Strategic Advisory & Feasibility is the most critical stage of any successful project and often the point at which the greatest value is created. Decisions made at this stage shape everything that follows-from planning risk and design direction to cost certainty and deliverability. Studio FRI’s role is to ensure those decisions are informed, proportionate and grounded in planning reality before momentum or expenditure takes over.
This service is not about producing drawings. It is about interpretation, foresight and restraint. Studio FRI assesses the planning context, site constraints and wider environment to establish what is genuinely achievable, not just theoretically possible. We consider how proposals are likely to be interpreted by the local planning authority, where resistance may arise, and how ambition can be shaped into something credible, defensible and proportionate.
Clients often approach this stage with an idea of what they want to achieve. Strategic Advisory & Feasibility provides clarity on what can realistically be achieved-and just as importantly, what should be avoided. This includes advising on scale, massing, use and overall development approach, particularly on constrained sites, sensitive locations, Green Belt land or change-of-use opportunities where risk is heightened.
The emphasis is on protecting clients from abortive design work and unnecessary cost. By establishing a clear strategic direction early, Studio FRI helps clients avoid pursuing proposals that are misaligned with policy, context or deliverability. This measured approach often saves time, money and frustration later in the process.
An initial complimentary phone consultation forms part of this service. This conversation is used to understand objectives, assess suitability and outline potential routes forward. It allows clients to access professional judgement at an early stage and ensures that any subsequent work is grounded in a clear, considered strategy rather than assumption or optimism.
Strategic Advisory & Feasibility is particularly suited to clients who value good judgement, careful decision-making and long-term thinking. It is designed for those who understand that the success of a project is rarely determined by how quickly it begins, but by how well it is set up.
