ZEROHOUSE KNOWLEDGE
Guides, methods and limitations: Design Audit
How to coordinate architectural, structural and services design packages
Design develops decisions; an audit checks a defined document set and its assumptions. Both need a clear brief but produce different outputs. A short consultation should not be expected to create every missing package, nor a junction check to validate an entire house. This section explains the documents and questions relevant at different stages.
Add use patterns, comfort needs, budget boundaries and site information to the room schedule. For each objective, identify an assessment route: calculation, drawing, inspection or measurement. “Very energy efficient” is not an acceptance criterion. Keep unknown inputs marked until evidence is available, particularly when costly decisions depend on them.
Plans, sections, specifications and services diagrams should describe the same option. Check levels, penetrations, equipment space and the relationship between junctions and the model. Replacing a window or material requires more than editing one estimate line: connected decisions need reassessment. An observation register should identify responsibility, action and the document revision that resolves the issue.
Assemble the current set and name the decision that must be made soon. Guides on stages, briefs, audits and construction support help define the necessary scope. Checklists describe preparation completeness but do not validate drawings. If construction is already complete, some questions require investigation of actual conditions rather than design review alone. Distinguishing those evidence needs helps avoid drawing a conclusion about hidden work from documents that show only what was intended.
