Design Phase 01 | Preliminary Design

It starts with an idea —

   Every project starts with the client’s and designer’s ideas. At this stage, the MPYD team helps identify goals for the project, sets priorities and develops concept sketches.

Back to the drawing board —

   Next, Michael Peters and the team create an outline of the concept’s performance goals and aesthetic elements, integrating the client’s ideas into architectural drawings and artistic renderings. These drawings go back and forth, as the client is encouraged to red-line the drawings and the team fine-tunes the concept.

Preliminary feasibility —

   Throughout this phase, the team’s engineering and architectural expertise comes into play. Here, solid knowledge derived from years of practical experience helps determine the feasibility of the preliminary design.

Summary:

• The project begins an with inspired, imaginative meeting with the client and culminates with both scale architectural drawings and artistic renderings.
• Phase 1 answers the questions: Is this what you wanted? Do you want to move forward?
• This phase constitutes approximately 10% of the total design project.

Design Phase 02 | The Bid Package

Technical scrutiny: moving from concept toward reality —

  Once the preliminary design has been approved, the MPYD team takes a more detailed look at the drawings. The purpose of this phase is to perform a complete feasibility study, bringing the conceptual design under very close scrutiny. The goal is to move the project toward reality through preliminary engineering, detailed weight studies and costing. The focus is technical during this phase, although aesthetic considerations are always present. Using a design spiral approach, the team determines whether the project can be accomplished technically, financially, and within the client’s expected timeframe.

 

The business of building a boat —

   The result of this phase is a set of detailed drawings and a written specification—the bid package—acceptable to the builders’ engineers who can now provide an accurate cost estimate. The relationship with the client shifts from the emotional excitement of the project to the business aspect. Once the client accepts the results of the bid package phase, he must then decide to move forward with the Engineering & Construction Drawings phase.

Summary:

• The Bid Package is a feasibility study of the project. Centered on a business approach, it encompasses technical, financial, and schedule constraints. The bid package begins with client approval of preliminary design and culminates with a bid package prepared for one or more builders to accurately assess the cost of the build.
• This phase answers the questions: Can it be done? How much will it cost? Do you want to move forward?
• The Preliminary Design and Bid Package will comprise approximately 10% of the total design project.

Design Phase 03 | Engineering and Construction Drawings

More than meets the eye —

   Once the bid package has been approved by the client and assessed by the builder, the bulk of the design work begins. Continuing in the design spiral model of ever-increasing intricacy, this detailed, behind-the-scenes phase encompasses the complete, complex engineering of a Michael Peters Yacht Design creation. Owners and captains may primarily consider beauty and performance, while the MPYD team considers hydrostatic stability, hydrodynamics, resistance, powering, seakeeping, maneuvering, strength, seaway responses, materials, ease of maintenance and more. The strength of the MPYD team is its ability to continue to infuse simplicity and clean elements into the design, balancing the various performance and aesthetic constraints to produce a safe, economic, efficient, powerful, and seaworthy design.

Ready to build —

   This labor-intensive phase of the design process requires many hours of drawing and calculation augmented by advanced computerized technology. The end result is a complete set of engineering drawings —between 50 and 150—that a manufacturer can use to build the vessel. These drawings are accurate and concise; together they provide all the instructions the builder needs to produce the parts and assemble the whole. While the MPYD team always works for the client on custom projects, at this point the team begins to work with the builder. When working on production boats where the builder is the client, the team takes into consideration existing systems to maximize efficiencies and minimize cost impact where possible.

Summary:

• Phase 3 is a highly creative and technical design of every part of the vessel. This phase begins with approval of the bid package and culminates with between 50 and 150 complex, computer-driven, 2-D drawings and 3-D models; a complete instruction manual for the manufacturer.
• This Phase answers the builder's question: How do we build this?
• Engineering and construction drawings will constitute approximately 70% of the total design project.

Design Phase 04 | Production to Delivery

Working for the client, with the builder —

   At this phase of the boatbuilding process, the MPYD team takes on the role of consultant. A dedicated, in-office project manager handles the builder’s questions, consultations, requests for clarification and any other support required. While providing oversight of the project, the MPYD staff acts as the owner’s proxy—always working for the client with the builder. MPYD team members attend sea trials and continue to act as the owner-builder liaison until the boat is delivered.

From start to finish —

   From preliminary design to final delivery, the Michael Peters Yacht Design team attends to every detail to ensure the ultimate in client satisfaction.

Summary

• The final phase begins with the builder's acceptance of engineering drawings and culminates with final build-out, sea trials and delivery. During this phase, MPYD continues to consult with builder as client’s representative.
• This phase will answer the client’s questions: How are things coming along? Will the delivery schedule be met?
• Phase 4 constitutes approximately 10% of the total design project.