How We Work
The processes of planning and design largely determine the success of PRDG’s award-winning projects. They set the foundation and tone for addressing the needs of senior living residents and staff. Developing cost-effective, innovative solutions to those needs and designing a comfortable residential environment fulfills our clients’ vision and goals.
PRDG’s comprehensive management focuses on fulfilling our clients’ and communities’ objectives while staying on budget and on schedule. Before design begins our team engages in complete process planning to establish a common set of objectives for all project phases. This collaborative function between the client and PRDG is targeted to precisely meet both the client’s requirements and those of the senior residents to be served.
From inception PRDG builds a team of architects and consultants who have the precise skills and experience required to successfully integrate client vision into project design. Team building is vital to this process which serves to unify and motivate the entire team to reflect the client’s culture and priorities.
Know that PRDG provides professionals dedicated to planning and design who also share with clients our extensive knowledge of the operational, technological, medical, psycho-social, security, and other myriad factors influencing effective, cutting-edge planning and design of senior living communities.
PRDG’s extensive planning and long strategic experience result in communities that respond not only to space requirements but also support clients in aligning their developments with their own organizational goals.
Design and Construction Phases
Four distinct phases of project planning, design, and construction support define how PRDG accomplishes project engagements. They include Phase 1: Conceptual Design—Creating the Vision, Phase 2: Schematic Design—Translating Ideas Into Design Concepts, Phase 3: Design Development—Creating a Workable Building, and Phase 4: Documentation and Bidding—Preparing the Design for Construction.
Phase 1: Conceptual Design — Creating the Vision
This programming and planning phase is critical to the design process. Decisions are made here that will have the greatest impact on land use, functionality, adaptability, and economy. This intense phase requires extensive communication among the architect, planning groups and consultants. By sharing planning, workforce, demographic, and development trends the planning team can explore with every client the development solutions to every senior community's needs. This results in a solution that responds exactly to the client’s goals while providing necessary flexibility.
The planning team is a vital component of a successful project outcome. At the project’s beginning, PRDG works with the client to assemble a planning team comprised of key project stakeholders. The planning team includes client leadership, staff and the construction manager. With the design team, the planning team defines requirements and vision for creation of an innovative and dynamic senior living environment.
Once the planning team is formed the design team leads members through a series of work sessions designed to develop a solution to every client and resident need, then build community consensus. What results is a final building program and/or master plan in consensus with all key stakeholder representatives. By achieving consensus during planning work sessions, planning team members can serve as project ambassadors who understand the process and end result, enabling them to share their knowledge with the larger community.
Phase 2: Schematic Design — Translating Ideas Into Design Concepts
Upon confirmation of the program PRDG proceeds with the schematic design phase, developing a series of alternative design concepts. Using a vast array of visual communication methods, PRDG architects enable the fire department and other regulatory entities to achieve an understanding of how their requirements can be translated into a physical structure.
Phase 3: Design Development — Creating a Workable Building
Based on approval of the schematic design, the PRDG team begins the design development phase, expanding the approved concept into a workable building.
Phase 4: Documentation and Bidding — Preparing Design for Construction
Upon approval of the design development document phase and based on selected alternative system studies, PRDG’s design team prepares complete construction documents. These consist of contract drawings, specifications, general conditions, instructions to bidders, and other necessary documents. PRDG also assists the owner in filing required documents for approval by municipal authorities having jurisdiction over the project. At 50% completion the construction documents will be issued to the construction company for development of a Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) for the owner.
