Design management
Ashfold provides design management services to architects and engineers named as lead designers on larger projects.
In our experience the definition of design management is dependent on the project.
On larger commissions architects and engineers are often given the role of lead consultant with responsibility for the design programme and managing deliverables. In this context the role of design manager is closer in scope to the project manager. Here it is the responsibility of the design manager to understand the context of the design, add or critique design ideas, and manage the strategic deliverables promised by the lead consultant.
On these larger projects there is often a requirement for additional management support with experience of the development process. The Ashfold team is retained by either the client, the architectural masterplanners, or engineering consultants to assist from both a project and a management perspective. For example, on international projects we have been commissioned to manage the deliverables expected by the client in their region.
The other most common scenario is for a design manager to be appointed by a contractor to manage the delivery of design information from the design team, and to manage the submission of the contractor’s sub-contractor design submission for approval by the design team. This type of appointment is usually associated with RIBA Stage 4 (Technical Design) – submission of contractor’s design portions (CDP) and working drawings for construction. In this context the design manager acts as the interface between the designers and the site-based installers.