ARCHITECTURAL INTERIORS  The type of building and its

desired accommodation the

DESIGN CONCEPT, DESIGN BRIEF, design brief asks for, will help to
AND DESIGN PHILOSOPHY identify initial avenues of
DESIGN CONCEPT research and the key principles
that will be important to a building
You cannot begin to generate a concept of its type.
until you understand the project’s  Following this the brief will indicate
(design) brief, site and context, and so the program size, the projects
this should be your first point of call and priorities, and its restrictions and
the starting point to gathering all of the allow for it to be approximately
projects required parameters. mapped out to get an idea of its
scale on the site.
This includes site analysis, design brief
appraisal, building typology appraisal, A thorough and informative design
archetype appraisal, precedent studies brief is essential point of reference not
and so on only for the architect, but for all people
involved in the design and
Where to start?
implementation of the project.
Design Concept Statement
The more information we can gain from
(Design Brief) USER and BLDG. the client in the early stages of design,
REQUIREMENTS + SITE and CONTEXT the more effective our decision making
= DESIGN CONCEPT STATEMENT and problem solving process will be.

NOTE: design concept should be aligned How the brief evolves?

to you Design Philosophy
The brief must be developed with the
The architectural design brief forms client and end users to reflect the
the very beginning of the design process. changes and challenges that occur as
the project progresses.
In architectural education, student
projects are often based around a real life It is important that the brief not only fulfils
project, with an imaginary client often the aesthetic aspirations of the client but
included. also the functional requirements and
needs too.
I. THE DESIGN BRIEF
 Whether your project is real or With student projects that are developed
required to be perceived to be, without a client focus, it is possible to
there will always be a design brief consider the site or place as the client,
that will provide the vital details on and consider the needs of the site itself,
the clients and buildings and how the project design is going to
requirements, along with the site meet those needs.
your architectural proposal will
need to be placed within
 • Describe your lifestyle and the kind of
spaces that you need? For example,
CHECKLIST FOR RESIDENTIAL:
work from home, entertain often, etc.
About the Client
• How much time do you spend in the
• Describe your current home. What do different areas of your home (indoors and
you like and dislike about it? What is outdoors)?
missing, and what would you change.
• What type of entertainment systems do
• What kind of ideas do you have about you require? Music, TV, projectors,
design and / or materials? Do you have speakers throughout the house?
any images from magazines/internet that
• What type of storage do you require?
show us a style that you like?
Specific hobbies that require lots of
• Are there any particular design features storage space? Large wardrobe space?
that are important to you?
About the Indoor and Outdoor Spaces
• What kind of style do you require for the
• Number of floors / rooms / spaces and
project e.g. contemporary, traditional,
use for each?
industrial, bold, elegant, and minimalist?
• Are there any particular areas that are
• Do you have any specific materials or
to be more private that others? Or
surfaces in mind that you would like to
particular rooms that you would like to be
see included in the project?
connected?
About the Site
• Do you have any preferred room
• Why did the client choose this site? layouts/relationships or orientations – a
south facing kitchen for example.
• Is there anything about the site that you
particularly like or dislike? • Do you have any specific ideas or plans
for the outside spaces that you would like
• Are there any views within the site that us to consider?
are particularly important to you?
II. THE SITE AND ITS
About the Occupants CONTEXT
• How many people will be living in the The site parameters can be used to
new home? discover the limits, restrictions, and
• Do you foresee new additions to the opportunities that can add depth and
home (i.e. children?) meaning to you conceptual approach.

• Are there any pets that will need to be These first steps are almost always a
accommodated? series of explorations and research that
will bring to light conflicting aesthetically,
About the Lifestyle organizational, technical, social or
contextual criteria, that can be used as
ingredients for further analysis and physical design problem into the
development. physical building product.
For your concept to be as successful as Difference between Philosophy and a
possible, its make up needs to consist of Concept?
and resolve as much of this criteria as
PHILOSOPHY
possible, while addressing the key
elements of the brief. - General
- This is a general idea about
DESIGN CONCEPT STATEMENT
architecture that applies to what
Never assume that your design can approach of design you
speak for itself. (designer) believe in general. It
can relate to different architectural
A design concept statement is the
problem.
essence of an architectural design
- Could be adapted from dictums of
proposal.
famous architects or you create
• A design concept statement must your own.
effectively convey your inspiration and
CONCEPT
vision for a space.
- Specific
• The statement that describes the
- This speaks of an idea on how to
articulation of the space or room’s overall
solve the architectural problem
ambience.
at hand that is in line with the
• It tells your client the origin of the design Philosophy.
and demonstrates your ability to create a - Is generate as the result of design
symbiotic relationship between physical thinking process – as solution to
elements. the problem. Each design problem
has its own concept.
DESIGN PHILOSOPHY - A statement of design approach --
- It is “what you believe in”. It’s - design response and idea to the
more about you and the core built environment.
themes that describe your design
process, and not the exact project
itself.
DESIGN CONCEPT
- It is “how did you choose to
approach this specific
project?”. Architectural concepts FORM CONCEPT
are the designer’s way of - Transformation of the architectural
responding to the design situation form based on program
presented to them. They are a requirements and site conditions.
means of translating the non-
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