Design intent is the thread that holds a project together from the first client conversation to the final punch list walkthrough. When that thread breaks, you get buildings that don't match what the owner asked for, systems that fight each other, and change orders that blow budgets apart.

This topic covers how architects create and maintain the documents that capture what a building is supposed to do, how it should perform, and why certain design decisions were made. You'll work through the Owner's Project Requirements (OPR), the Basis of Design (BoD), and the Design Intent Document (DID), and see how each one serves a different purpose at different project phases.

But documentation alone isn't enough. The ARE tests your ability to evaluate how design intent gets communicated to stakeholders, how it's verified during construction through commissioning, and what happens when proposed changes threaten to erode the original vision. The exam wants you to analyze scenarios where design intent is at risk and decide what the architect should do about it.

You'll also see how different delivery methods and project types affect the way design intent flows through a team. A design-bid-build project handles this differently than a design-build, and a complex medical facility demands a different level of documentation rigor than a simple office renovation. Getting this right is what separates project managers who deliver what was promised from those who deliver something close enough.