What does consultant coordination involve?

Coordination failures are among the most expensive problems a project can have, and almost all of them are avoidable. We coordinate structural and building services information with the architectural design throughout the technical stage, integrating inputs as they arrive and resolving conflicts before information is issued for construction.

Where Technical Design sits in the RIBA process

0. Strategic Definition

1. Preparation & Briefing

2. Concept Design

7. Use

3. Spatial Coordination

6. Handover

5. Manufacturing & Construction

4. Technical Design

4. Technical Design

Detailed drawings, specifications and schedules are produced so the project can be priced, procured and built. Design responsibilities are pinned down and information is prepared for tender or for a contractor to manufacture and construct.

Look at the whole process

Why does coordination save money on site?

The result is a drawing set that agrees with itself. Contractors receive consistent information, site queries drop and the project avoids the delay and cost of resolving clashes in the ground or in the ceiling void.

Structural and services coordination

We coordinate with structural engineers and building services consultants throughout the technical stage.

Integration of technical inputs

Technical inputs are integrated into the design rather than appended to it.

Cross-discipline alignment

We align design across disciplines to ensure consistency in information and intent on site.

When should coordination start?

As early as structural and services designers are appointed. Clashes are cheapest to resolve while they exist only on drawings, and coordination left until information is issued for construction tends to surface in the ground, the ceiling void or the programme, where every fix costs more and takes longer.

A project we have worked on

Big Creative Academy

London

Education
New Build
College

Planning secured for a modern teaching block with three fashion studios, a central hub and facilities. AEC led from sketch through planning and technical drawings, then managed construction on site.

View project

FAQs

Which consultants do you coordinate with?

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Primarily structural engineers and mechanical and electrical consultants, plus specialists such as fire engineers, acousticians and landscape designers where the project includes them.

How does the coordination process work in practice?

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Information is exchanged and reviewed at agreed intervals, clashes and conflicts are logged and each issue is resolved with the relevant consultant before drawings are issued for pricing or construction.

Do the other consultants need to be appointed through you?

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No. We coordinate equally well with consultants appointed directly by the client. What matters is agreed information exchange, not the contractual route.

What are the risks of poor coordination?

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Clashes discovered on site, abortive work, variations and programme delay. Resolving a conflict on a drawing costs a fraction of resolving it in built fabric.

When should coordination start?

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Structural and services strategies should be integrated from concept stage, with detailed coordination intensifying through technical design. Leaving it until construction information is too late.

Do you run design team meetings?

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Yes, where the appointment includes it. We can chair design team meetings, manage the information programme and track actions across the consultant team.

What our clients say

From schools to homeowners, we work closely with every client to deliver thoughtful, lasting architecture here’s what they’ve said about working with us.

Sarah Mitchell
Headteacher, Hollowbrook primary

AEC understood exactly what our school needed a space that was calm, practical, and inspiring for students and teachers alike. The whole process felt collaborative from day one, and the end result has had a real impact on daily school life.

James Carter
Private homeowner, Cambridge

Working with AEC was seamless. They listened carefully, challenged our thinking in the right ways, and delivered a design that just works — light, functional, and surprisingly cost-efficient. We couldn’t be happier with the result.

Ravi Patel
Director, Ashore housing development

AEC brought clarity and creativity to a complex residential scheme. Their technical knowledge and attention to detail kept the project on track and their team were genuinely great to work with.

Sarah Mitchell
Headteacher, Hollowbrook primary

AEC understood exactly what our school needed a space that was calm, practical, and inspiring for students and teachers alike. The whole process felt collaborative from day one, and the end result has had a real impact on daily school life.

James Carter
Private homeowner, Cambridge

Working with AEC was seamless. They listened carefully, challenged our thinking in the right ways, and delivered a design that just works — light, functional, and surprisingly cost-efficient. We couldn’t be happier with the result.

Ravi Patel
Director, Ashore housing development

AEC brought clarity and creativity to a complex residential scheme. Their technical knowledge and attention to detail kept the project on track and their team were genuinely great to work with.

Sarah Mitchell
Headteacher, Hollowbrook primary

AEC understood exactly what our school needed a space that was calm, practical, and inspiring for students and teachers alike. The whole process felt collaborative from day one, and the end result has had a real impact on daily school life.

James Carter
Private homeowner, Cambridge

Working with AEC was seamless. They listened carefully, challenged our thinking in the right ways, and delivered a design that just works — light, functional, and surprisingly cost-efficient. We couldn’t be happier with the result.

Ravi Patel
Director, Ashore housing development

AEC brought clarity and creativity to a complex residential scheme. Their technical knowledge and attention to detail kept the project on track and their team were genuinely great to work with.

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