Name of briefing phase:

Related development phase:

The strategic briefing phase

The strategic definition phase

The design and construction briefing phase

The design and construction phase

The occupation briefing phase

The occupation phase

The strategic brief will be drafted in response to a particular corporate need. Its exact content and structure may vary and many elements of it will only be defined following completion of inward-looking studies and outward looking feasibility assessments.

However a well written strategic brief will generally incorporate the following:

• Corporate needs and objectives.

• A strategic statement of intent. This may be in the form of a mission statement.

• A statement of key design and aesthetic aspirations, with guidance on relative priorities.

• Outline design and construction requirements.

• An assessment of options, supported by the results of feasibility studies.

• An assessment of procurement options and the implications of each.

• Assessment of value for money and affordability.

• A project structure defining roles, responsibilities and the decision making process.

• An assessment of adaptability for change and growth (future proofing).

Design and construction briefs develop in incremental stages, with greater detail being added to draft documentation as the project evolves. This happens through an incremental process of validation, evaluation and testing, with the strategic brief used as the benchmark against which ideas and proposals are measured.

The timing and formulation of design and construction briefs (and even their names) will depend on the nature, scale, complexity and procurement of the project. Some projects may have a number of different briefs, or 'sub-briefs' covering specific aspects of the design and construction such as the urban environment or equipping requirements.

The briefs allow the detailed design and construction requirements of a project to be clearly defined for all participants. Consequently the downstream detailed design and construction activity is closely influenced by this document.

A relevant sample of the access related issues that a design and construction brief might cover are as follows:

• A re-affirmation of relevant elements of the strategic brief including:
• The Strategic statement of intent. This may be in the form of a mission statement.
• The statement of key design and aesthetic aspirations, with guidance on relative priorities.

• Enhanced details of the project structure including the procurement structure and the roles and responsibilities of the participants and the mechanics of the decision making and project assessment processes.

• Enhanced details of the more specific design aspirations relating to particular functions or construction elements.

• Details of design standards, including prescriptive requirements where appropriate.

The design and construction of a building including the fitting-out is of great importance in defining the quality of access. The shell and core of a building will typically have a life-span of 50 to 100 years and because it is relatively difficult to amend or improve, delivering appropriate accessible design and construction at the first time of asking is of great importance.

However the post-occupation effect on accessibility should not be overlooked as these day to day changes can have a significant positive or negative impact on accessibility. It is these microenvironments that are also very reactive to the actions of individuals.

An occupation briefing process therefore serves two functions through post occupation evaluation:

• it allows improvements to be made to the completed development through management and equipment techniques; and
• it allows the information and lessons learned to be used for the benefit of other projects.

Typically the post occupation briefing process will include:

• A review of the design and construction process.

• A review of the resultant structure and fabric measured against the original strategic and design and construction briefs.

• A review of the building performance when measured against the original business need.

The first review should not be undertaken until such time as the building and occupants have 'settled', typically one month after occupation. Subsequent reviews should be undertaken on a periodical basis to ensure that the original strategic requirements continue to be met. These rolling reviews are over great significance as neither business nor society is static. Some elements of the development will expect to change over time and the development must respond to this.