Client requirements

Revision as of 20:42, 29 April 2019

NB: The term 'Employer's requirements' refers to the formal client's requirements on design and build projects or on a traditional contract where the contractor is to design discrete parts of the works. See Employer's requirements for more information.

The term 'employer's information requirements' (EIR) refers the information that will be required by the employer on a building information modelling (BIM) project. See Employer's information requirements for more information.

A client's requirements for a building project might initially include a vision, mission and objectives for what they wish the project to achieve. They might first be explored by a clientwhen they identify a business need which might result in the requirement for a building project.

A statement of need, might then be prepared which is a first attempt to describe the possible requirements of the project. This may or may not result in the development of a new business project, and even if a project is necessary, it may not require a new building.

See Statement of need for more information.

If the project does proceed, the client may then develop their requirements into a strategic brief. Initially, this just describes the client's requirements in sufficient detail to allow the appointment of consultants (such as an architect, engineers and so on). Once consultants are appointed, the strategic brief may be developed further to allow feasibility studies and options appraisals to be carried out.

See Strategic brief for more information.

Once the preferred option for the project has been selected, the strategic brief is typically developed into a full project brief. This is the key document upon which the design for the building will be based.

See Project brief for more information

Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki

• Briefing documents.
• Business case.
• Champions.
• Development appraisal.
• Employer’s requirements.
• Feasibility studies.
• Overbuild.
• Preliminary business case.
• Project brief.
• Specification.
• Statement of need.
• Strategic brief.
• Vision.