Page 211 - Green Building Through Integrated Design

10

CONCEPTUAL AND SCHEMATIC

DESIGN

In the conceptual and schematic design phases, the high-performance design team typ-
ically investigates major systems alternatives for the project, looking at free natural
resources such as solar, wind, and geothermal; climate control schemes; façade alter-
natives, building, massing, and orientation on the site. At this stage, the team can make
some “back of the envelope” calculations of energy use and energy savings alterna-
tives. The team can make a rough stab at costs, but doesn’t know enough for detailed
cost estimates. By the end of this phase, the team should know quite a bit about major
building systems, pending detailed analyses in the design development phase, along
with further costing and constructability reviews.
I cannot overstate the importance of considering sustainable strategies during these
two phases; the entire reason for the questions posed in Chaps. 9 through 13 is to avoid
overlooking good ideas in the rush to “do something.” One authoritative text on
schematic design puts it this way.*

During conceptual design, the owner is convinced that the design team has a vision
worth pursuing. During schematic design, the design team convinces itself that the
vision sold to the owner is in fact feasible. Rarely do any big ideas creep into the
design process after these initial phases.

In other words, every project starts out with a degree of trust, first on the part of the
owner, that the team is up to the job. During the next phase, the team demonstrates that
it can in fact implement the original project vision, or that it has to alter the vision
owing to new discoveries: about the site, the stakeholder interests, the available
resources, money, and so on. Once a specific design direction is chosen, almost noth-
ing short of a major upheaval (such as a change in owners or owners’ interests) will

*David Posada, in Alison G. Kwok and Walter T. Grondzik, The Green Studio Handbook, 2007, Amsterdam:
Elsevier/Architectural Press, p. 18.
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