ABSTRACT
A comparison to a stage production is helpful - from script selection to opening night, a stage production follows a conventional process understood by just about everyone involved: pre-production, production, and transfer to the theater. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has adopted a widely followed set of project phases. And on a performing arts building, construction administration is usually followed by a period of final testing and tuning, so the complete conventional list of phases is: pre-design, design, construction, and occupancy. Each project phase is dependent on the work of the previous phase - it builds on that work, and also places limits on the work of the succeeding phases. Pre-design may be performed by the owner without the involvement of any consultants, but most owners do not have the necessary resources and expertise. Surprisingly, most design teams have little formal role as the owner and users take occupancy of the new building.
