20 Steps to Design Quality

	Introduction
	1. Start Project Book
	2. Review Advisor Resources
	3. Understand Design Timeline
	4. Obtain Professional Design Assistance
	5. Establish Design Goals for Occupants
	6. Establish Design Goals for Community
	7. Test the Site
	8. Begin Cost Analyses
	9. Assemble Project Design Team
	10. Develop 3 Site Plans
	11. Use Design Checklist
	12. Use O&M Checklist
	13. Prioritize Design Components
	14. Emphasize Design in Funding Applications
	15. Prioritize Construction Systems
	16. Prioritize Finishes & Hardware
	17. Monitor Bids
	18. Monitor Construction
	19. Create O&M Manual
	20. Complete Project Book

This shared patio is a direct extension of the community room used by all residents. The landscape design for this Greenburgh, New York project allows surrounding woods to enclose the project's buildings which, in turn, enclose a simple, open grassy area at the center. The sand play area in this courtyard-over-garage breaks up what would otherwise be a continuous paved area. See Gallery or Design Considerations Checklist for more Examples.

Welcome to a step-by-step guide to achieving design quality.

The 20 Steps listed below provide a systematic method for doing all you can to build design excellence into an affordable housing development project. They have been developed by owners and designers to provide a useful framework at every stage of the design, construction, operations and maintenance process.

Each step describes a set of actions to be undertaken and includes forms and checklists to help structure and guide the process. Each step also explains who should do it, when it should be done, why it is important, and how doing it will help move a project forward.

Individually, each step is a useful source of advice on strategies for achieving better design. Collectively, the 20 Steps are a powerful tool that can help make design excellence a reality for affordable housing developments across the country.

1. Start a Design-focused Workbook for the Project. 2. Review Design Advisor resources: the Design Considerations Checklist, the Gallery of Successful Projects and the Tools section. 3. Understand where design fits in the development timeline. 4. Obtain professional design assistance at the very beginning. 5. Analyze target occupants and establish resident-related design goals for the project. 6. Analyze the surrounding neighborhood and establish community-related design goals for the project. 7. Analyze the potential site to make sure they can physically accommodate the proposed project and provide easy access to the amenities and services its residents will need. 8. Begin cost analyses. 9. Assemble the right project design team. 10. Develop a minimum of 3 alternative site plan concepts for the project. 11. Use the Design Considerations Checklist to guide the design process. 12. Use the Operation & Maintenance Considerations Checklist to reality check the design process.

13. Identify and prioritize the key design components of the project - those that will do the most to meet user needs, respond to the context and enhance the neighborhood. 14. Stress the project's design quality in all funding and regulatory applications. 15. Identify and prioritize the key construction materials and systems for the project - those which are most critical to making the project "built to last." 16. Identify and prioritize the key finishes and hardware for the project - those which are most critical to making the project "built to last." 17. Monitor bids and review any material, system, finish or hardware substitutions to ensure that design objectives, especially the "built to last" goal, are not compromised. 18. Monitor construction to ensure that all key design, construction and finish goals are being met. 19. Create an operation and maintenance manual for the project. 20. Complete Project Book