I found that getting key people together to collectively carry out design reviews was very productive
Meetings picked up improvements that individual reviews did not
The four design reviews I found most useful were:
- Layout reviews
- Value engineering reviews
- Sustainability reviews
- Constructability reviews
Layout reviews were held to demonstrate that the project’s use of space was suitable and safe for operation, maintenance and construction. Key layout drawings and models were selected and reviewed using a checklist. The output was a list of actions to update the design. The inclusion of construction assisted with coordination and cooperation duties required by CDM regulation 11
Value engineering reviews were held to demonstrate that the project’s technical solutions achieve the desired objectives at an appropriate cost. The checklist used contained a list of key words/questions. The output was an ideas list generated for further consideration
Sustainability reviews were usually held prior to compiling detail design briefs. The checklist started out as just covering energy savings early in my career but grew to include water, materials, design for disassembly and transport considerations. This area is very much high profile today with the increased attention being given to climate change and recycling
Constructability reviews were held, prior to construction starting, to ensure construction activities could be carried out in a safe and controlled manner. This wasn’t strictly a design activity but it was useful to expose designers to the implication of their design on site works and build sequence
There are obviously many other reviews that are needed depending on the complexity of the project but I recommend always including these four
