Bringing together planning insight, design thinking and commercial awareness to test what a site can realistically deliver.
A site may look straightforward on paper, but development potential is rarely obvious at first glance. Planning policy, site constraints, infrastructure capacity and viability considerations can all significantly affect what is achievable.
A robust feasibility study, carried out early, allows clients to understand risk, identify opportunity and make informed decisions before time and capital are committed.
At OSG Architecture, feasibility is not treated as a tick-box exercise. It is a structured appraisal that brings together planning insight, design thinking and commercial awareness to test what a site can realistically deliver.
What Is a Site Appraisal?
A site appraisal is the process of assessing whether a site is suitable for development and, if so, what form that development might take.
It looks beyond simple planning designation to consider how policy, physical constraints and commercial drivers interact. The aim is to provide clarity, not just compliance.
For developers and asset owners, a well-informed site appraisal helps to:
• Understand development capacity and constraints
• Identify planning risk early
• Test alternative development scenarios
• Avoid costly redesign or abortive work later
The Site Appraisal Process Explained
While every site is different, a typical feasibility study carried out by OSG includes several key stages.
Understanding the Planning Context
We review national, regional and local planning policy to establish what is supported in principle, what may be negotiable and where risk lies. This includes zoning, use class considerations, height and massing controls, heritage or environmental designations, and emerging policy where relevant.
This planning-led understanding helps ensure early proposals are grounded in policy reality rather than assumption, particularly on larger or more complex sites where masterplanning considerations may apply.
Assessing Physical Constraints
A site’s physical characteristics often dictate what is achievable. We assess access, known servicing arrangements, topography, neighbouring uses, rights of light, flood risk and existing structures drawing on available information and site observations to understand how these factors influence layout and scale and architectural response.
This early analysis helps shape development concepts that respond intelligently to constraints rather than reacting to them later through redesign.
Infrastructure and Technical Considerations
Early technical input can highlight issues that are often overlooked, such as utilities capacity, drainage strategy, fire access or construction logistics at a high level, based on available information.
Where specialist input is required, we help identify this early so that appropriate advice can be brought in before assumptions become embedded in the design. This coordinated approach supports smoother progression into [technical delivery] as schemes develop.
Testing Development Scenarios
Rather than a single option, feasibility should explore alternatives. We use outline massing studies and high-level layouts to test different approaches, helping clients understand trade-offs between density, risk and value.
This option testing is often supported by early 3D modelling and visualisation, allowing proposals to be assessed spatially and communicated clearly.
Typical Pitfalls in Early-Stage Feasibility
Feasibility studies are most valuable when they challenge assumptions. Common issues we see include:
• Over-reliance on headline planning policy without considering site-specific constraints
• Underestimating the impact of access, servicing or fire strategy
• Assuming neighbouring context will support proposed height or massing
• Treating technical matters as a later problem rather than an early design driver
• Confusing theoretical capacity with commercially viable development
Addressing these issues early can prevent costly redesign, delays to planning submissions or schemes that struggle to progress beyond concept stage.
How OSG Identifies Opportunity
OSG’s approach to feasibility is rooted in collaboration and design thinking. By bringing architectural, planning and technical considerations together from the outset, we help clients identify where genuine opportunity exists.
We look for:
• Policy flexibility that supports alternative approaches
• Design strategies that respond intelligently to constraints
• Opportunities to unlock value through layout, massing or use mix
• Early alignment between planning ambition and deliverability
Where projects require broader expertise, OSG can help assemble and co-ordinate a wider design team through our client advisory and project management role, working with trusted planning consultants, engineers, utilities advisers and cost consultants.
Assessing Viability, Not Just Compliance
A scheme may be technically possible, but that does not always mean it is viable.
Our feasibility studies consider how planning, design and technical requirements affect commercial outcomes. This includes environmental and energy considerations that may influence long-term performance and cost, providing a strong foundation for later-stage sustainable design strategies.
Initial feasibility studies can also be used to test proposals through early engagement routes, such as pre-application discussions with local planning authorities or call for sites submissions. Using feasibility work in this way allows clients to gauge policy response, refine strategy and reduce risk before committing to a full planning application.
Feasibility as the Foundation for Successful Projects
A clear, well-structured feasibility study sets the direction for everything that follows. It reduces uncertainty, improves design outcomes and supports smoother progression through planning and delivery.
For clients operating in complex or competitive markets, early clarity can be the difference between a scheme that moves forward with confidence and one that stalls under unforeseen constraints.
To discuss how OSG Architecture can support you at this earliest stage, contact our team today. We can provide insights that help turn sites into viable, deliverable developments.