Knowledge Areas • 251
course, all the really smart thinking should take place in the beginning.
e dashed vertical line represents the schematic/basic design documents.
Because the ability to aect a project and nd the smartest solutions is
at the beginning, the most creative, knowledgeable, and experienced con-
sultants should be used then. To lock up the consultants with xed prices
in this early stage is not very creative. Instead, the client and the consul-
tant should discuss a budget for the feasibility study and the system/basic
design documents. e consultant should also provide a budget for the
building documents based on the knowledge available in the very early
stages. ere should also be a contract text that allows the client