budgetary goals.  We can also study existing office layouts and report on their workflow efficiency. This is useful when only an assessment of existing conditions is needed for future planning.

Design Principles offers prototype planning and implementation programs for commercial retailers, franchises, and developers.   This is a comprehensive service designed to help clients develop a unique commercial identity or “brand” in their market and a strategic program for implementing the brand nationally.

With this service our work can range from brand design and construction documentation to full brand management, maintenance, and site adaptation.   In developing a prototype we work closely with our clients to create a design that provides the desired market presence and vision.  We also work with the client to ensure the concept’s design and constructability is efficient and flexible.  This is critical to making site adaptation easy without a loss of brand integrity.

Prior to any design work, it is important to develop a clear understanding of the client’s marketplace, the client’s vision for their market, and the requirements needed to meet the client’s strategic goals.    This information becomes a fundamental component of our programming process where specific operational and functional requirements are identified.

From there, we develop conceptual design solutions for the client’s consideration.  Our presentations can be as complex as 3D walk-throughs and fly-overs or as simple as 2D color plans, elevations, and renderings.  Once a design concept is approved, we begin to develop the chosen design in greater detail.  The client is involved in every step of both processes.

Our approach to construction, equipment, material, and vendor documentation is dual focused.  We strive to generate comprehensive and complete documentation that is both accurate and flexible in configuration.  Just as a building designed to the minimums can be difficult to adjust, prototypical documents that are generated without any consideration for unique site and building conditions are difficult to adapt which can result in higher A&E fees and longer CD schedules.  One of our goals is to allow the architects and engineers that may use our product to concentration on their clients and the respective disciplines – not drafting.

We understand that our client’s brand is never static.  Design Principles has the expertise to maintain prototypical documents and coordinate adjustments to brand standards nationwide.  As projects are site adapted, more efficient approaches will become evident.  Reoccurring constraints, unique city ordinances, or regional site conditions may compel us to consider prototypical adjustment to accommodate future occurrences.  We continuously analyze data as it is received and coordinate with our clients to ensure the prototype is adaptable and cost effective.

During the lifespan of a prototype, adjustments to the prototypical documents are typically needed due to changes in vendor specifications, wall configurations, finishes, etc.   Often times, there will be several A&E teams site-adapting the prototypical documents in various locations around the country.  In order to ensure that brand standards remain current, it is important to get all updated information to the A&E teams in the field quickly and consistently.  Design Principles can provide prototype management services that help that keep the entire development community up-to-date.  This service involves sending out new drawings and documents and can include periodic conference calls with A& E teams, vendors, franchisees, and contractors to discuss changes.

Design Principles can help our clients develop a prototype implementation program for their brand.  Having such a program in place helps each member of the development team understand their roles and responsibilities within the process.  It also helps the client and others recognize benchmark events that can adversely affect a project’s development and identifies the responses needed to move a project forward.   More advance implementation programs can tie-in prototype maintenance and departmental processes to create a comprehensive overview.

For more information, please go to Planning FAQ, download our Online Brochure, or Contact Us.