Design Phases

The building design process is a critical journey that transforms an initial vision into a carefully crafted, functional space. Each phase — conceptual design, schematic design, design development, and construction documents — plays a vital role in ensuring the project meets the needs of its future users while staying aligned with budgetary and structural requirements. Though the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s PlanCon program is not currently funded, we continue to follow its structured approach to maintain transparency, thorough planning, and community collaboration throughout every stage of the design process.

We are currently in the Design Development Phase.

Phases

1. Conceptual Design

The first phase focuses on defining the project's goals, assessing needs, and exploring preliminary ideas. This stage establishes the foundation by gathering input from stakeholders, identifying priorities, and outlining the overall vision for the building. This phase is very high-level and provides a rough outline of the project that aligns with our educational program needs.

This phase ran from May 2023 to October 2024.

2. Schematic Design

In this phase, the initial design concepts begin to take shape. This phase is still a high-level view but seeks greater detail to ensure the educational program can be met in the spaces in the building as well as that the building site is identified and vetted. The design begins to give us the understanding of a broad budget range. Feedback is gathered from the design team to refine ideas before moving forward.

This phase ran from October 2024 to March 2025.

Schematic Design Documents

3. Design Development*

Building upon the schematic design, this phase involves refining details and making more specific decisions about materials, systems, and building components. During this process experts and consultants for mechanical, electric and plumbing, food services, IT, code requirements, etc., will be brought in to give input and direction. The details will begin to be added to the project plans and this is also the phase in which we will refine the size of the building. There is still room for change as we enter design development (rooms may shift, closet spaces may move, stairwells may be added or shifted based on code requirements, and so forth). The design becomes more defined, ensuring it meets both functional and aesthetic goals while staying within budget.

We are currently in this phase.

4. Construction Design

The final phase produces detailed drawings, specifications, and technical documents needed for construction, everything from the front doors to the electrical sockets. These documents serve as the official instructions for contractors, ensuring the building is constructed according to the approved design. We will know exactly what our budget is as we enter this phase and the documents produced will give direction to every minute detail of the project for the construction teams who are awarded the bids for the work.

Logo Image

Logo Title

In This Section