Architecture Brief template for Google Docs and Word

The first pages of the Architecture Brief template

Every page (7)

Overview

A weak architect brief wastes the first round of drawings. This seven-page template gives the architect the site and its first steps, the accommodation schedule, what the design must achieve, the constraints that could change it and a budget with a clear forecast. The last page is a guide to replacing the sample.

The sample briefs three architects on Larkfield Yard, a fictional 64-home scheme by Candlemas Group, with a $24.2M cost forecast that sits $430k above budget and inside its contingency. Replace the site, mix, aims, risks and every figure with your own, and name one decision-maker.

Useful for

Briefing three architects competing for a new residential scheme
Getting a board or lender to approve the site, mix and budget before design starts
Tracking forecast against budget as the design and planning process moves forward

What's included

Site page with clearing, survey and planning steps and a what-if route for contamination
Accommodation schedule on a calendar, with block sizes and the home mix
Design aims with floor-area chart and three cards for the aims that matter most
Risk heat map and register for the constraints the architect must design around
Budget variance table with forecast, committed amounts and a cause for each material line
Budget summary with spend by quarter, cost blocks and a contingency callout

How to use it

1
Click Make a copy in Google Docs, then confirm on the Google page. The copy is saved to your own Google Drive.
2
Replace the site facts, the home mix and the dates with your own, and state the single outcome the scheme must achieve.
3
Enter your budget, forecast and committed figures in one unit, check the totals add up, and write one cause for each line that moved.
4
List your real constraints and risks with owners and responses, and name one decision-maker and one contact for questions.
5
Delete the Make it yours page, then share the brief with your architects or export it as a PDF.

What you need

Requirements

A Google account with access to Google Drive

Works with

Google Docs
Microsoft Word (download the .docx)

Questions

What should an architect brief include?

State the site, the accommodation schedule, the aims, the constraints, the budget and the dates of two review rounds. Name who approves, so feedback arrives from one decision-maker.

Are the company, site, people and figures real?

No. Candlemas Group, Larkfield Yard, its people and every figure are fictional sample content. Replace all of it with your own project facts and numbers.

Should the brief state the budget?

Yes. Without a budget the architect cannot scope the work. Give a figure or range, the contingency you hold and the cost blocks, so the first concept is priced realistically.

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