Designing and building a home or planning and building space for a new or growing business is a complex task. One way to make a complex task more manageable is to break it down into smaller tasks, and architects apply a similar strategy to the design and construction process. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) defines the Five Phases of Architecture that are commonly referenced throughout the industry: Schematic Design, Design Development, Contract Documents, Bidding, Contract Administration.

Having a basic understanding of what happens in each of these phases of work will help you communicate with your architect. It is also important to be familiar with the milestones and deliverables of each phase because architects often organize contracts and project schedules around them. At WC STUDIO we value openness and want the experience of working with us to be as simple and stress-free as possible. We name and describe our work phases slightly differently than AIA to make it easier for our customers to understand. Below is an outline of our project phase breakdown, with a description of the deliverables or milestones at each step. This list can be modified to meet the needs of a particular project, and the time each phase will take depends on many factors, but most projects will proceed as follows: