Room data sheets provide a systematic overview of all the requirements for each space within a construction project. They play an important role in the planning process, as well as communication, design verification, and change management.
Typically, they are prepared during the briefing phase (architectural programing in the US) of a project. The primary audience is the design team – architects as well as interior designers and all kinds of engineers – who translate the RDSs into spatial solutions for each of the building’s space types.
They usually contain general requirements along with notes of guidance. Ideally, the occupants of the future should be involved in this process through interviews and workshops. This will give the design team a better understanding of what their customers want from their space, such as footwear slip resistance easy cleaning, as well as recycling.
The RDSs may also contain information about the systems and elements such as a floor finish that is subject to specific requirements regarding its durability, environmental conditions and warranty. In these cases the datasheet should list all of the requirements to be met for this particular element or system.
A flexible database program like BriefBuilder lets you create room sheets of data quickly and efficiently, enabling users to personalize the sheets to their own workflows. The tool is able to tag every piece of data with the same parameters that are connected to similar room types and makes it easy to navigate and search for necessary requirements. It is a tool that can be utilized by project stakeholders who do not have access to Revit. This bridges the gap for all participants in the group.