What constitutes design intent documentation?

• A. Detailed cost estimates and procurement lists.
• B. Energy model results.
• C. Legal contracts and insurance documents.
• D. Graphics, diagrams, and notes that convey the key concepts and decisions guiding later design phases.

Answer: (D)

Design intent documentation communicates the essential ideas, relationships, and decisions that guide the project as it moves into later design phases. It uses graphics, diagrams, and notes to illustrate concepts like spatial organization, aesthetics, functional requirements, and performance criteria, so everyone on the team understands why certain approaches were chosen and how they should be developed further. This type of documentation focuses on the rationale and concepts behind the design, not on detailed cost data, performance analyses, or legal/contractual paperwork. Detailed cost estimates, energy model results, and contracts are important artifacts, but they serve different purposes and do not communicate the design intent in the same way as graphics, diagrams, and notes that capture the guiding concepts for future work.