A Villa Design Brief: What to Write Before the First Drawing

A villa design brief needs more than a bedroom count. Two families may both request three bedrooms, while one needs a quiet place to work and the other needs space for weekend visitors. If this distinction only emerges after a drawing is presented, the designer has to revisit the starting assumptions. A clear brief moves the first conversation from appearance to the way the building will actually be used.

Describe a real day

Consider an ordinary day and a busy day separately. Who gets up first? Where will food be prepared and served? Will visitors stay for a few hours or overnight? Instead of “a large living room”, write “six people should be able to talk while someone else reads in a separate space”. The number describes an imaginary household; the design team still needs to assess the space required for the actual project.

Give each request a priority

Use three groups: essential, preferred and to be investigated. Add a reason to each item. “A defined place for gardening equipment because it currently gathers beside the entrance” gives more useful information than an unspecified request for storage. If family members disagree, record the different views. A design meeting is less useful when it starts from a supposedly shared requirement that nobody has actually agreed.

Include equipment and relationships

List the items you expect to use, such as an existing table, cooking equipment or leisure equipment. Measure items that already exist and mark unknown details for future purchases. Also identify activities that should be close together and those that need separation. The designer must then review circulation, access and the final arrangement as part of the project. A list of possessions does not by itself establish suitable room dimensions.

Try one example row

• Activity: gathering travel bags before leaving.
• Users: family members and accompanying guests.
• Current problem: bags obstruct the living area.
• Priority: essential; proposed location: open for design review.
• Meeting question: could this activity be organised near the entrance?

This format describes the problem without deciding the architectural answer in advance. Make a similar row for other activities. If you attach reference photographs, explain what you value in each one, such as a connection to the garden, rather than simply saying that you like the image.

Complete the brief through discussion

Date the brief, name the person coordinating comments and keep unresolved questions visible. RIBA’s guide to working with an architect also highlights clear requirements and building functions in the brief. Develop your own document with the designer and the actual site conditions in mind. Explore villa design and construction management and the single-storey or duplex villa guide when preparing the next discussion.