The schematic design phase is the moment in a project when the design brief becomes a building for the first time. After weeks of discovery conversations, site analysis, programme development, and design exploration by the architectural team, the schematic phase presents the client with the first actual spatial propositions — drawings and diagrams that represent how the building might be organised and what it might feel like.
This is one of the most significant stages in the entire project, because the decisions made here — the fundamental layout of the building, the relationship between spaces, the orientation and massing — are the hardest and most expensive to change later. Understanding what this phase involves helps clients engage with it productively rather than treating it as a formality.
What Schematic Design Typically Produces
At the schematic stage, the architectural team produces a set of drawings and supporting materials that communicate the design intent without the precision of detailed working drawings. The typical deliverables include:
- Floor plans at 1:100 or 1:200 scale showing the layout of all floors with room names and approximate dimensions
- Site plan showing the building's position on the plot, orientation, driveway, and key outdoor spaces
- Elevations of all four facades showing the overall character, opening patterns, and height relationships
- Key sections showing the vertical relationship between floors and important spatial features like double-height volumes or roof terraces
- 3D views or perspective sketches to help communicate spatial quality that 2D drawings alone cannot convey
- A preliminary material palette — not a final specification but a mood board or sample board that communicates the intended aesthetic direction
What Schematic Design Does NOT Include
It is important to understand what is not yet determined at the schematic stage, so clients do not expect precision that has not yet been developed.
Structural grids and column positions may not be finalised. MEP (mechanical, electrical, plumbing) systems have not been designed. Specific material specifications — the actual tile type, the exact railing design, the specific bathroom fittings — have not been made. Window and door schedules do not exist yet. These elements are developed in the subsequent design development and working drawing stages.
Asking questions about these undecided elements during schematic review is useful — "Where are you thinking the electrical distribution board will go?" or "What is the likely structural span here?" — but expecting final answers is not appropriate at this stage.
How to Review a Schematic Design Effectively
Clients who review schematic designs most effectively tend to do the following.
Revisit the Brief First
Before looking at the drawings, re-read the design brief. Your primary evaluation of the schematic should be whether it addresses your stated priorities. If the brief said privacy from the street was critical, does the schematic achieve it? If the brief said you wanted a strong indoor-outdoor connection to the garden, does the schematic provide it?
Walk Through the Plan
Physically trace your normal routes through the plan with your finger — from the main entrance, to the kitchen, to the master bedroom, to the children's rooms. This mental simulation often reveals spatial issues that looking at the plan abstractly does not: a kitchen that requires crossing through a bedroom corridor, a bathroom that can only be accessed through a bedroom, an entry that has no place for shoes or bags.
Check Orientation and Light
Using the north arrow, check which direction key rooms face. Do the bedrooms get morning light if you want them to? Is the living area positioned to receive evening light for relaxed entertaining? Is the kitchen facing the direction you wanted?
Evaluate the Non-Obvious
Look for elements that a non-architect might miss: where are the storage areas? Is there enough room between the car and the gate when parked in the driveway? Where will the service areas — water tank, generator, utility room — be? Are they visible from the living areas?
Giving Feedback That Shapes the Design
Effective feedback at the schematic stage focuses on performance — whether the design achieves what you need — rather than aesthetics, which can be adjusted throughout the subsequent stages. The most useful feedback takes the form of problem statements rather than design instructions.
Instead of "Can you move the master bedroom to the other side of the building?" say "I am concerned about the master bedroom's proximity to the children's rooms — I need more acoustic separation." This gives the architect the problem to solve and the freedom to find the best architectural solution, which may or may not involve moving the room.
If you are uncertain about any drawing, always ask for it to be explained before forming a view. Misreading a plan — a door that looks like a window, a space that reads larger than it is — leads to feedback based on an inaccurate understanding. Our guide on how to read architectural drawings as a client will help you interpret what you are being shown.
The schematic design stage leads into design development once the client's approval is obtained. To understand the full sequence from brief to completion, read our overview of how CITRA Associates approaches every new project.
To start a project conversation with our team, visit our contact page or learn more about our studio on the about page.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many design options should my architect present at the schematic stage?
Most architects present two or three schematic design options at the initial stage. This range allows the client to compare fundamentally different approaches to the design problem rather than just variations on a single idea. The goal is not choice for its own sake but productive comparison that leads to a clear design direction.
Can I ask for major changes after the schematic design is approved?
You can, but significant changes after schematic approval will require redesign work that may incur additional fees under your contract. This is why it is critical to review schematics carefully and resolve all major concerns before approving them. Minor adjustments are typically absorbed, but changes that affect the building's organisation or structure should be managed as formal revisions.
What is the difference between schematic design and design development?
Schematic design establishes the fundamental organisation of the building — the layout, spatial relationships, massing, and overall design direction. Design development adds detail: structural system, MEP coordination, material selections, door and window schedules, and enough specification to enable accurate cost estimation. Design development is the intermediate stage between schematic design and working drawings.
