Green Building Design Fundamentals (Part I - The Team)

The advent of green building design has challenged the established best practices of building designers.   This requires building designers to have a forward-looking viewpoint with respect to the environmental performance and utilization of the building, as well as the emerging need to plan for decommissioning.  This forces designers to incorporate more parties into the design process than is traditionally necessary, thereby reshaping the roles and responsibilities of all parties involved.  In this blog series we will evaluate how current design practices are being morphed into a more collaborative effort of owners, designers, and operators.  We will also identify the necessary change to planning, and the tools (both existing and developing) to facilitate the changing planning requirements.  By educating and understanding client expectations, as well as methods of quantifying the environmental performance of a building, the planning and design process can be optimized for greener building practices.  By collaboratively incorporating the owner, designers, operators, and users into the design process, a building design can embrace a customized program that meets the needs of all parties involved.  If this process incorporates a methodology of defining, measuring, and evaluating the various environmental merits of the design, the collaborative design committee can adeptly meet both program and environmental concerns without the need for compromise.  This may result in a change of design planning, but ultimately reduces costly changes and compromises at a later stage of the building’s lifecycle. 

Mint Chocolate Chip, Anyone?

Regarding the design team,  what used to be a "one-size-fits-all" team of architect, engineer, and owner now comes in as many varieties as a Baskin-Robbins ice cream cone.  Sometimes the architect leads the design team, sometimes it is a space planner, sometimes it is a specialized project management consultant, sometimes the constructor plays the role of designer and leads the team.  Whatever the team setup, the critical key to successful Green Building Design is that the team works collaboratively around the design coordination.  Too often sustainable design goals become unachievable due to different design disciplines working in silos.  Architects need to be thinking about HVAC system efficiencies.  Mechanical Engineers need to be thinking about structural steel implications to RTU design.  Civil Engineers need to be thinking about landscape design.  Electrical engineers need to be thinking about architectural finishes. Constructors need to be thinking about...well...everything!

We will deal with more specifics of the integrated design team in the next post, but for now consider this: What aspects of your role in the design process impacts on other disciplines?