Prior to a formal project kickoff, the design team must perform essential due diligence to establish a feasible project framework. Evaluating site availability is a critical initial step because it directly dictates when physical work, site surveys, and other essential on-site activities can begin. This information is fundamental to developing a realistic preliminary project schedule. Presenting this schedule at the kickoff meeting is crucial for aligning the client and all stakeholders on the project timeline, milestones, and overall expectations from the very beginning.

A. Cost analysis and value engineering are typically performed after initial programming and schematic design phases, once a design direction has been established.

C. System performance is evaluated during the design development phase, and subcontractor availability is a concern for the general contractor during the later procurement/bidding stage.

1. Ballast

D. K. (2012). Interior Design Reference Manual: Everything You Need to Know to Pass the NCIDQ Exam (6th ed.). Professional Publications

Inc. In Chapter 9

"Project Management

" the section on "Project Planning" emphasizes that developing the schedule is one of the first and most critical tasks for a project manager

which inherently requires knowledge of site access and constraints (pp. 9-2 to 9-4).

2. Piotrowski

C. M. (2017). Professional Practice for Interior Designers (6th ed.). Wiley. Chapter 11

"Project Management

" details the project initiation and planning phases. It clarifies that establishing the project schedule is a primary task after the contract is signed and before design work commences

with constraints like site availability being a key input (pp. 288-290).

3. Cornell University

College of Human Ecology. (n.d.). DEA 4500 - Professional Practices and Ethics Course Description. The course outline for professional practice in design covers the sequence of a project

emphasizing that project initiation involves defining scope

schedule

and budget as foundational elements before proceeding to design phases. This confirms that scheduling is an upfront activity.