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From Schematic Design to Occupancy: How the Engineering Process Actually Works

From Schematic Design to Occupancy: How the Engineering Process Actually Works

The Phases Most People Don't Fully Understand

Clients — whether developers, institutional owners, or municipalities — often engage an engineering firm with a general sense that there are design phases followed by construction. The reality is more nuanced, and understanding what happens at each stage helps owners make better decisions, set realistic expectations, and get better value from their design team.

Schematic Design and Design Development

Schematic design (SD) is where engineering concepts take shape: systems are selected, major equipment is sized, and spatial requirements are established. This is the most important phase for owner input — decisions made here define the building's performance characteristics and cost profile. Design development (DD) refines those concepts into coordinated drawings, with equipment schedules and preliminary specifications.

Many owners underestimate the value of being engaged during SD and DD. Changes at this stage are inexpensive. The same changes during construction can cost ten to a hundred times more.

Construction Documents and Tender

Construction documents (CDs) are the full set of drawings and specifications issued for permit and tender. For engineering, this includes coordinated mechanical, electrical, structural, and civil drawings along with specifications that define material and equipment standards. The quality of CD-stage coordination directly affects the number of RFIs and change orders during construction.

Construction Administration

Engineering involvement doesn't end at permit. During construction, the engineer of record reviews shop drawings and submittals, responds to contractor questions, visits the site to observe construction progress, and ultimately signs off on systems for occupancy. This phase is often underscoped — owners sometimes try to minimize CA fees, only to find that problems discovered late in construction are far more expensive to resolve without proper engineering oversight.

Understanding these phases — and investing appropriately in each — is one of the clearest ways to improve project outcomes.

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