The short answer
The architect design process is a staged journey that turns your idea into a building, structured around the RIBA Plan of Work. It starts with the brief and a measured survey, moves through concept design (the big-picture layout and look), then developed and technical design (the detail that makes it buildable), with a planning application and a building regulations submission along the way. After the design is fixed, the architect can help tender the work to builders and, if appointed, oversee the construction stage. Each stage ends with you signing off before the next begins, so the design develops in controlled steps rather than all at once. The point of the structure is to settle the big decisions early and lock in the detail later, when changes are far more expensive.
An architect does not design a building in one go. The work is broken into stages so the major decisions are made — and paid for — before the expensive detail begins.
The design journey
- Brief + surveyUnderstand needs, measure the building
- Concept designLayout options and overall look
- PlanningApplication to the local authority
- Technical designDetailed building regs drawings
- Tender + buildPrice the work, then construct it
Stages 0–2: brief, survey and concept
The early stages are about deciding what to build before anything is detailed:
- Strategic definition and brief (RIBA Stages 0–1): the architect captures what you want, your budget and constraints, and confirms the project is feasible. A measured survey records the existing building so design can be based on real dimensions.
- Concept design (RIBA Stage 2): the architect produces initial layout options — plans, sketches and sometimes 3D views — exploring how the space could work and how it might look. You react, the design is refined, and a preferred scheme emerges over one or two rounds.
This is the least costly point to change your mind. Moving a wall on a sketch costs nothing; moving it on site costs a great deal. Spending time getting the concept right is the single most valuable investment in the whole process.
Stages 3–4: planning and technical design
Once a concept is agreed, the design is firmed up and taken through approvals:
- Developed/spatial design and planning (RIBA Stage 3): the chosen scheme is worked up into a coordinated set of plans, elevations and sections suitable for a planning application. Where one is needed, the architect submits it and manages queries from the planners.
- Technical design (RIBA Stage 4): the design is detailed for construction — build-ups, insulation, structure, drainage and specifications — into a building regulations package and the drawings the builder works from. A structural engineer and other consultants usually contribute here.
It is worth understanding that planning and building regulations are two separate approvals. Planning is about whether you can build the proposal in principle; building regulations are about whether it is built safely and to standard. A scheme can have planning permission and still need building regs sign-off, and vice versa.
| RIBA stage | Plain-English name | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 0–1 | Brief + preparation | Agree needs, budget, survey the building |
| 2 | Concept design | Layout options and overall look |
| 3 | Developed design | Coordinate scheme, submit planning |
| 4 | Technical design | Building regs + construction drawings |
| 5 | Construction | Builder on site, queries answered |
| 6–7 | Handover + use | Completion, snagging, in-use |
Mapped to the RIBA Plan of Work 2020. Source: RIBA.
Stages 5–7: tender, construction and handover
With the design complete, the project moves from paper to site:
- Tender: the architect can prepare information for builders to price, helping you compare quotes on a like-for-like basis rather than guessing what each has allowed for.
- Construction (RIBA Stage 5): if appointed for this stage, the architect administers the building contract, visits site, answers the builder's queries, checks the work matches the design and certifies payments at agreed points. This role is often called contract administration.
- Handover and use (RIBA Stages 6–7): the project completes, snagging is dealt with, and any defects raised in the agreed period after completion are resolved.
You do not have to appoint the architect for every stage. Many homeowners use an architect for design and planning, then take the project to site themselves or hand it to a builder. Others keep the architect on through construction for an extra layer of oversight. The right level depends on your budget, your confidence and how complex the build is.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to use an architect for the whole process?
No. The appointment is usually modular, so you can engage an architect for design and planning only, then continue with a builder, or keep them on through construction. Decide how far you want them to go before you agree the fee.
What is the difference between concept and technical design?
Concept design is the big-picture stage — layout, scale and overall look — where decisions are cheap to change. Technical design is the detailed stage that makes the scheme buildable, with construction build-ups, structure and specifications for Building Control and the builder.
When is planning permission submitted in the process?
Usually at the developed design stage, once you have signed off a concept. The architect prepares and submits the planning application, then deals with any queries. The detailed building regulations drawings normally follow after planning is granted.
Sources & further reading
- RIBA — the RIBA Plan of Work explained
- RIBA — working with an architect
- Planning Portal — planning permission and building regulations
Figures on this page are typical UK ranges drawn from published sources and depend on your specific project. They are guidance, not a quotation.