The design stage in Kenya: what happens from brief to planning approval

The design stage begins after feasibility has confirmed a project is viable and ends when planning approval is obtained and working drawings are issued to the contractor for pricing. Between those two points is a structured sequence of professional work involving the architect, structural engineer, MEP engineer, and quantity surveyor working in coordination.

The total duration of a design stage for a mid-scale project in Kenya — a residential apartment block or small commercial building — is typically 4–8 months from brief to planning approval, plus 2–3 months for working drawings. Clients who try to compress this timeline by running stages in parallel or skipping detailed design in favour of a 'build and detail later' approach consistently spend more in construction than they save in design time.

This guide covers each stage in sequence: brief, scheme design, design development, planning submission, and working drawings. It references the professional services involved at each stage and how they coordinate.

The design brief is the first formal document of the design stage. It translates the client's requirements into a buildable specification: number of units or floor area, accommodation schedule, quality specification, target cost per m², programme, and any specific constraints or requirements.

A good brief is detailed enough to give the architect a precise target, but not so prescriptive that it pre-determines design decisions before analysis. The brief should include: the development programme (number of apartments, flat types, gross floor area target); the specification level (basic, standard, or luxury finish); the target construction cost or budget constraint; any views, adjacencies, or orientation preferences; and any non-negotiable constraints from the GIS analysis (setbacks, height limit, FAR).

The brief is agreed between the client and the architect before design work begins. Changes to the brief after scheme design has started require a design reset, which costs time and — if extensive — additional fees. Investing time in a thorough brief at the outset is the highest-value activity in the design process.

The REDM platform's client brief tool captures this information systematically and creates a digital brief document that is shared with the design team. Use the project check at `/feasibility/wizard` to begin this process.

Scheme design is the first design stage. The architect prepares sketch proposals — floor plans, sections, and elevations — that respond to the brief, the site constraints, and the project's development parameters. The purpose of scheme design is to test the layout, confirm the development quantum, and establish the overall architectural approach.

At scheme design stage, the structural engineer and MEP engineer are already appointed. They review the architect's proposals for structural viability (column grid, floor-to-floor height, foundation implications) and MEP coordination (plant room location, duct routing, riser positions, generator and substation space).

The quantity surveyor prepares an updated cost plan at scheme design stage, comparing the emerging design against the brief budget. If the cost plan indicates the scheme is over budget, the architect adjusts the design before it proceeds to detailed design — not after. This is the control point.

Scheme design concludes with a client presentation and approval. The client signs off on the scheme before detailed design begins. This sign-off is a contractual milestone: changes requested after scheme approval may attract variation fees.

Design development takes the approved scheme and works it up to a level of detail sufficient for planning submission and — eventually — working drawings. At this stage, the design is fully coordinated across all disciplines: architectural, structural, MEP, and where applicable, landscaping and interior design.

The architectural team produces detailed floor plans, sections, elevations, and external finishes schedules. The structural engineer designs the foundation system, column and beam grid, and slab depths. The MEP engineer designs the HVAC, electrical, plumbing, and drainage systems. The QS updates the cost plan against the developed design.

Coordination between disciplines is critical at this stage. The structural grid must align with the architectural layout. The MEP duct routes must fit within the ceiling void without conflicting with structural beams. Drainage invert levels must work with the floor-to-floor heights. Where BIM (Building Information Modelling) is in use, this coordination is carried out in the 3D model and clashes are detected before drawings are issued.

The design development stage also covers the specification — the written description of all materials, products, and workmanship standards that will be used in the building. The specification is as important as the drawings for construction quality control and for preparing the BoQ.

Planning submission in Kenya is made to the county physical planning department, with parallel submissions to NEMA (if an EIA is required), the county fire department, and the Water Services Regulatory Board (WASREB) for drainage connections.

The planning submission package includes: site plan and plot coverage calculation; architectural drawings (plans, sections, elevations) stamped by BORAQS-registered architect; structural drawings stamped by EBK-registered structural engineer; MEP drawings stamped by EBK-registered MEP engineer; and supporting documentation (title deed, survey plan, BoQ estimate, list of neighbours for notification).

The county planning process in Mombasa involves: submission of drawings for checking; provisional approval or request for amendments; public notification period (14–21 days); and issue of the development permission. This process typically takes 2–4 months for a straightforward residential project. Projects requiring an EIA add 3–6 months for the EIA preparation and NEMA review.

The full approvals process — county, NEMA, fire, NCA — is covered in detail in the statutory approvals guide at `/insights/statutory-approvals-mombasa-county-nema-nca-fire`.

Working drawings are the detailed construction documents from which the building is built. They include: large-scale floor plans (1:50 or larger for key areas); detailed sections through complex junctions; door and window schedules; finishes schedules; structural reinforcement drawings; MEP installation drawings; drainage layouts; and any specialist drawings (kitchen layouts, lift shaft details, facade details).

Working drawings are prepared in parallel with (or immediately after) planning approval. They are issued to the quantity surveyor for preparation of the bill of quantities and to contractors for pricing the tender.

The standard of working drawings determines the standard of construction. Incomplete or inconsistent working drawings are the most common cause of variation claims during construction — the contractor encounters an uncoordinated detail and requests an instruction, which generates a cost.

Professional fees for the design stage across the full team (architect at 6%, structural at 3%, MEP at the applicable rate) represent approximately 13–18% of construction cost for a fully serviced appointment. These are not discretionary costs — they are the mechanism by which construction quality, regulatory compliance, and cost control are delivered. For an overview of the full fee structure, see the professional fees guide at `/insights/professional-fees-architects-qs-engineers-kenya`.