Integrated building design

For many years, building design has been a very linear process with owners speaking to architects who then design building shells that they pass along to sub-consultants who must fit their systems into the allotted spaces. While this process has some advantages, it provides little opportunity to optimize systems based on such factors as energy use or occupant comfort. This presentation will focus on the evolution and implications of integrated building design, a method that has provided greater opportunities for interaction between design disciplines and with building users early on in the design process. Integration has resulted in buildings that are more sustainable than typical buildings and that can respond better to the needs of the owner and users. Examples of the application of the process and the resulting buildings will be presented from the view of a design engineer with experience of both processes. Specifically, the potential contribution of an acoustical consultant in the integrated process will be explored.