Architectural Designing

Theme park architects turn the park's plan into designs a contractor can build from. At Mast Parks that work is called architectural designing.

Architectural designing takes the master plan to a level at which a park can be built and priced. Mast Parks acts as the park architect once the master plan is set. The work produces the construction-level output: working drawings, General Material and Components (GMC) and Bills of Quantities (BOQs).

The service sits in the Design and Execution stage of the 13 Mast Parks services. It follows Master Planning, which fixes where everything goes. Architectural designing then works out how each building, structure and area is made. The next service is Project Management Consultancy, which oversees the build.

Working drawings

Working drawings are the drawings a contractor builds from. They show each building and structure in detail: dimensions, layouts, sections and the way parts fit together. Where the master plan shows where a building goes, the working drawings show how it is built.

General Material and Components (GMC)

The GMC sets out the materials and components the design calls for. It tells the builder and the owner what the park will be made of. In a themed park this includes the materials that give each zone its look, as well as the standard materials of construction.

Bills of Quantities (BOQs)

Bills of Quantities list the quantities of work and material in the design. They make the project priceable: contractors can quote against the same list, and the owner can compare quotes on the same basis. The BOQs also give a base for controlling costs once construction starts.

Consistency with the theme

The architectural design carries the theme into the detail. The look decided in Theme Development and placed in the master plan is now specified: the finishes, the shapes and the materials that make each zone read as part of the story.

An owner brings the approved master plan, the site information and the budget. Where the owner has approvals or constraints that affect the design, such as local building rules, these should be shared at the start. Several authorities approve each area of safety and land development, including sustainability. The National Building Code of India sets the local laws and standards.

The owner receives a design package that is ready to take to contractors: working drawings, GMC and BOQs.

A park architect is needed once the park is ready to be drawn in detail.

Architectural designing is used by private landowners, existing park owners, family businesses, government and tourism bodies, and temples and religious trusts. It applies to all eight park types: theme parks, water parks, amusement parks, adventure parks, themed family entertainment centres, ecological parks, experience centres and spiritual parks.

Mast Parks produced the architectural drawings for FEC Raipur, and the architectural design for a Mast water park in Rajasthan.

At FEC Raipur, an independent five-acre themed family entertainment centre, the drawings covered indoor and outdoor activities, go-karting, adventure activities, small amusement rides and event spaces. At a Mast water park in Rajasthan, the design served an integrated indoor water park and amusement park.

• What is each structure made of? The GMC settles materials and components.
• How much of each thing do we need? The BOQs give the quantities.
• What will it cost to build? Contractors can price the BOQs on the same basis.
• Can the theme be carried through the detail? The design shows the finishes and forms that make the theme real.
• Is the design ready to build? The package shows what a contractor needs.

If construction starts from a master plan alone, builders have to make design decisions on site, and the park drifts away from what was approved. Quotes are also hard to compare when contractors price from different assumptions. Detailed drawings, a materials list and a bill of quantities give everyone the same base.

Detailed design does not remove the need for supervision on site. That is why Project Management Consultancy follows.

• Working drawings. Construction-level drawings a contractor builds from.
• GMC. General Material and Components: the materials and components a design calls for.
• BOQ. Bill of Quantities: a list of the quantities of work and material in a design.
• Tendering. Inviting contractors to quote for the work.
• Master plan. The blueprint of the park.

Owners get more from this service when they arrive with answers, or at least with a view, on the points below. None of them needs to be settled in advance, and Mast Parks can help to settle them.

• Is the master plan approved, and are any changes still expected?
• Which statutory approvals does the site need?
• What is the target date for the start of construction?
• Who will build the park, and have contractors been chosen?
• Which finishes matter most to the theme?

Mast Parks organises its work as 13 services in four stages, listed here in the order a project usually follows. Architectural Designing is shown in bold. An owner can start at any stage, but each stage builds on the one before it.

• Concept and Planning. Feasibility Studies, Financial Planning, Concept Creation, Theme Development.
• Design and Execution. Master Planning, Architectural Designing, Project Management Consultancy.
• Rides, People and Operations. Ride and Attraction Planning, Team Hiring and Training, Operations Planning.
• Launch and Growth. Marketing and Branding, Merchandising, Content and Events.

Most owners use several of these services together, and some use the full set from idea to opening. See all 13 on the services page.

Mast Parks works with the owner at each step. The owner approves the work before it moves to the next stage, and revisions are part of the process. The owner knows the site, the region and the ambition. Mast Parks brings experience of designing and delivering parks across eight park types. The best results come when the two work as one team, with decisions made quickly and in the open.

To start a conversation, use the contact page. Mast Parks will ask about the site, the park you have in mind and where you are in the project.

A theme can survive the master plan and still be lost in the detail. A zone that is meant to feel like a rainforest needs the right surfaces, planting, lighting and structures, and a builder needs to know what each of those is. Architectural designing writes these into drawings, material lists and quantities, so the theme is specified in the same way as the structure.

This is also why Mast Parks keeps the same team's thinking from theme through to detail. Decisions made in Theme Development and Master Planning carry into the drawings, and the drawings carry into the build.