The Process

THE MARIS METHODOLOGY:

THE NINE PHASES

Our methodology is not a rigid template, but a flexible framework designed to de-risk the project at every stage.

Phase 1-3: The Strategy (The “Why” and “What”)

1. Strategic Discovery: We don’t start with drawings; we start with data. We dig into your business goals, growth plans, and cultural aspirations to define a “North Star” brief.

2. Site Evaluation & Feasibility: This is the technical stress-test. We survey your current M&E systems and compliance status. Is the air conditioning viable for another 10 years? We answer this before you spend a penny on design.

3. Workplace Strategy & Concept: We translate the data into spatial solutions. This is where we define the zoning (quiet vs. loud) and the look and feel, ensuring the concept aligns with your brand.

Phase 4-6: The Planning (The “How” and “How Much”)

4. Detailed Design: We move from “mood boards” to technical drawings. We coordinate the invisible systems – HVAC, data and power – ensuring they integrate with the new layout.

5. Costing & Value Engineering: As the guide states, “design without budget is just decoration.” We build a line-by-line cost plan and apply Value Engineering to ensure every pound spent delivers maximum impact.

6. Pre-Construction Planning: This is the logistics phase. We map out the “Decant Strategy” – where your staff will sit while we build – and secure all Landlord and Statutory approvals.

Phase 7-9: The Delivery (The “Build” and “Beyond”)

7. Construction: The build begins. We manage the site with military discipline, focusing on safety, quality and minimising disruption to your live operations.

8. Handover & Aftercare: We don’t just hand over keys; we provide training on the new systems. We stay involved for weeks to ensure a “Soft Landing.”

9. Post-Occupancy Review: Three to six months later, we return to measure the space against the original KPIs. Did collaboration increase? Is energy usage down?

DEEP DIVE:

PHASE 5 – THE “VALUE ENGINEERING” GATE

The most critical commercial gateway in the entire process is Phase 5: Costing and Value Engineering (VE).

Clients often view VE with suspicion, fearing it means “cost cutting” or “dumbing down” the design. In a Maris refurbishment, VE is about allocation efficiency.

• The Principle: We identify areas where high spend yields low return. For example, specifying a bespoke joinery wall in a back-office corridor is waste. We swap it for a standard modular system (saving 40%) and redirect that capital to the client reception or staff café, where it impacts brand and culture.
• The “Smart Swap”: We often find that reusing existing mechanical infrastructure (after a rigorous service) rather than replacing it wholesale can save £15-£20 per sq ft. This is sustainable Value Engineering.
• The Golden Rule: We lock the budget before we break ground. By agreeing the “Fixed Price Lump Sum” at the end of Phase 5, we transfer the financial risk of delivery from you to us.

MARIS TOOLS:

THE “PHASE GATE” CHECKLIST

To ensure governance, do not allow the project to proceed to the next phase until the Sponsor has signed off these deliverables.

• Gate 1: Discovery
  Is the Strategic Brief signed off by the Board?
• Gate 2: Feasibility
  Do we have a validated M&E report confirming the building’s lifespan?
• Gate 3: Concept
  Has the “Look and Feel” been approved by the brand team?
• Gate 4: Cost
  Have we agreed the Fixed Price Contract? (Do not start Phase 6 without this).
• Gate 5: Pre-Con
  Do we have the Licence to Alter signed by the Landlord? (Legally, you cannot start Phase 7 without it).