A guide to the words used in building design
Architect's Plan of Work - A framework developed by the RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) for running a job. It consists of a logical sequence of work stages (A to M) specifying the tasks to be carried out by key team members.
Brief - A description of what the client wants to include in the project and how the finished building is to perform. The brief should encapsulate the objective of a project, specifics of the site and the purpose of the building.
Brownfield - Land which has been used for previous development, including vacant buildings and industrial wastelands.
Building regulations - Statutory requirements to which buildings must conform.
Client - The person or group that owns the building. The client initiates the project, employs the design and construction teams and finds the resources to make it happen.
Cost plan - A breakdown of the project costs, generally prepared by a quantity surveyor and including a budget for build costs, and allowances for VAT, inflation, fit-out, furniture, fees, and contingencies.
Density - A measure of the compactness of urban living, typically measured as dwelling units per hectare or homes per hectare. The minimum target set for any new development in the UK is between 30 and 50 units.
Design team - The team responsible for designing the building. It can include architects, landscape architects, project managers and building engineers.
Feasibility study - A review carried out early in the process to check whether a set of proposals is likely to fulfil the client's objectives.
Greenfield - Land which has not previously been built upon or used for industrial purposes. This includes agricultural land, parks and amenity areas.
Massing - The three-dimensional form and size of a building.
Mixed tenure - The term for any development or area where homes types are mixed – including shared-ownership housing, rented accommodation and both private and social housing.
Planning permission - Permission that must be obtained from the local authority before construction starts on most projects. It controls everything from the size of a property to external landscaping.
RDA - Regional development agencies were established in 1998 with the aim of giving more emphasis to regional development in England. There are nine in total, generally referred to by their acronym (eg SWRDA - South West Regional Development Agency).
Scale - How we perceive a space, buildings or building elements in relation to the size of elements around it.
Tender process – The process of inviting organisations to submit a proposal. It includes the preliminary invitation to tender, a formal invitation to tender, and the actual form of the tender.
To scale - The building design resized in drawings or models to a uniform reduction or enlargement.
Whole-life costs - The full costs of all the parts that make up a building over its lifetime (typically 30 years for a commercial building), including initial capital costs, replacement costs, maintenance and repair costs.