Preliminary design

Preliminary design, called avan proje in Turkish practice, is where early sketches become a coherent, scaled architectural scheme. Room sizes and relationships, the outline of the structural system, the number of floors and the character of the facades are settled here. Construction detail comes later; the aim is to get the big decisions right.

What a preliminary design includes

• A site plan and floor plans
• Key sections and elevations
• Approximate area schedules and a check against zoning conditions
• Often perspectives or renders to explain the scheme in 3D

Why it matters

Change is cheapest at this stage. A badly placed stair or a floor height that is too low can be fixed with a few lines; in construction documents the same change ripples through structure, services and every detail. That is why client sign-off, and early conversations with authorities where needed, happen now. Some Turkish municipalities ask for preliminary design approval before the permit process begins.

Visuals prepared at this stage help clients genuinely understand what they are approving. Our article on developing an architectural concept design follows the journey from first idea to preliminary scheme.