[Project Name]

Client	[Name]
Address	[Address]
Contact	[Email]	[Telephone]
Client Representative	[Name]	[Role]
Contact	[Email]	[Telephone]

Architect	[Practice name]
Address	[Address]
Contact	[Email]	[Telephone]

Project Number	[Project Number]	Riba Stage
Revision	[Revision number]	[Revision date]
Comment on Revision	[Comment]

Project Stakeholders

Name	[Name]
[Role]
Address	[Address]
Contact	[Email]	[Telephone]

Client Values

[What do you do, what are your values, what are your long-term goals?]

Project Vision Statement

[Enter a short vision statement for a new requirement, an idea or a problem to be solved]

Budget	To calculate the estimated construction budget available, please refer to the separate Excel template provided.

Planning Considerations

Local Planning Authority	[Name of Local Planning Authority]
Conservation Area	[Name of conservation area, if applicable]
Listed Status	[Listing grade or application status, if applicable]
Site Conditions	[Note any site conditions that might impact on planning application and use, such as existing trees, biodiversity, archaeological finds, or contamination.]

Use Classes

Current Use Class(es)	[Current Use Class(es)]
Proposed Use Class(es)	[Proposed Use Class(es)]

Relevant Planning Policies or Guidance

Policy	[Policy name]
Relevance to Project	[Relevance]

Precedents in the area

Case Number	[Case number]
Address	[Address]
Comment	[Comment]

Look & Feel	What is the desired look & feel of the project? Highlight, delete or add the terms that describe the intended character best.

contextual	fuss free	minimal	quaint
opulent	contemporary	timeless	solemn
whimsical	organic	hand-made	spacious
sturdy	intimate	bold	soft
polished	raw	calming	colourful
comfortable	playful	extrovert	iconic
high-tech	secluded	hard-wearing	pristine
casual	provocative	futuristic	modest

Client Needs	What are the key benefits the client wants to achieve? For every project, this should include financial, cost and programme targets. Considerations may also include the core goals of the client (organisation), eg productivity, operational effectiveness or quality of life.

Objective	[What do you want to achieve?]
Benefit	[Why do you want to achieve it?]
Risk	[What could go wrong?]
Risk Level	Low Medium High

User Experience	How will the user experience the building or space? Considerations may include usability, accessibility and inclusion, safety, comfort and wellbeing, look and feel, and opportunity for interaction. Refer also to the Look & Feel page to inform the objectives.

Objective	[What do you want to achieve?]
Benefit	[Why do you want to achieve it?]
Risk	[What could go wrong?]
Risk Level	Low Medium High

Placemaking	How will the building or space relate to its surroundings? Considerations may include the scale and density of its context, surrounding uses, preferences for public accessibility or privacy, and visual amenity.

Objective	[What do you want to achieve?]
Benefit	[Why do you want to achieve it?]
Risk	[What could go wrong?]
Risk Level	Low Medium High

Culture and Community	What contributions will the project make to the culture of a place and the lives of people affected by it? Considerations may include the need for local infrastructure and amenities, the opportunity for citizens to inform and influence project outcomes, or impact on existing communities and uses.

Objective	[What do you want to achieve?]
Benefit	[Why do you want to achieve it?]
Risk	[What could go wrong?]
Risk Level	Low Medium High

Construction Impact	What strategies will help minimise the impact of construction? Considerations may include, efficient construction methods, embodied carbon, opportunities for reuse of existing buildings or materials; air, water or soil pollution and local water drainage and retention during construction. Considerations may also include human and social impacts, including health and safety on site, social responsibility, prevention of worker exploitation and modern slavery.

Objective	[What do you want to achieve?]
Benefit	[Why do you want to achieve it?]
Risk	[What could go wrong?]
Risk Level	Low Medium High

Energy Performance	What will be the energy performance of the building or space in use? Considerations may include building design and orientation, user behaviour, available energy sources and environmental regulation.

Objective	[What do you want to achieve?]
Benefit	[Why do you want to achieve it?]
Risk	[What could go wrong?]
Risk Level	Low Medium High

Operation and Maintenance	What will be key strategies for operating and maintaining the building or space over its lifetime? Considerations include the total budget for whole-life maintenance costs, construction quality and potential trade-offs between investment at design and construction stage and costs incurred during the project life time.

Objective	[What do you want to achieve?]
Benefit	[Why do you want to achieve it?]
Risk	[What could go wrong?]
Risk Level	Low Medium High

Flexibility and Adaptability	What future changes may the building or space need to accommodate? Considerations may include projected future user needs, business growth, technological developments, climate change, economic and social trends, regulatory environment, and changing aesthetic preferences. Lifecycle considerations include end of life and the potential for reuse or recycling of building materials and components.

Objective	[What do you want to achieve?]
Benefit	[Why do you want to achieve it?]
Risk	[What could go wrong?]
Risk Level	Low Medium High

Key Objectives	This table draws together all objectives developed above (update the table using the toolbar above). The key objectives should be set in Stage 0, reviewed in Stage 1 and confirmed in Stage 2.

Criteria	Objective	Benefit	Risk	Risk Level
1	Client Needs
2	User Experience
3	Placemaking
4	Culture and Community
5	Construction Impact
6	Energy Performance
7	Operation and Maintenance
8	Flexibility and Adaptability

Key Requirements	The key requirements should be informed by and help to achieve the project objectives. They should be set in Stage 1 and confirmed in Stage 2.

Functional or Performance Criteria	Relevant Objectives	Requirement	Target Metric
Functionality
Activities	[Reference relevant criteria here, eg user experience or client needs]	[Enter the requirements essential to achieving the key objectives]	[Target metrics may be quantitative or qualitative. Outcomes should be measured against the target metrics. Refer to the associated guidance for possible metrics or define your own.]
Access and Inclusion
Space
Storage
Indoor Environment
Acoustics
Indoor Air Quality
Lighting and Daylight
Thermal Comfort
Building Form
Floor to Ceiling Height (min)
Floor Depth to Height Ratio
Orientation/Aspect
Performance & Design Standards
BREEAM
WELL
Other
Services
Drainage
Heating and Cooling
Hot and Cold Water
ICT
Ventilation
Statutory Requirements
Design Codes
Fire Safety
Health & Safety
Sustainability
Biodiversity
Embodied Energy
Materials and Components
Maintenance
Operational Energy Use
POE/Soft Landings
Running Costs
Thermal Performance
Transport
Waste and Reuse
Water Consumption
U-values

Brief Tracker	Monitor progress against the brief throughout Stages 2-5, flag up objectives and requirements at risk using the End of Stage progress rating, and evaluate final outcomes in Stages 6-7. Populate the objectives by updating the Tracker in the toolbar above before manually tracking progress and noting outcomes.

Key Objectives

Criteria	Objective	End of Stage progress rating	Outcome
2	3	4	5
1	Client Needs
2	User Experience
3	Placemaking
4	Culture and Community
5	Construction Impact
6	Energy Performance
7	Operation and Maintenance
8	Flexibility and Adaptability

Key Requirements

Functional or Performance Criteria	Relevant Objectives	Requirement	Target Metric	End of Stage progress rating	Outcome
2	3	4	5
Functionality
Indoor Environment
Building Form
Performance and Design Standards
Services
Statutory Requirements
Sustainability

Information Exchanges	Recommended information exchanges from design team to client: Stage 0 — Strategic Brief: Vision Statement, Construction Budget and Key Objectives. Stage 1 — Initial Project Brief: Vision Statement, updated Construction Budget, updated Key Objectives and Key Requirements. Stage 2 — Final Project Brief: Vision Statement, updated Construction Budget, confirmed Key Objectives, confirmed Key Requirements. Additional documents and reference images may be attached at every briefing stage as needed. Stage 2-7 — The Brief Tracker is a recommended information exchange at the end of stages 2-6 and as part of any stage 7 POE activity. Stage 0-7 — Client approval should be recorded at each Key Deliverable/Milestone as set out below.

RIBA Work Stage	Key Milestones	Revision	Consultant Comments	Client Approval
0	Strategic Brief approved	[Revision number and date]	[Comment on progress against the brief and list outcomes or objectives at risk]	[Date and signature]
1	Initial Project Brief approved
2	Final Project Brief and concept design approved
3	Coordinated design approved against the brief
4	Technical design including specialist subcontractor design approved
5	Construction completed against the brief
6	Building contract completed (including defects fixing period and Soft Landings) – evaluation of completed building against the brief
7	Additional POE services – evaluation of building in use against the brief

0–2 Briefing	Develop brief
3–4 Design	Change control
5–6 Construction	Oversee building contract
7 Use	Test outcomes during life of building

Credits

The RIBA Briefing Template and Tracker was produced by:

Lucy Carmichael
RIBA Practice Department

Gesine Kippenberg
RIBA Practice Department

Alex Tait
RIBA Practice Department

Consultants:

Nigel Ostime
Hawkins/Brown

Michael Riebel
Hawkins/Brown

Graphic design:

Christian Kuesters
CHK Design

Programming:

Meta One Limited

Feedback

Your feedback, queries and comments are greatly appreciated and should be sent to practice@riba.org.

© RIBA 2018. Published by RIBA, 66 Portland Place, London, W1B 1AD

Cover image by Tess Martin