Integrated Design
Because of
the complexities of different building components and systems, understanding
those systems requires specialized knowledge. Specialized roles have therefore
been created around the design, construction and maintenance of buildings and
interiors. The roles can include those of the architect, interior designer, MEP
(mechanical, electrical and plumbing) engineer and general contractor.
In a large
and complex project, many more roles can exist. Although the design of any
building or interior requires the work of all of these professionals, the
design process is not traditionally collaborative. A more collaborative
process, “integrated design,” will be contrasted with the traditional process
to better illustrate opportunities for more environmentally beneficial design.
Traditional
Design
Traditional
design is a linear process in which no team member is fully cognizant of the
methodologies and goals of other members. When one member of the project team
completes his or her portion of the project, the drawings are handed off to the
next member of the team to complete the next portion, and so on down the line.
For example, once the architect has
completed the schematic design, the structural engineer “engineers” the
building in accordance with the preliminary drawings, then the mechanical
engineer designs the building systems within the constraints that resulted from
these schematics. Finally, after these key decisions have been made, the
interior designer receives the drawings, too late to provide feedback about
most aspects of the building’s design. At this stage, it would be both time
consuming and expensive to make changes to the baseline documents, so many
opportunities to tailor the interior design are lost.
The traditional design process is good
at producing buildings that achieve conventional performance levels. But if a
project’s goals include high-energy performance and exceptional human comfort
and health, this process, even when each individual has good intentions, fails
to capitalize on opportunities to bridge different areas of expertise. For
example, the architect may design a building with large expanses of
south-facing windows, which he or she perceives as benefiting the building’s
lighting and heating. By the time the MEP engineer sees the design, however, it
is too late to add exterior light shelves, which would limit glare and heat
gain during the hottest times of day. He or she is forced to engineer a larger
system to compensate for the likelihood of enormous heat gain associated with
the large southern exposure.
Finally, the interior designer may have
wanted to specify raised access floors with underfloor air distribution as a
strategy for a flexible office layout, but the engineer has already specified a
detailed ventilation system using the ceiling plenum for distribution. Nor did
the designer have the opportunity to suggest to the architect a different
module size for the building’s structural system that might work more
efficiently with the client’s existing system’s furniture, and which might have
allowed for greater day lighting potential and less wasted interior space.
In this
traditional approach, in either a commercial or residential project, the
architect, engineer, interior designer and the client may never sit down
together to discuss and understand the goals of the project. As a result,
individual team members typically end up inadvertently working at cross
purposes.
Integrated Design
Integrated
design is a collaborative design process that recognizes the relations among
building systems and among the team members that design and install those
systems. Integrated design therefore requires participation of all members of a
project team in order to optimize the performance of the building and the way
in which it is built. The integrated design process, including participation by
the interior designer, is already widely recognized in commercial building and
renovation projects, and a body of knowledge has grown about its application.
These
concepts are, with little modification, equally applicable to new homes and
residential renovations.
An
integrated design process often begins with a charrette, a group brainstorming
session often taking place over a number of days, which can effectively kick
off the project design by providing a forum for articulating goals and sharing
ideas. The charrette is an excellent time to bring in the early and active
participation of the full design and construction team. Many of these
participants are not traditionally included in the early phases of design, but
the process is exponentially enhanced with their involvement.
Integrated Design
and Sustainability
When green
building features are viewed as simply another step in the design process, or
an “add on,” the resulting design often has lower levels of environmental performance
and higher cost. If a client wants to reduce energy use, it is far more
effective
to design for energy conservation from the beginning of a project with, for
example, site selection that reduces heating and cooling needs, than to spend a
lot of additional money in retroactively insulating the building or
re-engineering it to use less energy.
Many, if
not all, of the major design decisions that most affect the sustainable performance
of a building are made in the early phases of design. Some early decisions that
can have large environmental impacts include site selection, building
orientation, fenestration, and shell and glazing choices. With integrated design,
the full team of professionals can provide early input relative to the environmental
implications of those decisions. For example, if the architect is pursuing a
day lighting strategy, the interior designer can contribute layout, lighting and
color schemes that complement that strategy. Without early knowledge of the
project goals, the designer may have pursued plans that would make the
day lighting strategy less effective, which would, in turn, have increased
energy needs and decreased occupant satisfaction relative to averages.
Another
strategy with environmental benefits that calls for an integrated design process
is the use of exposed thermal mass. Exposed concrete, brick or stone walls, and
roof structures can reduce peak cooling loads, especially when coupled with a
night-flushing system that expels the building’s heat and uses the naturally
colder nighttime air to cool the mass. Implementing such a strategy requires
collaboration among the architect, structural engineer, mechanical engineer and
interior designer.
Additional
members of an integrated design team might include an acoustical engineer, who
analyzes and mitigates sound transmission issues caused by hard surfaces, and a
lighting designer, who can offer energy efficient lighting considerations.
What’s your opinion of integrated design
approach?
