Design

Once you have a site selected, it will be time to work with your architect, engineers, landscape architect, green building consultant, and other design professionals to create a development vision. The architectural plans and drawings will be necessary components of most development review processes and will create a specific plan for contractors to estimate costs and implement.

Community-Engaged Design Process

Integrating community input into the design process is key to a holistic approach to pre-development and visioning. It prioritizes information gathering and understanding, and emphasizes the resident experience to set objectives and create resident buy-in. It can also serve as a project coordination tool that brings your development team together and builds consensus among all related stakeholders. Ensure that leaders, local government representatives, and other approving bodies are involved to provide input as well. Also consider scheduling regular design reviews or check-ins with community stakeholders. This will help architectural and engineering partners respond to community feedback. The project team will guide the structure and content of these meetings, but a few key considerations include:

Has the design team shared the schedule for the design process with stakeholders and community members?
What are special considerations to have for each design review? Can you compensate participants for sharing their wisdom? Should there be a meal provided, childcare, or other resources made available?

Building team goals and priorities with culturally appropriate and sustainable design considerations early in the process will ensure that these factors are seen in project outcomes later in the process.

For an in-depth look into the integrative design process and resources to help your team identify project priorities, check out the Enterprise Green Communities Integrative Design Toolkit.

Developing The Site Plan

Developing the site plan will be the first step in the design phase of your project. A site plan should be developed by your design partner and for all LIHTC projects must either be a licensed engineer or architect. Site planning is critically important to the lifecycle of your development and should include perspectives of all partners. An experienced engineer or architect will know what to include in the site plan, but a few high-level items include:

Land boundaries and dimensions
Streets, alleys, or roads adjacent or within property boundaries
Utilities serving the property or distance to point of connection
Building specifics (dimensions, designations, locations, etc.)
Retaining and garden walls and other accessory structures
Existing trees and other natural features

Simply put, a site plan shows what already exists on the property, what you are planning to build on the property, and the relationship between the two.

Thoughtful site planning will consider infrastructure, density, habitat protection, affordability, and access on site as key elements of the process. The Community Needs Assessment completed in the Visioning phase of the process should act as your jumping off point and inform the site plan development process.

Designing with your Community in Mind

Housing can and should be specific to each culture, place, and climate. A place-based design requires strong community engagement, which includes a variety of stakeholders, such as youth and leaders. Thoughtful site planning and design can both sustain heritage and natural habitat.

Some Design Considerations:

Are there histories that could help the designer orient the site?
Are there local materials that could be harvested sustainably and incorporated?
Could health and wellness needs be addressed through a system of trails that bridge housing, nature and community access?
Could local artists be commissioned to incorporate their work on site?

As you are working on your design, keep in mind that one size does not fit all. None of these questions may resonate with your community. Choose an architect carefully for their understanding of these matters and work with your designer and your community to identify what is most important and can honor the cultural traditions of your community as well as meet their housing needs.

Green Building and Climate Resilience

While there are many different definitions of green building out there, it is generally accepted as the planning, design, construction, and operations of buildings with several central, foremost considerations: energy use, water use, indoor environmental quality, material section and the building's effects on its site.

Disaster and Climate Resilience

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the most widely used green building rating system. LEED certification provides a framework for healthy, highly efficient, and cost-saving green buildings.
Enterprise Green Communities is a cost-effective, green building program that includes integrative design, site considerations, water, energy, healthy building, operations/maintenance and resident engagement. 
The Nevada QAP outlines additional elements for energy efficiency measures, or Smart Design elements, in its scoring rubric. Project walkability, installation of renewable energy sources, insulation and the use of energy efficient, Energy-star rated appliances.

If you’re working to incorporate green building elements into your development, ensure you have a design consultant or architect that is familiar with green building practices, and can advise you on how to implement strategies to mitigate potential impacts of climate change. There are a number of features you can consider:

Efficient use of energy, water, and other resources
Use of renewable energy, such as solar energy
Pollution and waste reduction measures, and the enabling of re-use and recycling
Good indoor environmental air quality
Use of materials that are non-toxic, ethical, renewable, and sustainable
Consideration of the environment in design, construction, and operation
Consideration of the quality of life of occupants in design, construction, and operation
A design that enables adaptation to a changing environment

Disaster resilience

Natural disasters are occurring with greater frequency, impacting local conditions in Nevada. Flooding, earthquakes, wildfires, blizzards, and extreme heat, often have disproportionate impacts on low-income and other vulnerable populations. Developments should be constructed or adapted for resilience against natural disasters, such as high winds, landslides, floods, winter storms, and wildfires. Specifics will vary by location and site, so ensure you understand your development’s susceptibility and work with your design team to mitigate risks. The Resilience Analysis and Planning Tool is one place to start.

Designing for people of all abilities

When designing your building, consider the implications for people with diverse abilities. There are multiple frameworks that may be useful to consider:

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) provides requirements and guidelines which you will need to follow when relevant. Your architect and design team can help you understand the implications for your development.
Visitability is a framework relevant for single family homes that focuses on making homes accessible and easy to navigate for residents and visitors who have trouble with steps or use wheelchairs or walkers. Some municipalities have adopted ordinances that require or encourage visitability in new homes. There are three basic requirements for a visitable home: at least one entrance with no steps, doors with 32 inches of horizontal clearance, and one wheelchair-accessible bathroom on the main floor.
Universal Design focuses on creating environments that “can be accessed, understood, and used to the greatest extent possible by all people regardless of their age, size, ability, or disability.”^vi This has implications for both designing the building itself and fixtures, features, and appliances within the building.

Especially when applying for tax credits, be sure to check the QAP for additional requirements: https://housing.nv.gov/uploadedFiles/.../1st2023QAPdraft.pdf

Gaining Site Control

After you have identified a site for your development through site selection, you will then need to gain “site control.” Site control in its broadest sense means some form or right to acquire or lease the [development] site.

Obtaining Approvals

Approval processes will vary substantially from project-to-project and among differing communities in Nevada. Some jurisdictions have clearly defined and predictable approval processes where others are more complicated and require more work. The type of project will also impact the approval process. A redevelopment of an existing housing development will require far less review than new construction on a vacant site.

The chart below highlights a few high-level approvals and partners that you will need to work with throughout the process. Engaging these entities early on will help you get a better sense of with the process and timeline will actually look like.

Approval Needed	Description
Partners	Though not a mandated approval, it is critically important that all partners approve of the site plan and all other design elements. This will ensure fewer changes down the line and lead to a smoother design process.
Local regulatory agencies	Ensure that you have all required approvals and buy-in from local regulatory agencies. This will vary among municipalities, but a good place to start is with the planning department, historic preservation, realty, and zoning commission.
Nevada state agencies	If your development is partnering with your state or accessing state funds work with Nevada agencies to determine their approval process and build this into your process. Working with your local State Representative and or House Senate seat as well as the Nevada Housing Division agency are suggested as well.
Environmental Impact	Every development will have to undergo an Environmental review. Work with the agencies outlined above as well as the EPA office to determine what this process will look like for your development.
Land use (zoning review)	This review confirms that your development plan is in line with local land use regulations. Typically, jurisdictions will issue a permit to confirm approval.
Site Plan & Engineering	You will need formal approval of the site plan discussed in the section above. An approval will ensure that it complies with ordinances along with local development regulations. Rehabilitation projects may require updating key systems and structure to comply with building code.
Design	Design and aesthetics approvals will confirm that the architecture and landscaping plan meet community needs outlined in the Community Needs Assessment.
Building plans, permits, and inspections	Once you have received approvals for all of the above, the developer can submit construction drawings to the building department to ensure that it is consistent with the site plan and complies with local building codes. Upon approval, building permits are issued and construction can begin.

The process of obtaining approvals should be integrated with community support, which can often be the deciding factor in getting the approvals you need to proceed with development. Community buy-in allows you to showcase the importance of your development and how it can best address local priorities, therefore increasing the likelihood of getting formal approval from the entities outlined above. Establish a relationship with these agencies early on in the process to facilitate smooth approvals.

Environmental reviews

Most projects are subject to some form of federal or environmental reviews as the approval process to build your project. In general, projects entirely or partly financed, assisted, conducted or approved by federal agencies must comply with the National Environmental Protection Act (or NEPA), Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, and Endangered Species Act. The overarching goal of these reviews is to prevent or mitigate adverse environmental impacts before development occurs.

If your project includes building new infrastructure, be prepared for a higher level of environmental review than if your project is being built on land that already has infrastructure. Projects that require infrastructure to be added or upgraded on the site require cross-agency environmental review, but these reviews follow the same process (whereas reviews of housing development vary more).

Finally, when approaching any historic redevelopment process, consider the National Historic Preservation Act.

Building Codes

Building codes are generally understood to be unquestionable safety measures that are designed to prevent disasters. Every new code is a response to a disaster and as society moves forward, building codes will continue to evolve to protect all of us who spend time indoors.

Construction professionals are often heavily guided by building codes and building code enforcement. In addition to working with a trusted construction partner, it is important to set expectations and guidelines for your contractor. They should be written into the contract where possible. Part of this should include the expectation that mandated inspections are included at the end of every phase of construction. You can use nearby local government building codes to help guide your process. They are familiar with the building inspection process and can be guiding partners throughout the process.