ABSTRACT
The key to launching a successful preliminary design effort is to understand the goals of the project and the preliminary design process. This understanding must also acknowledge that different team members and stakeholders prioritize goals differently, or have different goals
altogether. For the owner, a goal may be a set of documents or a report that will foster community support for the project, provide marketing materials, or validate a budget. For the design team, goals include establishing or refining the vision for the project, or determining the feasibility of different options. Goals may include more pragmatic factors such as moving the design forward at a pace that maintains the schedule or identifying constraints that could act as “show-stoppers.” Regardless, it is critical that goals are clearly identified, shared and discussed so that all team members can work to promote them.
