Integrative Process

Photo: Sasaki

OVERVIEW

It’s the close collaboration between singer and songwriter that yields the best songs. The building industry is like that too: the best results are achieved when those who determine success are there to influence the project during its creation.

Depending on the design project, that could include the owner, contractor, trades, or even key product suppliers. Some complex issues are forcing this type of interdisciplinary collaboration to happen organically—like the health and transparency documents that are getting product manufacturers and design teams talking.

Here we’ll highlight processes and structures that break down the siloes between the disciplines—without letting things devolve into chaos.

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    The industry will be in a better place a decade from now if we master these skills.

  • Energy Modeling: Early and Often

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    For the biggest energy and cost savings, model early in design and model often, say the experts.

  • Getting Flame Retardants Out of Foam Insulation

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  • Integrated Design Meets the Real World

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  • Will I Get Sued? Managing Risk in Green Building

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    Building industry professionals take on risks when they work on green buildings. But those risks aren't insurmountable, and can easily be handled with good communication and solid contracts.

  • Integrated Project Delivery: A Platform for Efficient Construction

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    Integrated project delivery, or IPD, is a new contract mechanism for design and construction. Among its benefits for green building, it enshrines integrated design and building information modeling (BIM) into a legally supportive framework.

  • Counting Carbon: Understanding Carbon Footprints of Buildings

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    Everyone seems to be talking about measuring carbon footprints and designing carbon-neutral buildings, but these terms mean different things to different people. Some focus just on operating energy, while others also look at transportation, materials, and other building-related emissions. As with so many things, the results depend on what you count and how you count it.

  • Making Air Barriers that Work: Why and How to Tighten Up Buildings

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    Incorporating a continuous air barrier into a building's design and construction can save energy and improve the indoor environment, among other benefits. The right materials and assemblies can help accomplish that goal, but careful attention during design and close oversight during construction are essential.

  • Energy Modeling For Sustainability

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    Evolving software for modeling energy dynamics makes it easier for architects and engineers to design green buildings.

  • Building Information Modeling and Green Design

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    Building information modeling (BIM) is a design process that allows real-time feedback on design decisions and supports collaboration between disciplines. New interoperability between BIM software and building analysis tools are bringing the design process to a new level of sophistication.