How can technical knowledge in the fields of urban microclimate comfort, daylight and energy performance be implemented and add value to the design processes?
Once the collaborative basis is established, the projects start up is vital for the success of an integrated design process. Collective start-up workshops, where project goals are established through discussions within the design team, including the project client, will not only provide a solid base for early implementation of technical knowledge in the de-sign, but also establish team spirit among design team members, which will strengthen and ease collaboration throughout the process.
The practicability of implementation of technical input is dependent of timing in relation to the state of the project development. Therefore, a comprehensive process plan needs to be discussed within the project team, to assure that changes in the design are not inconvenient, but value-adding. This relates to the necessity of having an understanding for the work and process of other disciplines. In general, understanding and sympathy for the work, methods, and process of other disciplines, contribute to the ease of collabora-tion in a field, where knowledge-integracollabora-tion and balance of trade-offs are key.
Understanding, sympathy, and appreciation for the work of others, and the ability to communicate and collaborate is linked to the topic of personality and emotional in-telligence (EQ). Physical presence of collaborating partners eases communication and collaboration on a practical day-to-day basis. Furthermore, it provides better insight to the working methods and process of others, through observing their daily work routines.
It can hence be argued, that working in a multidisciplinary environment, i.e. a company with a certain level of internal multidisciplinarity, will enhance the collaborative skillset of the individual. Observing and experiencing the working method and motivations of other disciplines will prevent ‘innocent ignorance’ of individuals in unilateral, mono-dis-ciplinary work environment, and thus foster an attitude of understanding and apprecia-tion towards the work of other disciplines.
With a higher level of insight into other disciplines, communication and presentation of knowledge and input becomes easier. By understanding the needs and motivations for the work and process of other disciplines, it is possible to focus inputs and explain the effect a certain design decision within one’s own field of expertise will have on the work of other disciplines. Information overload, which often leads to total disregarding and omitting all information, can hence be avoided. By understanding the specific informa-tion needs of other disciplines, long and elaborate reports can be replaced by short and simple explanations or visually through diagrams or similar. Visual communication is a convenient way to a common language between different disciplines.
The traditional mind-sets and approach to design process of the entire building indus-try is naturally evident in the educational programs of architecture and engineering. By making changes to the way new ‘generations’ of engineers and architects are trained, is a lengthy but long-term way to break with traditions. Educational programs could easily include multidisciplinary projects and courses in the design methods and processes of other disciplines in the curriculum. This would provide the same benefits of attitude to-wards the work of other disciplines and communication skills as outlined in the previous sections.
Proper collaboration and communication basis must be set up. This entails careful man-agement of the process and design development. A shared understanding and knowl-edge of the design decisions are therefore vital in an integrated design process. In the case study, it was seen that meetings were held on a 1:1 basis, which lead to inconsisten-cy in file management, overlapping work of multiple team members due to lack of coor-dination, misunderstandings about deadlines, etc. This approach to management entails a knowledge-sharing environment, which results in a ‘leader and assistant’ collaborative arrangement. In an integrated design process, knowledge-integration is the desired form of collaboration, which results in a arrangement where partners are equal. This entails a project organisation, where project team members can focus on the design development and their individual tasks. Instating a designated project- and process manager, or design facilitator, to handle overall coordination, planning, and meeting facilitation will allow project team members to focus on the task of building design.
a good person every time
- W. E. Deming
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‘a good design process’ within the Danish building industry?
Discussion of tools and initiatives for an integrated design process in the Danish framework
The following chapter outline the reasons for difficulties with integrated design in the building industry in general, including an analysis of the mechanisms that influence and control the early phase design processes in regards of implementation of technical knowledge. This is followed by an elaborate discussion of pros and cons of different initiatives for optimising an integrated design process and their feasibility in the framework of the Danish building industry. Finally, potential ini-tiatives in educational institutions towards better integration of multidisciplinary inputs in building projects are discussed. The following chapter is hence a recapitulation of the entire thesis, along with more or less tangible and practically applicable suggestions for potential optimisation of inte-grated design processes. This chapter is followed by the overall conclusion of this thesis.
From the findings in Part 2, it is evident that collaborative arrangements and design process are two sides of the same coin and unambiguously in-tertwined. From the literature study in Part 1 it is seen that many of the guides for integrated design process disassociates the two. According to the IDP guides, the success of collaboration is dependent of the attitude of the design team members. This aspect is very important, however, if the planned progression of the design development does not support multidisciplinary iterations and a collaborative arrangement allowing integration of technical knowledge as a design informer, technical input to the architectural design will obstruct the creative process. The collaborative arrangements are hence defined by the design process and vice versa.
The initial aim with this thesis was to identify optimisation potentials of existing guides for integrated design processes. From the mapping of the IDP guides, gaps and deficiencies were found, however through the work of this thesis, including the literature- and case study, it has been clarified, that the root cause of the difficulties the building industry is experiencing with integrated design processes, are based in the overall structure of building projects on a managerial- and regulatory level. Hence, optimisation of an in-tegrated design process requires a supportive overall structure for the build-ing project, based on management support includbuild-ing proper contracts and fee structures.