05Services · Sheet 05 of 07
Architectural feasibility studies, before the design is fixed.
An architectural feasibility study is an early look at what a site or building might accommodate. SA Associates reviews the property, the brief and the constraints, sets out the planning considerations and explores initial options — so decisions about design can be made with more of the picture.
- Stage
- Pre-design
- Covers
- Land · Buildings · Portfolios
- Outputs
- Constraints · Options · Planning advice
- Sectors
- Residential · Commercial
01The service
An early, structured look at what may be possible.
A feasibility study comes before full design work. It brings together what is known about a site or building, what you would like to achieve and the constraints that apply, and considers how those might fit together.
SA Associates carries out feasibility studies for land, buildings and property portfolios, and prepares development appraisals that set out the planning options. The aim is to clarify the questions that matter early — before time is committed to a detailed design.
A study is an informed starting point rather than a final answer. What it covers, and how far it goes, depends on the property, the brief and the decisions it needs to support.
- Site or building review
- What is known about the land or property, its context and any existing buildings.
- Brief and constraints
- What you want to achieve, set against the physical, planning and practical constraints that may apply.
- Initial options
- Early options for how the site or building might be used, arranged or developed.
- Planning options
- A development appraisal setting out the planning considerations and the routes that may be available.
02When it is useful
When a feasibility study may be worth doing first.
A feasibility study is most useful when there is a decision to make and too little information to make it well — before buying, before committing to a design, or before choosing between different ways forward.
It is not needed for every project. Where the brief is clear and the constraints are well understood, it may make sense to move straight to design.
Situations where it may help
- W.01Considering the potential of land or a building before acquiring it
- W.02Reviewing a property portfolio for development opportunities
- W.03Deciding between extending, converting or rebuilding
- W.04Testing whether a brief fits the site
- W.05Exploring a change of use
- W.06Understanding the planning context before design work starts
A study can also help when a previous idea has stalled and the options need to be looked at again.
Check your project03What may be considered
What a study may review.
- SI
Site or property
The land or building, its boundaries, access, orientation, neighbours and any existing structures.
Information provided · site context
- BR
Brief
What you want to achieve — the uses, accommodation and priorities the study should test.
Discussion with you
- CO
Constraints
Physical and practical factors that may limit or shape what is possible on the site.
Review of available information
- PL
Planning context
Relevant planning policy, designations and history that may affect the options.
Publicly available records
- OP
Options
Initial options for use, layout, form or scale, compared against the brief and the constraints.
Early sketch studies
04Constraints and options
How constraints shape a proposal.
Constraints are not only obstacles. The shape of a plot, its access, the neighbouring buildings, the existing structure and the planning context all influence where building might go, how large it might be and how it might be arranged.
Understanding them early means initial options can be explored with those factors in mind — and can show which parts of the brief are straightforward, which may need more thought and which may not be achievable as first imagined.
Constraints can influence
- Siting
- Scale and massing
- Access
- Neighbours
- Existing structure
- Planning policy
05Process
How a feasibility study may develop.
- 01Brief
Understanding the brief
What you want to achieve, and the questions the study needs to answer, discussed and agreed.
- 02Review
Site and property review
The land or building, and the information available about it, reviewed.
- 03Constraints
Constraints identified
Physical, practical and planning constraints that may affect the options identified.
- 04Options
Initial options explored
Early options tested against the brief and the constraints, at sketch level.
- 05Advise
Findings and next steps
The options and planning considerations set out, with the questions that remain open.
06Planning considerations
Planning, considered early.
- P.01
Policy and designations
Local planning policy and any designations, such as conservation areas or listed buildings, that may apply.
- P.02
Planning history
Previous applications and decisions on the site or nearby, where they help indicate how proposals may be viewed.
- P.03
Possible routes
Whether an option may fall within Permitted Development or is likely to need a planning application.
- P.04
Next steps
Where appropriate, how an option might be taken forward towards a planning application.
07Feasibility and design
Feasibility study or full design?
Feasibility study
- Question
- What might the site or building accommodate, and what are the options?
- Level of detail
- Early and indicative — options at sketch level.
- Typical output
- Constraints, initial options and planning considerations.
- Timing
- Before design, or before a decision to proceed.
Architectural design
- Question
- How should the chosen option be designed?
- Level of detail
- Developed proposals and architectural drawings.
- Typical output
- Design proposals that may go on to support a planning application.
- Timing
- Once the direction is clear enough to develop.
08Scope and limits
What a study can and cannot establish.
Within scope
What it may help clarify
- The main constraints affecting the site or building
- Initial options and how they compare against the brief
- The planning considerations and routes that may be available
- Which questions need further information or specialist input
- Whether it is worth moving on to design
Outside scope
What it cannot establish
- Planning permission — that is decided by the local planning authority
- That development is certain to be possible
- Financial viability, profit or return
- Property or land value
- Construction cost
- Legal title, surveys or specialist investigations
Where a decision depends on legal, property value, cost or survey information, that should come from the appropriate specialist.
09Residential and commercial
Homes, land and commercial property.
01
Residential
For homeowners, landowners and developers considering what a house, plot or site might accommodate before committing to a design.
- Extending or converting a home
- Replacement dwellings
- Infill and backland sites
- Small residential developments
02
Commercial
For owners and occupiers of commercial buildings, and for land and property portfolios, where the planning options need to be understood before deciding how to proceed.
- Change of use
- Alterations to premises
- Property portfolio reviews
- Development appraisals
10Connected services
From feasibility to the next stage.
- 01
Architectural Design
Where a study shows a direction worth pursuing, the preferred option can be developed into design proposals.
View service: Architectural Design - 02
Planning Applications
Where the chosen option needs planning permission, the planning considerations identified early can inform the application.
View service: Planning Applications - 04
Structural Engineering
Where options affect an existing structure or involve significant new structure, structural input may be considered as the design develops.
View service: Structural Engineering - 06
Planning Appeals
If a site has a history of refusals, the planning considerations may include whether an appeal route is relevant.
View service: Planning Appeals
11Questions
Feasibility studies, answered.
Q.01
What is an architectural feasibility study?
An early-stage review of a site or building that considers the brief, the constraints and the planning context, and explores initial options for what might be achieved — before full design work begins.
Q.02
When should I commission a feasibility study?
Usually before a significant decision: buying land or a property, choosing between options, or committing to a design. It is most useful when the constraints or the planning position are not yet clear.
Q.03
Does a feasibility study mean I will get planning permission?
No. A study can set out the planning considerations and indicate which options may be more or less straightforward, but planning decisions are made by the local planning authority.
Q.04
Will a feasibility study tell me whether a project is financially viable?
No. A study looks at what a site or building might accommodate and the planning options. It does not assess financial viability, value, profit or construction cost — those need the appropriate specialists.
Q.05
What is a development appraisal?
At SA Associates, a development appraisal sets out the planning options for a site or property — the considerations that may apply and the routes that may be available — to help you decide how to proceed.
Q.06
Can a feasibility study cover more than one property?
Yes. Feasibility work can cover individual sites or buildings, or a wider property portfolio, depending on what you need to decide.
Q.07
What happens after a feasibility study?
That depends on the findings. You might develop a preferred option into design proposals, gather further specialist information, revise the brief or decide not to proceed.
12Project Brief
Discuss the site.
Tell us about the land or building and what you have in mind.
We will explain what a feasibility study could look at, and whether one is the right first step.
- Phone
- 01753 709 770
- Mobile
- 07748 716 893
- info@sa.associates
- Office
- Regus House, 268 Bath Road, Slough SL1 4DX