The Six Phases of Architectural Design: A Plain-English Walkthrough

Every project at Almond ADG moves through the same six phases, in order. Each phase has a distinct goal, a distinct deliverable, and a distinct decision that has to be locked before the next phase starts. This is the same sequence your municipality, your contractor, and your lender expect — using it on every project is what keeps schedule, budget, and scope from drifting.

This article is the plain-English version of what happens in each phase, what you (the owner) should expect to see from us, and the one or two decisions that gate the handoff to the next phase.

Phase 1 — Pre-Design

The goal of pre-design is to confirm that the project can legally be built on the site you have, the way you want it. Long before any drawings, we work through:

• Land use analysis. What does the current zoning allow? Setbacks, height limits, allowed uses, parking ratios, lot coverage.
• Re-zoning, use permits, variances. If your project doesn't comply with current zoning as-of-right, what entitlements do we need to pursue, and how long do they realistically take in your jurisdiction?
• Accessibility analysis. ADA + state accessibility requirements applied to the program — almost every project has at least one detail that needs early attention here.

Owner decision at handoff: go / no-go on the site itself. If the zoning math doesn't work, this is the cheapest moment to walk away.

Phase 2 — Preliminary Design

With the site confirmed, we move into the first round of design work:

• Code and ordinance analysis. Building code, fire code, energy code, any local design overlays.
• Wants vs. needs. A program-priorities conversation with the owner — what is essential, what is desirable, what is a nice-to-have.
• Schematic site and building design. First sketches of where the building sits, how it relates to grade, and the rough volume and shape.
• City design and planning review. The first formal touchpoint with the municipality — they tell us whether the schematic is on the right track.

Owner decision at handoff: scheme approval. Once we move into Phase 3 the design starts costing real money to change.

Phase 3 — Design Development

The scheme gets refined into a real building:

• Site and building design tightened.
• Mechanical, plumbing, electrical, and structural systems chosen and coordinated.
• Equipment and finish selections — flooring, casework, lighting, plumbing fixtures.
• Landscape and hardscape design.

By the end of Phase 3 the design is locked. Phase 4 is documentation, not design — changes after this point trigger rework.

Phase 4 — Construction Documents

The drawings and specifications that will be used to bid the work and obtain permits:

• Full construction drawings.
• Coordinated structural / mechanical / plumbing / electrical engineering.
• Specifications for every material and assembly.
• Permit application packages prepared and submitted.

This is the densest deliverable of the project. The drawings produced here are what every trade contractor will price against.

Phase 5 — Bidding

The construction documents go out for pricing:

• Bidding documents prepared and distributed.
• Bidding process coordinated — RFIs from bidders, addenda, clarifications.
• Bid review and analysis.
• Assistance selecting the general contractor.

We are looking for the right combination of price, capability, and fit. The cheapest bid is not always the best bid; we walk owners through the trade-offs.

Phase 6 — Construction Administration

The drawings become a building:

• Pre-construction meeting.
• Periodic construction observations and special inspections.
• Field reports, change orders, punch lists.
• Substantial completion and close-out.

Through this entire phase Paul personally walks every site at the inspection cadence the project requires, signs off on every field condition, and coordinates substantial completion against the owner's move-in target.

Where this process meets your project

The phases are the same on every building type; what changes is which phase carries the risk. On a ground-up project it is pre-design and entitlements; on a tenant improvement it is what you verify before signing the lease.

• The Arizona construction market — how each segment actually works in the Valley.
• Entitlements and permitting — the phase that sets your schedule.
• Arizona construction materials — the envelope decisions made in schematic design that you live with for forty years.
• What actually drives construction cost — why changes are nearly free early and expensive late.

If you have a project in the pre-design conversation right now and you'd like to walk through which phase you're really in, send us a note or call (480) 990-2120.