Worked example & fields
Illustrative teaching extension of The Window Room. Pending review; not a client record, supplier quote, site survey, or construction-ready document.
Worked example preview · DOCX
- Project purpose
Describe the change the project should achieve in one sentence, without naming products too early.
A place to read. A place to gather. A little more room for everyday life.
- Room and source information
Record the room reference, dimension source, survey date, and confidence. Nominal dimensions are not site verification.
The Window Room: 5000 × 4000 mm; ceiling 2800 mm. Nominal sample dimensions, not a survey.
- Functional priorities
Rank activities and distinguish essential needs from optional additions.
Bring reading, conversation, and storage into one room.
- Retained conditions
State fixed conditions and what requires condition checks.
Retain the existing oak floor; Keep the window and entrance positions; Bring reading, conversation, and storage into one room
- Design direction
Name the agreed concept and explain why it serves the brief. Keep alternatives identifiable.
Pale oak, warm mineral walls, and linen. A calm material palette lets the light and the existing floor lead.
- Deliverables and exclusions
List the proposed outputs; refer to a separate scope document for responsibility and limits.
Illustrative brief, concept comparison, WR-01 furnished plan, WR-02 joinery elevation, and partial materials schedule. No construction-ready package.
- Open decisions
Record the question, required information, owner, and next review. Unknown is a valid status.
Wall finish area to survey; final sofa model and supplier to specify; budget and dates not established.
- Review record
Capture the revision, reviewer, date, and what was agreed. A filled example is not actual approval.
R0; pending review; no client approval represented.
How to use this template
Complete this after discovery, not instead of discovery. Read the objectives back to the client in plain language. Revisit the brief when scope changes rather than quietly changing its meaning in a presentation. Preserve the agreed brief revision when discussing new needs; review effects on scope separately.
- Extract needs and constraints from the questionnaire.
- Check each proposed deliverable against the objectives.
- Confirm unresolved items and review the brief before starting the next phase.
Make the brief testable without specifying too early
A brief should help you compare options against the same requirements. Separate a need, a retained condition, and a proposed response. If the response changes, the underlying need may remain valid.
A later request for another room is not a minor wording edit. Record it as a possible scope change and review its effects before inserting it into the agreed baseline.
| Entry type | Window Room example | What to review next |
|---|---|---|
| Need | Reading, conversation, and storage in one room. | Whether the proposed relationships serve the household. |
| Constraint | Retain floor and opening positions. | Survey the dimensions and condition; do not infer them from the concept image. |
| Response | Develop Quiet Oak with F-01 seating and J-01 storage. | Concept decision only; product and technical details remain open. |
| Unresolved | Budget, dates, final F-01 model. | Name the information needed and a responsible person when appointed. |
Review before use
- Avoid vague aims such as “make it better” without explaining use.
- Do not hide exclusions in notes that nobody reviews.
- Do not treat a signed-off aesthetic direction as approval of dimensions or cost.
Units, source information, and US use
The worked example keeps its original nominal metric dimensions. For a US project, choose and label a primary imperial or metric convention, distinguish item counts from areas, and document any display conversion and rounding. Never relabel metric values as imperial or treat conversion as site verification.
Make it your own
Separate blank and worked-example documents. Edit the blank copy in Word or a compatible document editor.
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About this resource
Authored by OpenLintel with AI assistance. Examples are illustrative and have not received independent professional review. Adapt the structure to your practice and verify project-specific information. No legal agreement, regulatory compliance, or construction readiness is represented.
See the information connect
Follow the corresponding chapter of The Window Room: one illustrative brief, one selected direction, and coordinated sample references.
Explore the sample briefDiscuss your studio’s workflow
If the agreed brief stops being visible once drawings begin, bring that coordination problem to a pilot discovery conversation.
Request a pilot discovery conversation