DESIGN, ECON, COST PLANNING Flashcards
What is the RIBA Plan of Works
A plan organising the process of briefing, designing, constructing, maintaining, operating and using building projects into a number of key stages.
How many RIBA Stages are there
8
What are the stages of the RIBA Plan of Works
0 - Strategic Definition
1 - Preparation & Brief
2- Concept Design
3 - Spatial Coordination
4 - Technical Design
5 - Manufacturing and Construction
6 - Handover
7 - In Use
What occurs at each RIBA Plan of Works stage
0 - Strategic Definition - Understand client’s requirements and project feasability
1 - Preparation & Brief - Begin to detail the project outcomes and spatial requirements. Agree project budget
2- Concept Design - Start to develop architectural concepts in line with the project brief and budget
3 - Spatial Coordination - Carry out design studies and costing exercises to test the design in line with the project brief. Coordinated all architectural and engineering information required for the planning process
4 - Technical Design - produce the detailed architectural and engineering designs and specifications ready for tendering, submission to building control and construction
5 - Manufacturing and Construction - All the information and designs produced to date are implemented and delivered on site by a team of contractors and workers
6 - Handover - Identify any snagging issues and defects that needs rectifying
7 - In Use - Building is in operation
What is a feasability estimate
A high level assessment of whether a project is financially viable which is usally carried out at stage 0 and helps to determine the project budget
Under NRM 1, it’s known as a ‘rough OCE’
What is an Order of cost estimate (OCE)
Order of cost estimates are a method of cost prediction.
An estimate based on benchmark data for a similar type of project based on the client’s strategic definition or initial brief.
Its purpose is to establish affordability of a proposed development for a client.
It takes place prior to the preparation of a full set of working drawings or bills of quantities and forms the initial build-up to the cost planning process.
What is the purpose of an Order of cost estimate (OCE)
To establish if the proposed project is affordable and if it is,
to establish the maximum expenditure that the client is prepared to spend
What techniques are available when preparing cost estimates?
Floor Area Method (GIA)
Functional Unit Method
Elemental Method
What is the format of an Order of cost estimate (OCE)
This can be presented on a cost per m2, functional unit or elemental basis.
This may consist of element rates for the main elements of the building for example Substructure, Frame, External Walls, Upper Floors & Roof.
Any site abnormal costs or enabling works are also considered.
Other inclusions are Preliminaries, Contingency, Inflation and location factor adjustments.
What is a functional unit
Unit of measurement that considers a buildings prime use
e.g. number of beds/bedrooms in student accom or hospital
What information is needed to carry out an Order of cost estimate (OCE)
The type of building (Function)
Building Location.
Floor area or number of functional units.
Initial floor plans, roof plans, elevations and sections.
Requirements for refurbishment to existing buildings and enabling works.
Indication of quality
What are the principal components of a cost estimate (what pages do we include)
Front cover and executive summary of cost
Basis (List of exclusions and assumptions & information used)
Elemental Summary of Cost
Elemental detailed Backup
OHP/Prelims/Professional Fees/Risk/Contingencies
What are the main elements of a in the elemental cost estimate
Enabling Work/Demolition
Substructure
Superstructure (Frame, Upper floors, Roof, External Walls and doors, Int walls and doors)
Finishes
M&E
External Works
What is usually excluded from an Order of cost estimate (OCE)
VAT
Inflation
Site Acquisition costs
Loose FF&E
Section 106 Agreement
Removal of contamination and hazardous material
What is the Section 106 Agreement
Planning obligations under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended), commonly known as s106 agreements, are a mechanism which make a development proposal acceptable in planning terms, that would not otherwise be acceptable.
S106s are agreements between local authorities and developers that are negotiated in the context of granting planning consent.
The common uses of planning obligations are to secure affordable housing, and to specify the type and timing of this housing; and to secure financial contributions to provide infrastructure or affordable housing.
What sort of things is the money from S106 spent on?
Affordable Housing
Open space or environmental improvements
New roads and transport capacity
Health and education facilities
Why is VAT excluded
Different clients will incur different levels of VAT
Our PII does not cover advising on levels of VAT and interest
What is a cost plan
A cost plan presents the estimated cost of a project in elemental format
What is the purpose of a cost plan
It is used by the cost consultant to control the development of the design
It identifies the budget and how the money is allocated to different elements
What are the benefits of a cost plan
It allows client to make better informed decisions on design development and change
It allows elemental comparisons for when tenders are returned or when design has been developed
When would you do a cost plan
RIBA Stage 2 to Stage 4.
Stage 2 - Concept Design is made available and the cost plan may be produced at a fairly high
level.
Stage 3 - Spatial co-ordination of the building is undertaken
Stage 4 - Technical design is made available and cost plan updated to reflect the Architect and
Engineering technical designs. This will typically form the basis of a pre-tender estimate to compare tender
submission against
What are the components of a cost plan
Basis (Assumptions and Exclusions)
Construction costs
Prelims
OHP
Contingency
Inflation
Area Schedule
Information list used
How do you proceed if a cost plan exceeds the budget
- Assess the costs to determine which elements are pushing up the costs and compare with OCE
- Propose Value Engieering options for the overspend to bring it back into line with project budget
What is the difference between an order of cost estimate (OCE) and a cost plan?
a. OCE is prepared early in the design process (RIBA Stage 0 -2) where design information is limited so is based on cost per m2 or cost per functional unit
b. Cost Plan is prepared after RIBA Stage 2 and is an elemental cost plan which develops and becomes more detailed as design develops
What is BWIC?
Builders Work In Connection and is usually set as a percentage of the services cost.
BWIC accounts for the Main Contractor to perform any drilling, fixing, cutting and penetrations to
enable the services installation.
What is Contingency?
A sum included in the estimate to cover unknown expenses/ risks based on a percentage
How is Contingency assessed?
The amount included should reflect the risks and unknowns specific to the project.
During early estimates when little information is available it is common to include a 10%
This should reduce as more information becomes available and the unknowns decrease.
What are Preliminaries?
General items needed by the contractor to carry out the work that cannot be attributed to specific items of work
Where do you find the guidelines to prepare preliminaries
NRM2
What should be considered when assessing preliminaries levels
Length of contract
Location (space restrictions, accessibility)
Type and size of project
Need for temporary works
Need for security
How do you take account of inflation when benchmarking / cost estimating?
Through the use of Tender Price Index or Building Cost Index
What is the ‘base date’ in a document
The date on which rates and prices in a cost estimate are based on
Where can you obtain inflation information from
• BCIS
• In House sources - construction market intelligence report
What does TPI stand for
Tender Price Index
What does TPI show
They reflect changes in the level of pricing contained in the lowest accepted tenders for new work to take account of market conditions – compares against base rates
An allowance included in the order of cost estimate or cost plan for fluctuations in the basic prices of labour, plant and equipment, and materials during the period from the base date to the date of tender return
Where can you obtain TPI info from
BCIS and RLB produces in house tender price forecasts
What is the building cost index on BCIS
They mainly index the cost of construction labour and materials (The Contractor’s own costs)
They are normally used as a basis to calculate an allowance for future building cost inflation to include in a building project budget for the period from the proposed construction start date to the proposed construction completion date.
What is construction inflation and in what time period would it be used
An allowance included in the order of cost estimate or cost plan for fluctuations in the basic prices of labour, plant and equipment, and materials during the period from the date of tender return to the mid-point of the construction period
What is the current inflation rate (Q2 2024)
3.8%
What is the current TPI (Q2 2024)
391
Up 2.1% from the previous year
What is the current Building Cost Index (April 2024)
45
Up 3.0% from the previous year
How do you take account of location, and why do you need to take account of location?
Through the application of location indices as market conditions vary in different locations
(cost of materials, different wage rates etc)
What is the BCIS
Building Cost Information Service
They provide construction cost and price information
What are the levels of analysis in BCIS
Total Building
Group Elements
Detailed Elements
Sub-elements
What is buildability
Buildability is harnessing the contractor’s expertise and knowledge during the design stage to generate ideas for effective and efficient methods of construction.
What is the most efficient building floor plate
Circular floor plate to reduce w:f
How can you check the design efficiency
NIA/GIA (Net to Gross)
Wall to Floor
What is the Wall to Floor ratio
Relationship between the wall and floor areas
A lower ratio will mean less external envelope, meaning cheaper construction
What would you expect the percentage of NIA to GIA / GEA to be?
It depends on the type of project being undertaken (school, hospital, office etc…)
For resi, I would expect it to be in the region of 70-85% (with 70 not good and 85 more efficient)
What is NRM and how is it structured?
It’s an acronym for the New Rules of Measurement and it’s structured into three volumes.
NRM provides a standard set of measurement rules and essential guidance for the cost management of construction projects and maintenance works
NRM use ensure OCE and cost plans are understandable by all those involved in a construction project
What are the 3 volumes under NRM
NRM 1: Order of cost estimating and cost planning for capital building works
NRM 2: Detailed measurement for building works
NRM 3: Order of cost estimating and cost planning for building maintenance works (and life cycle costing)
Why was the NRM 1 introduced?
There was no bespoke guidance for the preparation of cost estimates and cost plans which meant surveyorswere inconsistently applyed the principles of SMM7 for purposes it was not intended for.
Therefore the RICS published the NRM which now replaces SMM7.
Why did NRM 2 replace SMM7
It is an enhanced update of SMM7, covering not only individual work elements but also the various other price components of a typical building project, such as preliminaries, overheads and profit, design fees, risks and inflation.
Unlike SMM7, it also allows scope to create composite descriptions of work items, thus removing the need for the contractor to price large numbers of low value tasks that add little to the overall pricing exercise.
What is the RICS professional standards and guidance on measurement
RICS property measurement 2nd edition, January 2018
What is IPMS
International Property Measurement Standards
There was previosuly standards which targeted sectors
In Jan 2023, IPMS All Buildings was introduced
What is IPMS 1 - GEA
IPMS1 - The Floor Area measured to the external extent of the External Walls and to any Notional Boundaries, External Floor Areas (Balconies/Terraces) or Sheltered Areas
Areas measured but stated separately include:
• External Floor Areas
• Sheltered Areas;
• Enclosed walkways or passages connecting separate Buildings;
• Enclosed rooftop plant such as mechanical, electrical and lift motor rooms;
• Limited use area(s) not otherwise identified above
What is IPMS 2 - GIA
The Floor Area measured to the internal extent of the External Walls and to any Notional Boundaries and External Floor Areas
Areas measured but stated separately include:
• External Floor Areas
• Mezzanines;
• Enclosed walkways or passages connecting separate Buildings;
• Enclosed roof-top plant rooms such as mechanical, electrical and lift equipment rooms/elevator machine rooms;
• Limited use area(s) not otherwise identified above.
(In resi, balconies/terraces would be measured, but stated separately)
What is IPMS 3.1 - NIA with external & party walls
The Floor Area available on an exclusive basis to an occupier measured externally to any Notional Boundaries External Walls, Demising Walls and including any External Floor Areas, Sheltered Areas and Secondary Areas.
Areas measured but stated separately include:
• Sheltered Areas;
• External Floor Areas;
• Enclosed walkways or passages connecting separate Buildings, which form part of occupier’s area;
• Mezzanines;
• Vertical technical penetrations with openings equal to or greater than 0.1m2 and their surrounding Walls;
• Limited use area(s) not otherwise identified above
What is IPMS 3.2 - NIA without external & party walls
The Floor Area available on an exclusive basis to an occupier measured internally to any Notional Boundaries, the Internal Dominant Face, Demising Walls and including any External Floor Areas, Sheltered Areas and Secondary Areas.
Areas measured but stated separately include:
• Sheltered Areas;
• External Floor Areas;
• Enclosed walkways or passages connecting separate Buildings, which form part of occupier’s exclusive area;
• Mezzanines;
• Vertical technical penetrations with openings equal to or greater than 0.1m2 and their surrounding Walls;
• Limited use area(s) not otherwise identified above
What is construction to ‘shell and core’?
The basic structure, services and envelope of the building and the fit out of landlord / common areas.
What is Value
The ratio between the benefit derived from a course of action and the cost or effort required to achieve it.
What is Value Management
The process of defining what value means to a client and the process of ensuring maximum value for the client is delivered
VE is one of these processes
Value management usually incorporates a series of workshops, interviews and reviews, through which the project requirements are evaluated against the means of achieving them
What is Value Engineering
It is about reducing the overall cost of a construction project, without affecting function, quality or performance.
Eliminating unnecessary cost from the project
What happens during the VE Process
The project team will meet and suggest different VE proposals, which will be analysed against the client’s objectives
When are Value Management and Value Engineering carried out?
Stage 1-4 - Value Management
Stage 5 - Value Engineering
How and are Value Management and Value Engineering carried out?
(a) Understand the problem - workshop with stakeholders to collect information
(b) Identify different solutions - Brainstorm to generate ideas and solutions
(c) Evaluate the different solutions - Investigate solutions
(d) Develop the shortlisted solutions in more detail
(e) Identify the best solution and make recommendations - report
What is the difference between Value Management and Value Engineering?
VM takes place during the earlier stages of a project and that, once designs and specifications have been developed, the same process becomes VE.
What are the benefits of VM and VE to clients and delivery teams
VM and VE aim to maximise project value given the time, cost and quality constraints. However, it should be recognised that improving whole-life project value sometimes requires extra initial capital expenditure.
What are Life Cycle Costs
The costs that will be incurred over a period of operating and maintaining a building
This includes repair, maintenance, replacement, cleaning, decorating and disposal.
What are the advantages of life cycle costing
a. Allows consideration of the long-term implications of a decision.
b. Enables informed decisions to be made on material selection.
C. Can result in lower operational, maintenance and replacement costs.
What are the disadvantages of life cycle costing
a. The cost of defects caused by bad workmanship and design faults cannot be predicted.
B. It is hard to predict life spans, future inflation and maintenance requirements over long periods.
What costs should be considered in life cycle costing
a. Capital costs.
b. Operational costs.
c. Maintenance costs.
d. Replacement costs.
e. Disposal costs.
