Schematic Design Services

The AEC Associates provides schematic design services in CAD and BIM for architecture and interior design firms across the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and the Middle East — who need concept drawings, floor plans, and presentation sets developed through the Schematic Design (SD) phase. We cover both interior and exterior layouts for residential, commercial, workplace, hospitality, and retail projects, working from your concept sketches, brief, site information, or preliminary models.

Our team supports the full project lifecycle — SD through Design Development and Construction Documents — so the same team that builds your schematic set can carry it forward without a handoff gap.

5000+

Projects Worldwide

250+

Clients Globally

300+

Team Members

99%

Client Retention Rate

Schematic Design Drawings We Produce

Exterior Schematic Drawings

Site plans showing building footprint, access, landscaping zones, and setbacks
Exterior elevations (all four sides) showing massing, openings, and material zones
Preliminary roof plan
3D massing studies and concept models for client presentation

Interior Schematic Drawings

Floor plans at all levels establishing room layout, circulation, and adjacency
Interior elevations showing key feature walls, kitchen and bathroom layouts, and built-in elements
Reflected ceiling plan (RCP) concepts showing ceiling zone and lighting intent
Preliminary finish and material direction
Furniture layout concepts for key rooms

Presentation Drawings

Interior renderings from the schematic model for client approval
Fit-out plan concepts for commercial and retail projects
Presentation drawing sheets formatted for client review or planning submission

How We Build Schematic Design Packages

We start from concept sketches, a written brief, site survey information, or preliminary models — whatever you have at the start of the SD phase.

We develop floor plans, exterior elevations, and site layouts in Revit or AutoCAD, matched to your project standard and what the design needs to carry into DD.

We cross-check interior layouts against exterior elevations and structural grid at the SD stage, before they become costly changes in DD or CD.

We prepare presentation drawing sheets formatted for your client approval meetings or planning pre-application submissions.

We can hand off the completed SD set back to your team, or continue into Design Development without a knowledge gap.

Who We Build Schematic Design Packages For

Architecture Firms — SD production support, freeing your design team to focus on design direction rather than drawing output.
Interior Design Firms — interior layout concepts, elevation packages, and finish direction developed through the SD phase for client approval.
Developers & Property Owners — SD packages developed for planning pre-applications, feasibility reviews, or investor presentations.
Design-Build & Construction Firms — early-phase layout and massing documentation that establishes project scope before DD and CD begin.

Industries we serve

Hospitality

Commercial

Healthcare

Educational

Industrial

Retail

Cultural

Residential

Corporate

What You Can Expect From Every SD Package

Drawing set delivered clean with no unresolved coordination issues
Interior and exterior layouts cross-checked for consistency before delivery
Files delivered in the format and software version your project requires
Presentation sheets formatted for your client review process
Clear handoff documentation if the set is continuing into DD with your in-house team

Quality Review Process

Every schematic design drawings goes through our internal quality system before delivery:

Self Check: First check done by the individual against coordination and standards.

Peer Review: Next QC executed by peers/team members

Supervisory Check: QC by the Project Manager broadly reviewing graphics and technicalities.

This process is backed by the same International quality management system used to deliver all projects at The AEC Associates.

Our QA/QC Checklist

Design Scope Checklist

Production Checklist

Design Coordination Checklist

Quality Review Checklist

Delivery Checklist

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"We are submitting at 100%, and want to thank you and your team for the great work, it was a pleasure working with you. Very pleased with the outcome."

Project Manager, Leading Architectural Firm in Norfolk, VA

“Exceptional service. I found The AEC Associates to be very responsible firm worth trusting. Top service which helped us meet our tight deadlines.”

Principal, Architectural firm in the Bay Area, CA

“Our Project team is very pleased with the final documents for the project. Given the condition of the backgrounds we provided you guys did a great job.”

Project Manager, Leading Architectural Firm in Columbus

“I can recommend The AEC Associates as a firm with an experienced and motivated team which is keen to delight their clients. They are fantastic to work with.”

Project Manager, Leading Construction Company in Phoenix, AZ

"The AEC Associates team effectively communicated our design intent, addressed changes and critiques, and provided detailed work, enabling us to deliver renderings that helped secure a high-profile project."

Interior Architect at a well-known Interior Design Firm in San Francisco, CA

"AEC offered drafting assistance for a variety of project, from small commercial & large-scale museums to international retailers. They delivered base models, CD formatting, & base AutoCAD drawings with responsiveness."

Architect, Major Architectural Firm in Chicago, Illinois

Frequently Asked Questions

What is included in a schematic design package? ›

A schematic design package covers preliminary floor plans, exterior elevations, site plans, interior layout concepts, reflected ceiling plan concepts, and presentation drawings, scoped to your project type and what the SD set needs to achieve — client approval, planning submission, or design development handoff.

What’s the difference between schematic design and design development? ›

Schematic design (SD) establishes the overall layout, massing, and spatial relationships. Design development (DD) refines those decisions with dimensions, materials, and coordinated system layouts. SD drawings are to scale but not fully dimensioned; DD drawings are detailed enough to move into construction documentation.

What’s the difference between schematic design and construction documents? ›

Schematic design drawings are a design communication and client approval tool, not a building instruction. Construction documents (CDs) are fully dimensioned, specified, coordinated permit sets that contractors build from. SD comes at the start of design; CDs come at the end.

Can you build a schematic design set from a rough sketch or concept brief? ›

Yes. We build SD drawing sets from concept sketches, written briefs, site survey information, or preliminary digital models. You don’t need an existing CAD or BIM file to start.

Do you cover both interior and exterior schematic design? ›

Yes. We produce exterior drawings (site plan, all elevations, massing studies) and interior drawings (floor plans, interior elevations, RCP concepts, furniture layouts) as part of the same coordinated SD package.

Can you continue from schematic design into design development? ›

Yes. The AEC Associates supports the full project lifecycle from SD through DD and CD. The same team that builds your schematic set can continue into design development, eliminating the knowledge gap that comes from handing off to a different team mid-project.

Connect with us for Interior Design Packages

Get a quote for your schematic design project. Send us your concept sketches, brief, or site information and we’ll confirm scope and turnaround.