Page 69 - Green Building Through Integrated Design

46 THE PRACTICE OF INTEGRATED DESIGN

Figure 3.1 The opportunities for integrated design team diminish
over time, so the process must be front-end-loaded.

2 Set “stretch” goals for the entire team, such as LEED Platinum, Living Building
certification (see Chap. 14) or Zero Net Energy, and judge the final result from that
standpoint.
3 Get the team to commit to zero cost increase over a standard budget, so that cost
management is a consideration from the beginning and the need to find “cost transfers”
or “cost tradeoffs” is built into everyone’s thinking.
4 “Front load” the design process with environmental charrettes, studies and similar
“thinking” time (Fig. 3.1). This gets more difficult if the schedule is compressed,
but is essential for the process to work.
5 Allow enough time for feedback and revisions before committing to a final design
concept. This means that the client has to accept either slightly higher design fees
that includes early stage studies or has to accept that more money will be spent dur-
ing the conceptual and schematic design stages.
6 Everyone has to buy in and participate. No building team member should be
allowed to consider just their own special interest. This might mean that the elec-
trical engineer who’s going to be responsible for lighting design also has to be con-
cerned with the paint colors (that affect internal reflected light), the glazing (for
daylighting) and similar issues.

An Architect’s Perspective

Bill Reed writes about the importance of using charrettes to get people on the build-
ing team to change practice habits. In his view, the purpose of “integrative design” is
to get people to change entrenched patterns that inhibit creativity, systemic thinking,
and innovative designs.