Commercial Building Project

Commercial Building Project Architectural Design Brief – Commercial Building Renovation Location: Ovča area, Belgrade, Serbia Project type: Renovation and commercial adaptation of an existing two-level building Main scope: Full architectural and technical design of the commercial building Secondary context only: Warehouse in plan and overall site arrangement This brief was prepared with the assistance of AI based on the owner’s existing information, photographs, measurements, drawings, and previously developed visual concepts. All dimensions and existing conditions must be checked before producing final construction documentation. 1. Project overview The property consists of: 1. A public road and property entrance. 2. A front parking and vehicle-maneuvering area. 3. An existing two-level commercial building. 4. An existing warehouse behind the commercial building. The main objective of this assignment is to fully design and technically develop the renovation of the existing commercial building within its current structural and architectural configuration. The architect is expected to develop the project from the existing condition through concept design, interior design, technical coordination and contractor-ready documentation. The warehouse is not part of the design assignment. It should only be considered when planning the commercial building’s function and appearance. 2. Main project objective The commercial building should become a modern, practical and commercially attractive space that can support the warehouse and be rented to different types of tenants. Potential uses include: • Showroom and customer reception. • Offices and administration. • Meeting rooms. • Staff workspace. • E-commerce or logistics administration. • Wholesale or distribution company offices. • Supporting facilities for the warehouse tenant. The design should remain flexible and should not be created specifically for one company or industry. The finished property should feel: • Professional. • Contemporary. • Practical. • Durable. • Easy to maintain. • Commercially attractive. • Realistic for the local Serbian market. • Cost-conscious without looking cheap. The project should not become unnecessarily luxurious, decorative or architecturally complicated. 3. Confirmed site arrangement The following site arrangement must be used as the fixed basis: • Approximate parcel width: 30 metres. • The commercial building is located in front of the warehouse. • The commercial building and warehouse are physically separate. • They must not be connected. • There is approximately 5–8 metres of open space between them. • The main driveway, delivery access and vehicle circulation are on the left side of the property when viewed from the public road. • The commercial building is positioned approximately 2.5 metres from the right parcel boundary. • The warehouse is positioned approximately 1.5 metres from the right parcel boundary. • Parking is located in front of the commercial building. • A realistic pedestrian transition and maneuvering zone must remain between the parking area and the building. • The site should use a practical wire or metal fence, potentially combined with a low parapet where appropriate. The architect may improve the detailed layout of parking, pedestrian circulation, landscaping, lighting and entrance organization, but the overall building positions and sequence must remain unchanged. 4. Commercial building – confirmed information The existing building configuration is fixed. The architect must not remove, relocate or add walls, columns, structural elements, stairs, doors, windows, balconies, roof elements or additional rooms. The project concerns finishes, furnishing, lighting, technical installations, façade treatment and the functional use of the existing spaces. The existing commercial building has an approximate footprint of: 9 × 9 metres It consists of two usable levels: • Ground floor. • Upper floor / converted attic level. The building already exists and the project should be based on realistic renovation and adaptation. It should not be treated as a completely new structure unless a specific element must be reconstructed for technical reasons. Confirmed internal characteristics The design must respect the following existing characteristics: • The main entrance is on the left side of the front façade, when viewed from the main property approach. • The internal corridor is straight. • The staircase is positioned along the left wall. • The bathroom is located toward the rear of the building. • Do not invent unnecessary columns, openings, rooms, windows, balconies or additional floors. • Existing door and window openings must be retained in their current positions and dimensions. Previous photographs, sketches, drawings and renders will be provided as reference material. 5. Required functional concept Ground floor The ground floor should have the strongest customer-facing and commercial character. It should ideally include: • Main entrance. • Reception or welcome area. • Showroom or flexible presentation area. • Small waiting or informal meeting area. • Straight circulation corridor. • Access to the staircase. • Bathroom toward the rear. • Storage, technical or cleaning space where realistically possible. • Direct and logical relationship with the external parking and pedestrian entrance. The ground floor should be flexible enough to function either as: • A showroom. • Reception and office space. • A combination of showroom and administration. • A tenant’s customer service or sales area. The plan should avoid creating too many small rooms. The proposed functions and furniture must be arranged within the existing room configuration. No wall removal, relocation or construction of new rooms is included in the project. Upper floor The upper floor should mainly function as an office and staff area. It may include: • Open workspace. • One or more private work areas, where possible within the existing room configuration. • Meeting area. • Staff kitchenette or coffee point. • Storage. • Technical installations where required. • Flexible work areas. The upper floor may remain primarily open and flexible. 6. Required architectural design work The selected architect is expected to provide a complete architectural solution for the commercial building. The work should include: A. Existing-condition reconstruction The architect must first create an accurate digital model of the existing building based on: • Existing drawings. • Photographs. • Videos. • Owner-provided measurements. The first milestone should be confirmation of: • External dimensions. • Internal dimensions. • Wall thicknesses. • Floor-to-floor heights. • Ceiling and roof heights. • Stair geometry. • Columns and structural walls. • Beams. • Existing door and window openings. • Roof slopes. • Balcony, if confirmed. • Plumbing and drainage locations. • Existing electrical supply. • Existing heating or cooling systems. B. Space planning Provide at least one recommended final functional and furniture layout for each floor, based on the existing building configuration. The architect may initially test a small number of alternatives, but the final submission should contain one coordinated recommended solution. The selected solution should prioritize: • Flexibility. • Commercial attractiveness. • Efficient circulation. • Maximum usable space. • Low renovation complexity. • Reasonable construction cost. • Easy maintenance. • Future rental potential. C. Exterior design Develop a complete renovation concept for the exterior of the commercial building, including: • Front façade. • Side façades. • Rear façade. • Entrance treatment. • External lighting. • Signage positions. • Façade colours and materials. • Renovation or replacement of existing doors and windows, without changing their positions or dimensions. • Rainwater drainage. • Base and plinth treatment. • Relationship with the parking and pedestrian entrance. The appearance should be contemporary and professional, but not extravagant. The design should not add unnecessary decorative elements, balconies, roof forms or openings. D. Interior design Provide a complete interior concept for both levels, including: • Floor materials. • Wall finishes. • Ceiling solutions. • Doors. • Stair finishes and railing. • Reception or showroom elements. • Office layouts. • Bathroom design. • Kitchenette or staff area. • Built-in storage where appropriate. • Lighting concept. • Furniture layout. • Colour and material palette. • Signage and wayfinding where relevant. Furniture should mainly be used to demonstrate function and scale. Custom furniture should only be proposed where it provides a clear practical benefit. 7. Technical design scope The architect should coordinate a complete technical solution for the renovation. Where the architect is not qualified to design a specific engineering discipline, they should coordinate the required information and clearly identify what must be completed or approved by a licensed local engineer in Serbia. Electrical installations Provide: • Power outlet layout. • Switch layout. • Lighting layout. • Dedicated power requirements. • Exterior lighting. • Emergency lighting where required. • Signage power supply. • Equipment schedules where practical. Lighting design Provide functional lighting for: • Showroom and reception. • Offices. • Staircase. • Corridors. • Bathroom. • Kitchenette. • Exterior entrance. • Building façade. • Parking and pedestrian access where relevant. The lighting should be energy-efficient, easy to maintain and commercially appropriate. Plumbing and drainage Provide: • Bathroom layout. • Sanitary fixture locations. • Water supply routes. • Wastewater routes. • Kitchenette connections. • Water heater location if required. • Floor drains where appropriate. • External drainage coordination where relevant. Existing connection points must be verified. Heating, cooling and ventilation Provide a practical HVAC concept suitable for the Serbian climate and commercial use. The solution should include: • Heating. • Cooling. • Fresh-air ventilation where required. • Bathroom extraction. • Air-conditioning unit positions. • Indoor and outdoor equipment positions. • Condensate drainage. • Equipment access and maintenance. • Basic capacity assumptions. The system should be energy-efficient, cost-effective and suitable for different future tenants. Fire-safety coordination, where applicable The architect should consider: • Escape routes. • Exit doors. • Emergency lighting. • Fire extinguisher locations. • Fire detection requirements. • Material fire ratings. • Stair and corridor safety. • Maximum permitted occupancy. • Applicable Serbian regulations. The final fire-safety design and approval must be completed by an authorised local professional where legally required. Security and communications Provide preparation for: • Internet connection. • Wi-Fi access points. • Data cabling. • Video surveillance. • Alarm system. • Access control. • Intercom or door communication. • Server or communications cabinet. 8. Site and external-area coordination Although the main assignment concerns the commercial building, the architect should also prepare a practical concept immediately around the building. This should include: • Pedestrian route from the entrance and parking. • Building entrance zone. • Accessible and safe entry. • Parking relationship. • Space between parking and the façade. • External steps or ramps where needed. • Drainage around the building. • Exterior lighting. • Signage location. • Minimal, low-maintenance landscaping. • Coordination with the left-side vehicle driveway. • Separation between pedestrian and truck circulation where possible. The main warehouse access and delivery circulation must not be blocked. 9. Warehouse background – information only The existing warehouse is positioned behind the commercial building. Confirmed approximate warehouse dimensions: • Width: 22 metres. • Length: 43 metres. • The 43-metre dimension runs along the depth of the parcel. The warehouse is an existing high, open industrial hall intended for: • Storage. • Logistics. • Wholesale. • Distribution. • E-commerce fulfilment. • Light industrial use. The warehouse should be assumed to remain separate from the commercial building. No warehouse design work is required The architect is not expected to: • Redesign the warehouse. • Produce warehouse floor plans. • Design the warehouse structure. • Prepare warehouse electrical plans. • Prepare warehouse HVAC plans. • Design warehouse loading systems. • Produce warehouse interior renders. • Change warehouse dimensions. • Connect the warehouse to the commercial building. The warehouse should only be shown where necessary in: • Site plans. • Exterior context views. • Vehicle-circulation drawings. • Overall property visualizations. • Façade and signage coordination. Any time spent on detailed warehouse design must be approved separately by the owner. 10. Required drawings and deliverables The final package should include, at minimum: Existing-condition drawings • Existing ground-floor plan. • Existing upper-floor plan. • Existing roof plan. • Existing elevations. • Existing building sections. • Existing-condition 3D model. Proposed architectural drawings • Proposed ground-floor plan. • Proposed upper-floor plan. • Proposed roof plan if affected. • Furniture layouts. • Dimensioned plans. • Floor-finish plans. • Reflected ceiling plans. • Door schedule. • Window schedule. • Internal elevations. • External elevations. • At least two relevant building sections. • Stair details. • Bathroom details. • Kitchenette details. • Important custom joinery details. • Entrance details. • Façade details. • Signage locations. Technical drawings • Electrical outlet plan. • Switch plan. • Lighting plan. • Data and communication plan. • Security-system preparation. • Plumbing and drainage plan. • HVAC layout. • Ventilation layout. • Equipment locations. • Emergency-lighting and fire-safety coordination. • Exterior lighting plan. • Basic external drainage concept. Specifications Provide a clear material and equipment schedule containing: • Material type. • Product category. • Key technical performance. • Suggested finish. • Suggested quality level. • Approximate quantities where possible. • One recommended product or equivalent specification. The design should not depend on products that are difficult to source in Serbia. Visualizations Provide photorealistic visualizations showing the final coordinated design. Minimum expected views: • Main exterior approach. • Commercial building front façade. • Entrance and parking relationship. • Ground-floor showroom or reception. • Ground-floor secondary view. • Stair and circulation area. • Upper-floor office area. • Upper-floor secondary view. • Bathroom. • Kitchenette or staff area, if included. All renders must match the final drawings. The geometry, windows, doors, columns, staircase and room arrangement must remain consistent between every image. Digital files Final files should be supplied in: • PDF. • Editable CAD format, such as DWG. • Editable 3D/BIM format used by the architect. • High-resolution JPG or PNG renders. • Source files for the final model and drawings. The owner must receive the editable project files, not only exported PDFs and images. 11. Construction documentation standard The final drawings should contain enough information for Serbian contractors to understand the intended renovation and prepare reliable quotations. The package should clearly show: • Dimensions. • Heights. • Materials. • Finish transitions. • Installation positions. • Equipment positions. • Important renovation, installation and finishing details. The architect should avoid leaving important decisions to be improvised during construction. The project does not need to include legally stamped Serbian permit documentation unless separately agreed. However, it should be technically coordinated enough to be reviewed and adapted by a licensed Serbian architect or engineer. 12. Cost-conscious design requirement The project should be designed around a realistic renovation budget. The architect should actively avoid: • Unnecessary structural changes. • Moving plumbing over long distances. • Excessive custom joinery. • Expensive façade systems. • Large amounts of decorative lighting. • Luxury stone or specialist finishes. • Unnecessary glass partitions. • Features that only suit one specific tenant. Investment should be concentrated on features that improve: • Rental value. • First impression. • Durability. • Energy efficiency. • Lighting quality. • Tenant comfort. • Flexibility. • Maintenance cost. • Ease of operation. The architect should flag any proposal that may significantly increase the renovation budget. 13. Design principles The selected proposal should follow these principles: 1. Commercial flexibility The building must work for several tenant profiles. 2. Professional appearance It should look credible as a showroom, office and logistics-support building. 3. Durable materials Use robust, easy-to-clean and easily replaceable finishes. 4. Energy efficiency Use efficient lighting, insulation and HVAC solutions where economically reasonable. 5. Low maintenance Avoid complicated façade details and specialist materials. 6. Visual consistency All drawings and renders must represent the same approved design. 7. Local practicality Materials, systems and construction methods should be suitable for Serbia. 8. Rental attractiveness Every major design decision should be assessed based on whether it improves rent, tenant demand or vacancy risk. 14. Recommended project stages Stage 1 – Existing-condition model • Review all provided information. • Reconstruct the existing building. • Produce accurate existing plans and 3D model. • Obtain owner approval before starting the final design. Stage 2 – Concept design • Develop the recommended functional and furniture layout within the existing building configuration. • Develop exterior and interior concept. • Establish material palette. • Establish basic HVAC, lighting and installation strategy. • Provide concept renders and plans. Stage 3 – Design development • Coordinate all rooms, materials and systems. • Resolve technical conflicts. • Confirm lighting, HVAC and equipment positions. • Update the 3D model and renders. Stage 4 – Technical documentation • Prepare dimensioned architectural drawings. • Prepare technical installation layouts. • Prepare details, schedules and specifications. • Prepare the contractor package. Stage 5 – Final package • Implement final corrections. • Deliver coordinated PDFs. • Deliver editable CAD and model files. • Deliver high-resolution final renders. • Provide a written list of items requiring local engineering or regulatory approval. Each stage should be approved before progressing to the next stage. 15. Expected final result At the end of the assignment, the owner should have one complete and coordinated renovation design for the commercial building that can be: • Used to request contractor quotations. • Used as the basis for renovation. • Presented to potential tenants. • Used for future marketing and rental. • Adapted to the final tenant without major reconstruction. The main priority is not simply to create beautiful images. The priority is to produce a practical, technically coordinated and commercially sensible renovation project that can realistically be implemented.