several people sitting around a table with laptops and papersArchitects collaborate on building plans with model and safety equipmentModern glass office buildings with green landscaping and walkwayNewspaper, coffee mug, glasses, and laptop on a minimalist workspacePerson climbing stairs between modern golden-toned buildings at sunsetThree wooden blocks with communication icons: email, at symbol, and home
Our Company
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
About
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Our Team
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Safety
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Community
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Affiliations
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Diversity, Inclusion, & Accessibility
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
How we work
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Testimonial
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Marketing Documents
Expertise
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Modular Design
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Land Development
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Fire Protection
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Civil Engineering
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Mechanical Engineering
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Sustainable Design
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Structural Engineering
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Lighting Design
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Rendering & Drafting
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Energy Modelling
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Electrical Engineering
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Inspections
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Building Assessment Reports
Project
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Modular
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Hospitality & Leisure
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Residential
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Retail
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Office & Headquarters
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Municipal
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Health
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Industrial
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Mixed Use
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Education
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Civic & Community
News
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
We're Hiring Across Canada!
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Work Underway at Castledowns Pointe
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Start Planning Your 2026 Now
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
The Impact Beyond Our Work
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Celebrating a Meaningful Milestone with Amrik Developments
a white facebook logo on a black background
a white instagram icon with a black circle on the bottom
linked logo with a white dot on the bottom
a black and white image of a play button on a white background
sketchzlab@gmail.com
sketchzlab@gmail.com
Legal and Policies
Legal and Policies
Magnifying glass search icon on a white backgroundMagnifying glass search icon on a white background
Business meeting in modern conference room with diverse teamBusiness team analyzing charts and graphs in modern office meetingArchitects collaborate on blueprints with pencils and ruler on wooden tableModern two-story interior with wooden ceiling, metal stairs, and industrial designNewspaper, coffee mug, glasses, and laptop on a minimalist workspacePerson climbing stairs between modern golden-toned buildings at sunsetThree wooden blocks with communication icons: email, at symbol, and home
Who We Are
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
About
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Our Team
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Community
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
How We Work
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Testimonials
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Diversity, Inclusion, & Accessibility
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Our Commitment to ESG
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Safety
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Affiliations
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Marketing Documents
Expertise
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Building Assessment Reports
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Civil Engineering
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Electrical Engineering
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Energy Modelling
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Fire Protection
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Inspections
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Land Development
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Lighting Design
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Mechanical Engineering
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Modular Design
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Rendering & Drafting
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Structural Engineering
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Sustainable Design
Insights
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Videos
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Publications
Projects
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Civic & Community
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Education
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Health
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Hospitality & Leisure
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Industrial
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Mixed Use
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Modular
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Municipal
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Office & Headquarters
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Residential
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Retail
News
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
We're Hiring Across Canada!
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Work Underway at Castledowns Pointe
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Start Planning Your 2026 Now
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
The Impact Beyond Our Work
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Celebrating a Meaningful Milestone with Amrik Developments
Careers
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Current Openings
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Why Design Works
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Early Careers
there is a man that is standing in the dark with a cell phone
Our Application Process
a white facebook logo on a black background
a white instagram icon with a black circle on the bottom
linked logo with a white dot on the bottom
a black and white image of a play button on a white background
sketchzlab@gmail.com
sketchzlab@gmail.com
Legal and Policies
Legal and Policies

Articles

Start Planning Your 2026 Now

December 15, 2025
•
Engineering

Start Planning Your 2026 Now

Now is when the real work begins.

If you’re thinking about a 2026 project, now is when the real work actually begins.

On paper, 2026 construction season feels comfortably far away. In reality, the projects that deliver on schedule and budget two years from now are already being shaped today — often quietly, long before permits are submitted or construction pricing is requested.

What we’re seeing more frequently isn’t projects failing because of construction execution, but because of early assumptions that don’t survive first contact with reality.

Municipal approvals are a major part of that risk.

Permitting timelines are becoming less predictable, review cycles are longer, and interpretations between departments — and even individual reviewers — can change mid-stream. Zoning allowances, servicing capacities, energy requirements, and life safety expectations are often clarified only after significant design effort has already been invested. When those clarifications come late, they rarely come cheaply.

Starting early isn’t about producing drawings sooner. It’s about creating time to absorb friction.

Early coordination between ownership, consultants, contractors, and municipalities allows teams to:
‍

- Validate zoning, density, and servicing assumptions before they’re embedded in layouts

- Identify municipal concerns early, when solutions are still flexible

- Align energy performance targets with what local authorities will actually approve

- Anticipate long review cycles, resubmissions, and shifting interpretations

- Plan procurement around long-lead items rather than reacting to them

We’re also seeing more projects impacted by winter constraints, delayed site investigations, and supply-chain uncertainty — all of which compound when early decisions are deferred. Once schematic design is rushed, every phase that follows inherits that pressure.

The projects that struggle in 2026 will likely be the ones that treated early planning as a formality — something to “get through” so things could move faster later. The projects that succeed will be the ones that used this time to reduce uncertainty, align expectations, and make informed trade-offs while change was still inexpensive.

Good projects don’t start at groundbreaking.

They start when teams take the time early — so they aren’t forced to rush when it matters most.

Haydar says: After years of working through approvals, redesigns, and late-stage course corrections, one thing has become clear: time spent early is rarely wasted — but time lost later is almost always expensive.

Who We Are
About UsOur TeamCommunityHow We WorkTestimonialsDiversity, Inclusion,
& AccessibilityOur Commitment to ESGSafetyAffiliationsMarketing Documents
Expertise
Building Assessment ReportCivil EngineeringElectrical EngineeringEnergy ModellingFire ProtectionInspectionsLand DevelopmentLighting DesignMechanical EngineeringModular DesignRendering & DraftingStructural EngineeringSustainable Design
Projects
Civic & CommunityEducationHealthHospitality & LeisureIndustrialMixed UseModularMunicipalOffice & HeadquartersResidentialRetail
Insights
VideosPublications
Careers
Current OpeningsWhy Design WorksEarly CareersOur Application Process
News
Contact Us
Copyright © 2025 Design Works Engineering
Privacy Policy