This is the earliest, loosest form of schematic design. It focuses on the big idea and the project’s identity.

• Massing studies (2–4 options)
• High‑level site strategy
• Rough adjacency diagrams
• Early aesthetic direction
• No technical detailing

This is the most common SD type — the one you use for contractor‑ready clarity. It defines the functional logic of the building.

• Floor plan layouts with room sizes
• Circulation and flow
• Preliminary elevations
• Basic code feasibility (egress, clearances)
• Early structural assumptions

This version pushes SD slightly deeper to ensure the concept is buildable and budget-aligned before DD.

• Refined massing with approximate dimensions
• Preliminary structural grid
• Envelope strategy (window rhythm, wall thickness assumptions)
• Early MEP considerations (mechanical zones, equipment locations)
• Rough cost alignment