CGI earns its fee mainly at RIBA Stages 2, 3 and 4, and again, in a different form, from Stage 4 onwards for marketing. Concept visuals help a client sign off a direction at Stage 2. Accurate, coordinated images support the planning application at Stage 3. Marketing and sales imagery follows once the design is fixed. Below, we walk through all eight stages and say what to ask a visualiser for, and what to hold back until the design can bear it.

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TL;DR

  • The RIBA Plan of Work 2020 has eight stages, numbered 0 to 7, and CGI has a different job at almost every one of them.
  • Stage 2 visuals test ideas and win client sign-off. Stage 3 visuals are the ones planners and neighbours see, so they must match the coordinated design.
  • Stage 4 is when the design is fixed for construction, which makes it the safest point to commission high-end marketing imagery.
  • Stages 5 to 7 use CGI for off-plan sales, investor updates and, sometimes, animation and virtual tours.
  • Commissioning too early means paying to redraw images when the design moves. Commissioning too late can leave the planning file thin.

Table of Contents

The RIBA Plan of Work in brief

The RIBA Plan of Work 2020 organises the process of briefing, designing, constructing and operating a building into eight stages. Those stages run from strategic appraisal to use in operation, and they are the common language between architects, clients, planners and contractors across the UK.

The framework is not new. Earlier versions, such as the 2013 edition, already tied the stages to the Construction Industry Council’s phases to bring the industry onto one set of definitions. The 2013 document also notes that stages generally follow a sequence, but procurement strategy or client demands can make them overlap, with the project programme setting each stage’s duration. Disciplines outside architecture borrow it as well: the British Institute of Interior Design describes it as a useful starting point for interior designers, and its contracts were based on it.

For anyone commissioning visuals, the useful point is simple. Every stage has a different level of design certainty, and an image can only be as reliable as the design behind it.

The eight stages and where CGI fits

According to the RIBA Plan of Work 2020 template, projects move through strategic appraisal (Stage 0), brief development (Stage 1), concept design (Stage 2), spatial coordination (Stage 3), technical design (Stage 4), manufacturing and construction (Stage 5), handover and aftercare (Stage 6), and building use (Stage 7).

The table below pairs each stage with the visual that usually helps most. It is our view from the way projects tend to run, not an RIBA requirement.

Stage Name Typical CGI use Level of design certainty
0 Strategic Definition Rarely needed; a quick massing view for an investor or board Very low
1 Preparation and Briefing Site-context studies, early massing, feasibility imagery Low
2 Concept Design Concept views, mood and material studies for sign-off Medium
3 Spatial Coordination Planning visuals, photomontages, verified views High
4 Technical Design Marketing CGI, interiors, floor plans, animation Fixed
5 Manufacturing and Construction Off-plan sales, investor updates, progress comparisons Fixed
6 Handover and Close Out Lettings and sales imagery, virtual staging Built
7 Use Refurbishment or uplift proposals, new-phase marketing Built

Stages 0 and 1: deciding and defining

Stage 0 develops a business case for feasible options, including a review of risks and budget, according to the 2020 Plan of Work as used in a council appendix. Stage 1 then establishes the project brief and feasibility studies, ending in a client-approved brief, as set out in a public-sector tender document. In practice Stage 1 also involves visiting and appraising the site, as Collective Works describes.

CGI is usually light here. A simple massing view dropped into a photograph can help an investor or a landowner picture what a site might hold. It is a communication aid, not a design record, so keep it cheap and clearly marked as indicative.

Stage 2: concept design

At Stage 2 the architect develops the chosen option into a concept design for the client’s sign-off, as a Contracts Finder document describes it. This is where visuals help most with decisions: does the client prefer brick or render, a pitched or a flat roof, a taller block or a longer one?

Good Stage 2 CGI is quick and comparative. Two or three views of the same corner with different materials will settle an argument faster than a page of specification. Do not polish these images. The design will change, and a lightly finished view is easier to revise than a fully dressed one.

Stage 3: spatial coordination and the planning application

Stage 3 is the one most people search for when they type “RIBA stages CGI”. The design is developed in line with the brief ahead of a planning application, as the government’s Soft Landings guidance puts it. Collective Works notes that 3D sketch visualisations and coordinated design packs are used at this point to communicate the building’s potential to clients and local planning authorities.

This is where CGI has to be accurate, not just attractive. Planning officers, committee members and neighbours judge the scheme from these images. Typical Stage 3 deliverables include:

  • Exterior views from the street and from key neighbouring positions, built from the coordinated drawings.
  • CGI photomontages, where the model is placed into a photograph of the real site.
  • Aerial views that show the proposal in its wider setting.
  • Verified views, where the camera position and the model are tied to survey data so that the image can be checked.

We cover the planning side in more detail in our practical guide to CGI renders for planning applications, our note on the role of visuals in planning permission, and the CGI workflow for residential planning applications.

Is Stage 3 “detailed design”?

No, and this is a common mix-up. Under the 2013 plan the equivalent stage was called Developed Design. In 2020 it became Spatial Coordination. One practitioner reading, from APS, is that the rename moves away from the idea that design is merely refined and makes clear that the design work before technical design should be finished by then. For visuals, the consequence is practical: Stage 3 images should show a design that is spatially settled, but not every junction, fixing or finish. Those arrive at Stage 4.

Stage 4: technical design

Stage 4 produces technical designs and performance specifications, and prepares statutory-approval applications and construction information, according to the same Contracts Finder document. The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland describes it as preparing detailed technical information for the contractor and obtaining the necessary consents.

For visuals, Stage 4 is the quiet sweet spot. The design no longer moves much, materials are specified, and the planning conditions are known. This is when we would recommend:

  • Marketing CGI for brochures, hoardings, websites and agent listings.
  • Interior CGI with the real finishes and furniture packages.
  • 2D and 3D floor plans for sales and lettings.
  • A 3D animation or walkthrough for investors.

If your planning permission carries conditions on materials or landscaping, updated visuals at this stage also help to discharge them cleanly.

Stages 5 and 6: construction and handover

Stage 5 covers the physical construction of the project, including off-site manufacturing and on-site assembly, with design activity limited mostly to site queries, per the RIBA template. The same document describes Stage 6 as handover, which includes rectifying defects and closing out the building contract. The architect often acts as Contract Administrator during construction, monitoring progress and certifying payments, as RIAS explains.

The difference matters for visuals. At Stage 5 the building is not finished, so CGI carries the sales message: off-plan marketing, investor updates and comparison with site progress. By Stage 6 photography can take over for the exterior, but CGI and virtual staging remain useful for interiors in units that are still empty.

Stage 7: in use

Stage 7 covers the building in use and the monitoring of its performance. Visualisation re-enters when an owner plans a refurbishment, an extension or a change of use. That sends the project back to Stage 0 or 1 for a new cycle, and the same stage logic applies.

How the stage overlap affects your visual schedule

Stages are not tidy boxes. The RIBA 2020 template says Stages 0 to 4 generally occur sequentially, while Stages 4 and 5 typically overlap. Architecture for London adds that overlapping them can speed up a start on site but may increase pricing uncertainty for the contractor.

For anyone buying CGI, three scheduling rules follow:

  1. Brief the visualiser from the issued drawings, not the sketch. Whatever stage you are in, name the drawing revision the images must follow.
  2. Freeze the camera angles early. Agreeing views at the start prevents the most common source of rework.
  3. Plan one revision round per stage. If the design moves a lot, schedule a second visual set after the change, rather than patching old images.

How long each stage takes depends on the project programme, the procurement route and the planning authority, so we will not quote durations. Ask your architect for the programme and work backwards from the planning submission date.

Perspective: commission by certainty, not by calendar

We work on a lot of planning-stage projects, and the same mistake repeats. A client orders a polished marketing image at Stage 2 because it looks good in a pitch. Six weeks later the massing changes, and the image is a sunk cost.

Perspective: commission by certainty, not by calendar — overview diagram

Our view is that the stage should set the finish, not the other way round. Early on, light and fast. At Stage 3, precise and checkable, because the image becomes part of a public record. At Stage 4, rich and commercial. Because every image is produced in-house by one experienced operator, with no outsourcing, you talk to the person making your visuals. That makes it easy to agree views up front, keep revisions tied to drawing issues, and hold deadlines when a submission date is fixed.

If you are an architect or planning consultant, bring us in before Stage 3 begins, not once the drawings are signed. We can flag camera positions and sight lines that will need verifying while there is still time to adjust the design.

— Paride

What to send a visualiser at each stage

A short, complete brief saves a revision round. Whichever stage you are at, send:

  • The latest drawing issue, with revision letters (plans, elevations, sections).
  • A 3D model, if the architect has one, and the software it came from.
  • Site photographs, ideally from the planned view positions.
  • A schedule of materials, or reference images where it is not fixed yet.
  • The purpose of the image: committee, neighbour consultation, brochure, investor pack.
  • The deadline, and who signs off the images.

Our property architect visualisation checklist goes through this in more depth, and why architects use 3D visualisation explains the wider case. Interior designers working to the same framework may prefer our page on CGI for interior designers.

Who needs what

Different clients enter at different stages, so their first visual differs:

On cost, we do not publish a fixed price list on our service pages because scope varies by project. Our article on property CGI costs in the UK explains what drives the figure.

Work with us across the stages

We produce exterior CGI, interior CGI, CGI photomontages, aerial photomontages and verified views, and 3D animation for projects at every stage above. Tell us which RIBA stage you are at and what the image has to do, and we will recommend the lightest deliverable that does the job. You can see everything we offer on our services page.

FAQ

What are the eight RIBA stages?

They are Stage 0 Strategic Definition, 1 Preparation and Briefing, 2 Concept Design, 3 Spatial Coordination, 4 Technical Design, 5 Manufacturing and Construction, 6 Handover, and 7 Use. The RIBA Plan of Work is the source of this structure. Each stage ends with defined outcomes before the next begins.

At which RIBA stage should I commission CGI for planning?

Stage 3, as the design is coordinated ahead of the planning application. Brief the visualiser at the start of Stage 3 or just before, so camera positions and any verified views can be agreed early. Early concept visuals at Stage 2 are useful for client sign-off but are rarely suitable for submission.

What is the difference between RIBA Stages 5 and 6?

Stage 5 is construction and manufacturing, carried out by the contractor. Stage 6 is handover, which includes rectifying defects and closing out the building contract. For visuals, Stage 5 is still the time for CGI-led off-plan marketing, while by Stage 6 the finished building can be photographed.

Is RIBA Stage 3 detailed design?

Not in the 2020 plan. Stage 3 is Spatial Coordination, where the design is developed and coordinated ahead of planning. Detailed technical information, specifications and construction information belong to Stage 4.

Sources