Planning

Master Planning

Master Planning is an interactive process by which current and future potential is explored and cultivated. BBS helps identify contributing planning issues and presents them within an overall context as a basis for broad decision-making, both in the short term as well as the long term.

Each project is unique. Each solution is specific to the representative community. The process is one of analysis, communication and collaboration yielding single or multi-phased implementation. Our goal is to explore and discover the hidden potential of any planning opportunity to identify “what is” in order to suggest “what could be”.

In our educational work, we take into account the physical condition of each building under consideration as well as its ability or inability to accommodate its intended use. Renovation of existing space and the creation of new space are both considered separately and in tandem as viable improvement options. It is, however, always our priority to maximize the potential of existing assets first before suggesting expansion, and to innovate or re-think existing spaces before abandoning them.

Our job is to illustrate the dynamics of each potential solution through innovative planning diagrams, cost analyses and comprehensive presentations. This enables our clients to make informed decisions as they move forward into the future.

Program Development

Without a program a project has no direction. It is a part of our job to explore work scope potential with our clients, through collaborative interaction as well through the presentation of our own separate, more abstract analyses. The end result is a comprehensive document that expresses the intention and goals of all subsequent work.

Concept Development

Every project can be defined by a central concept. It could be pure functionality, or pure creative expression, or – more commonly – somewhere in between. Concepts are developed early in the design process in order to inform the details of and overall approach to the final scope.

Cost Estimates + Budgeting

Every thought comes with a price tag. That doesn’t mean that cost has to control every thought, but it is important at some point in the design process to know what the cost ramifications are to each design decision. Needed infrastructure projects also come with reality-based cost ramifications.

We are knowledgeable of our marketplace and pride ourselves on being a design firm that knows not only how to build, but how to estimate the amount of financial resources each project will require. This is especially important in our educational sector, in which the public bidding process follows a public vote of a maximum cost not to be exceeded. It is a benefit to other markets though, since we are adept at designing, engineering and cost estimating all at the same time. We also stay with our projects from beginning to end, remaining accountable for our initial cost estimates.

Public Workshops

Community architecture must engage the public at some level in order to be truly successful. This involves everything from planning through construction and beyond. We are adept at hosting events that educate, inform and receive feedback from the public in various venues. Some may be comprised of a few people in a conference room, others could be large forums in auditoriums and theaters with hundreds of people present, including broadcasts to thousands more.

Our mission is to be transparent in the development of our public projects so that consensus and trust can be established early in the planning process. This ensures a balanced approach to each project that is developed through the local culture of each community.

3d/2d Visuals + Renderings

With respect to any project, we at BBS believe that 3D/2D visualizations, renderings, visual aids, models, and/or any visual presentation materials play an essential role in conveying the specifics and details of the proposed project to the public while faithfully documenting its evolution from a preliminary concept to the final “consensus” design. We consider the 3D/2D visuals to be the ultimate means for our clients and their respective constituents to experience the proposed project prior to construction crews breaking ground.