What are the five phases in identifying owner requirements?

• A. Essential Function; Performance Requirements; Performance Criteria; Performance Specifications; Prescriptive Specifications
• B. Feasibility; Schematic Design; Design Development; Construction; Handover
• C. Initiation; Planning; Execution; Monitoring; Closure
• D. Concept Development; Detailed Design; Construction; Commissioning; Handover

Answer: (A)

In a design-build context, owner requirements are built from a progression that starts with the basic purpose of the project and moves toward concrete, testable standards. The five phases are Essential Function, which describes what the facility must be able to do at a minimum; Performance Requirements, which translate those functions into measurable outcomes like capacity, reliability, and safety; Performance Criteria, which set the specific thresholds and acceptance standards used to judge performance; Performance Specifications, which define the required outcomes in a way that allows the design-builder to select methods, systems, or materials to meet them; and Prescriptive Specifications, which provide explicit directions about products, materials, or construction approaches when necessary.

This sequence matters because it starts with broad owner needs and ends with precise, testable criteria that guide design, procurement, and construction. It gives the design-builder flexibility to optimize solutions while ensuring outcomes align with what the owner intends to achieve. It also supports clearer communication, reduces ambiguity, and helps manage risk and changes by tying performance to verifiable standards.

Other options describe general project lifecycle stages or broad design phases rather than the specific process of formulating owner requirements, so they don’t fit as the method for identifying owner requirements.