The term ‘blueprint’ might bring to mind a large roll of dark blue paper with bold white lines that outline details of a technical drawing. Today, technology and processes have advanced and ‘blueprints’ are referred to as ‘drawings’ and are created digitally - but their purpose and importance have not changed. Drawings shape and define a vision, long before a shovel hits the ground, that one day becomes a Concert Properties community.
Drawings are a bridge that connects many departments from the early stages of envisioning, to the design and construction of a building, to the sales and marketing to potential customers. They ensure the collaboration, decision-making and shared vision is consistent from start to finish.
Concert Properties begins the drawings process by leveraging its deep knowledge of what our future residents want and expect. The development team collaborates with the sales and marketing or property management team to provide the architect with a clear program for a building before the first sketch is produced. The drawings are then guided through a process of continual refinement. “It starts with simple ideas that evolve and become detailed drawings as we progress,” says Michael Guenter, Vice President, Development. “Through drawings, our vision is realized as we transform these ideas into concrete plans.” Concept drawings are approved after a thorough planning and collaboration process across departments, consultants and governing bodies.
They are then handed over to our construction team who in turn create detailed construction directions in the form of working drawings. This step establishes consistency and a means of communication between everyone involved in the construction process. For Benson Chow, Director, Construction, drawings are at the core of his work. “It’s the cornerstone – a common language spoken between architects, engineers, contractors and everyone else involved throughout the project’s lifecycle,” says Benson. “We go through an iterative design process – building upon, improving and coordinating thousands of pages of drawings and specification.”
Jennifer Brown, Director, Product & Interior Design, emphasizes the role of drawings as a tool for verification. “I use them to check and confirm design details with the construction team, ensuring that what is being built aligns precisely with the intended design,” says Jennifer.
Drawings play an important role in the marketing and sales process. For Gwen Tang, Vice President, Sales, drawings provide the necessary details to create marketing materials such as floorplans, renderings, animations and other virtual experiences for websites and Presentation Centres. “When potential purchasers can't physically experience a property, the assets created from the drawings give them a clear visual understanding – from room sizes to the building amenities.”
In honour of the importance of these drawings, we named our monthly newsletter Blueprint in 1995, a name which continues to this day. Subscribe to Blueprint at the bottom of our news page here.