Ananya is a software architect at an OMR tech firm who inherited her grandparents' 1,200 sqft plot in Mylapore. The plot had sat undeveloped for four years — because every time she approached the question of building on it, the answers she received were too vague to act on. "Get an architect" was the consistent advice. But no one could tell her what getting an architect actually meant: what they would produce, how long it would take, what it would cost, and how their drawings connected to the actual building she wanted to live in. When she finally called Buildiyo at +91 7092166366 / +91 7092166266 / +91 7092166177 and asked the question directly — "What do architectural design services include?" — she received a structured answer for the first time. This blog is that answer. Architectural design services for a residential home in Chennai cover eight distinct phases, each producing specific deliverables that serve a specific purpose in the journey from an undeveloped plot to a completed home. Visit our dedicated architecture services page and our construction services page to see how Buildiyo integrates both under a single contract.
I had a plot I wanted to build on and no understanding of what getting an architect involved. Four years later, one phone call gave me a structured answer that the previous twenty conversations never had.
— Ananya, SholinganallurThe Structured Answer to "What Do Architectural Design Services Include?"
Eight phases, each with specific deliverables. The knowledge that lets you evaluate whether an architect is providing a complete service or a partial one.
Book a Free ConsultationWhat Architectural Design Services Include — and What Most People Do Not Know
Most homebuilders in Chennai have a simple mental model of architectural design: the architect draws a floor plan, you approve it, and then the building is built. This model is incomplete in ways that cause significant problems during construction and at the regulatory approval stage.
Complete architectural design services cover the full range from initial site analysis through to construction-stage support — typically eight phases, each with specific deliverables that serve a different purpose. Understanding what each phase produces and why it matters is the knowledge that allows a homebuilder to evaluate whether the architect they are considering is providing a complete service or a partial one.
The 8 Phases of Architectural Design — From Your Plot to Your Home
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01Phase
Site Analysis and Brief DevelopmentDeliverables Site analysis report (compass orientation, solar path, wind direction, existing trees, street character, neighbouring building heights, municipal sewer level); client brief document (room programme, lifestyle requirements, budget range, design preferences, timeline); regulatory zoning confirmation (CMDA or GCC jurisdiction, applicable FAR, setback requirements, permissible height).Why This Phase Matters A design that ignores the site's specific conditions — sun path, wind, neighbours, street level relative to plot — produces a home that is in the right location but designed for a different one. A living room that faces west in Chennai receives the most aggressive afternoon heat. A house designed without checking the neighbour's building height may find its windows looking directly into a concrete wall.At Buildiyo The site analysis includes a physical visit by Buildiyo's architect and a written report delivered within 5 working days. The report maps every relevant site condition and identifies the design constraints and opportunities specific to your plot.
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02Phase
Concept DesignDeliverables Hand sketches or digital concept drawings showing the building mass, floor plan arrangement, and elevation approach at approximately 1:200 scale; spatial relationship diagram showing room adjacencies; preliminary orientation recommendations; two to three design options for client review.Why This Phase Matters Concept design is the phase where the homebuilder's brief and the architect's spatial intelligence produce the arrangement of spaces that will shape life in the home for the next 20+ years. A concept design change costs nothing. The same change after the structural drawing is approved costs ₹15,000–60,000. After construction has started, it costs ₹50,000–3,00,000.At Buildiyo Concept design at Buildiyo produces a minimum of two spatial arrangement options, each with a brief explanation of why the arrangement serves the brief. Ananya's Mylapore plot produced three concepts: a traditional courtyard layout referencing the neighbourhood's Brahmin heritage, a modern introverted layout maximising privacy on a street with high pedestrian traffic, and a hybrid that used a semi-covered entrance court as a climate buffer.
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03Phase
Design Development and Preliminary DrawingsDeliverables Floor plans at 1:100 scale for all floors with room dimensions; cross-sections showing floor-to-ceiling heights and staircase dimensions; preliminary elevation drawings at 1:100 scale; area calculation confirming the design is within CMDA FAR limits; preliminary structural concept for column and beam positions.Why This Phase Matters The design development phase is where the concept becomes precise enough to evaluate: are the bedroom dimensions adequate? Does the staircase fit? Are all rooms meeting minimum window area requirements under TNDB? Does the built-up area comply with FAR? These questions cannot be answered from a concept sketch — they require the 1:100 drawing.At Buildiyo Design development drawings are shared in PDF and via a client portal for review with annotations. Every room dimension is shown. Every window position is marked. The structural column positions are coordinated with the architectural layout before either drawing is advanced — preventing the most common structural-architectural conflict at the approval stage.
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04Phase
CMDA Approval Drawing PackageDeliverables Site plan at 1:200 showing plot dimensions, setbacks, and building footprint; all floor plans at 1:100 with area annotations; all four elevation drawings at 1:100; two cross-sections; structural framing plan; rainwater harvesting provision; plumbing and drainage layout; CMDA application forms; owner's title verification checklist.Why This Phase Matters The CMDA approval drawing is the legal permission to construct. A building constructed without CMDA approval — or that deviates significantly from the approved drawing — risks demolition notices, legal complications at sale, and inability to obtain an Occupancy Certificate. Every room, window, door, and staircase in the approved drawing must correspond to what is actually built — or a revised approval must be obtained before the deviation is constructed.At Buildiyo Buildiyo's CMDA submission drawings achieve a 96% first-submission approval rate. Our drawings include the CMDA's online submission format requirements, correctly calculated FAR statements, and all peripheral documents (title document checklist, owner's declaration, licensed plumber counter-signature for drainage drawing). The approval fee and liaison are managed by Buildiyo on the homebuilder's behalf.
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05Phase
Working Drawings and Technical SpecificationsDeliverables Complete construction drawings at 1:50 and 1:20 scales: detailed floor plans, all elevations, all cross-sections, structural reinforcement drawings, MEP layout drawings (electrical, plumbing, HVAC), door and window schedule with sizes and materials, flooring layout, staircase detail, and a full material specification document (specifying every material by brand, grade, and BIS standard).Why This Phase Matters Working drawings are the instructions from which the building is built. An architect who delivers only the CMDA approval drawing has delivered the legal permission to build but not the technical instructions for how to build. A contractor who builds from only the CMDA drawing makes hundreds of undocumented decisions — wall thicknesses, window reveals, staircase balustrade details, material grades — each one a potential deviation from what the homebuilder expected.At Buildiyo Working drawings are coordinated across all disciplines — architectural, structural, and MEP — before delivery. Conflicts between the structural column grid and the architectural room layout are resolved on paper, not on site. The material specification document leaves no room for material substitution without explicit written approval.
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06Phase
Interior Design DocumentationDeliverables Interior layout plans for all rooms; kitchen design drawing; bathroom design drawing with sanitary ware positions; material palette document specifying floor tiles, wall finishes, ceiling treatment, joinery; furniture layout at 1:50; lighting design with fixture specification; colour scheme with paint references.Why This Phase Matters Interior design documentation is the phase that most affects daily quality of life in the completed home — yet it is the phase most frequently omitted or left to a separate consultant who is not coordinated with the architect. Bathroom sanitary ware positions that conflict with MEP rough-in; kitchen layouts that conflict with structural columns; bedroom furniture that does not fit when the actual room dimensions are measured — all are consequences of unintegrated interior design.At Buildiyo Our interior design team operates in the same studio as the architecture team and shares the same drawing file. Interior design coordination ensures every MEP rough-in position matches the approved sanitary ware and kitchen layout before any pipe is concealed.
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07Phase
3D Visualisation and RenderingDeliverables Photorealistic 3D exterior rendering at minimum two views (morning light and blue hour/evening with facade lighting); 3D interior renderings of living room, master bedroom, and kitchen; walkthrough video (optional upgrade); material library showing all specified materials in context.Why This Phase Matters A 2D drawing requires spatial imagination to evaluate. Most homebuilders — including Ananya — are not trained to translate a 1:100 floor plan into a mental picture of how the space will feel to live in. A 3D photorealistic rendering shows the actual experience of the designed space before any concrete is poured. Changes to the 3D model cost nothing. The same changes after walls are built cost ₹50,000–3,00,000.At Buildiyo 3D rendering is produced in the same software that generates the working drawings — so the rendering and the drawings describe the same building. The rendering is not a separate artistic impression; it is the working drawing model with realistic materials and lighting applied. Any design change Ananya requests in the 3D model is automatically reflected in the updated working drawings.
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08Phase
Construction Stage Architectural SupportDeliverables Periodic site visits (minimum monthly, more frequently at critical construction stages); responses to contractor's requests for information (RFI); review of material samples against specification; review of construction deviations and sign-off or rejection; final snag list inspection; issuance of completion certificate for occupancy certificate application.Why This Phase Matters The architectural drawings are the design intention. Construction stage support ensures that the intention is executed. A home built with architectural drawings but without construction stage supervision will differ from the design in dozens of small ways that, individually, seem trivial but collectively represent the gap between what the homebuilder approved and what was actually built.At Buildiyo Construction stage architectural support is built into the integrated design-and-build contract. Because the architects and the construction team are the same firm, every RFI is resolved within 24 hours and every deviation is reviewed against the approved drawing before any irreversible work proceeds.
The Missing Phases Are Where Construction-Stage Errors Originate
64% of Chennai projects receive only 2 of 8 architectural phases. The full service costs less than one avoidable construction-stage problem.
Book a Free ConsultationWhat Architectural Design Services Cost in Chennai in 2026
Architectural design fees in Chennai are typically quoted in one of three ways: as a percentage of construction cost (most common), as a lump sum for the specific drawing package, or as a per-square-foot-of-built-up-area fee. The typical ranges for a standard residential project (1,500–2,500 sqft):
- Concept + CMDA approval only₹40,000–1,20,000 depending on plot complexity and architect's reputation. This is the most commonly quoted "architect fee" — but it covers only 2 of the 8 phases described above.
- Full architectural design package (all 8 phases)₹1,20,000–2,80,000 for a 1,500–2,500 sqft home. As a percentage of construction cost: typically 4–8% of civil cost.
- Integrated architectural + construction package (Buildiyo model)Architecture fee is included within the construction contract at a blended rate. No separate architectural fee invoice. One contract, one fee structure, one accountability.
Ananya's Mylapore G+1 home: 1,650 sqft built-up, estimated construction cost ₹78 lakhs. Architectural design fee if engaged separately: ₹2.2–3.8 lakhs. Buildiyo's integrated architectural + construction package: architecture included within the construction contract at no separate fee.
Why an Integrated Architect-and-Builder Is Different From Two Separate Engagements
The traditional model for residential construction in Chennai involves two separate engagements: an architect produces drawings, and a contractor builds from them. This creates a structural accountability gap: when the built result differs from the design, each party can blame the other — and neither is contractually obligated to resolve the discrepancy at their own cost.
Buildiyo's integrated model places architectural design and construction management under the same contract and the same accountability. Our architecture team in Chennai produces the drawings. Our construction team executes them. When something on site needs an architectural decision, the answer comes from the same team that produced the drawing — in hours, not days. See our building elevation designs for examples of our architectural facade work, and our plumbing and drainage drawings service for how MEP design is coordinated within the architectural package.
Four years of not knowing what to do with my grandparents' plot. One call that explained what architectural design services actually include. Six months later, I have a CMDA-approved drawing of the home I want to build. The architecture was never the complicated part — the confusion about what architecture services meant was.
— Ananya, Mylapore (under construction)Call Buildiyo at +91 7092166366 / +91 7092166266 / +91 7092166177. Visit our architecture services page or connect at our contact page for a free architectural design consultation.
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All 8 phases under one contract. 96% first-submission CMDA approval. RFIs resolved in 24 hours. The structured answer Ananya waited four years for — available in one phone call.
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