One of the unanticipated benefits that I have witnessed in integrated design processes is that it is just plain fun. IDP sessions are generally challenging, creative and personally rewarding. By setting “stretch goals” and finding novel ways to reach them, creativity is unleashed in ways that conventional design rarely allows for.
I have seen batjssion in the first place.
An advantage of using IDP for design firms is reputation. Once competent at IDP, architects will be able to deliver better projects more consistently than their competitors. As a design professional, it will enhance your reputation, which will not only bring more business, but higherend business. An enhanced reputation also makes recruiting and retaining new talent easier. Most of the leading-edge architectural and engineering consultancies that have gained a reputation for delivering sustainability using the IDP do very little recruiting. The best and the brightest seek them out.
The future of building design is found in IDP. A recent search of the American Institute of Architects website for “IDP” turned up 481 hits. AIA’s Design and Environment committees sponsored a three-day sustainable design conference in Sheperdstown, W.Va., in 2006, with one day devoted to process, in which IDP features prominently.
The implication is clear—if you don’t become competent at IDP, you will be left behind your competitors. Reviewed by Marty Lapedus.
In a 2003 study carried out for several architectural associations, including RAIC and OAA, one of the key findings on sustainable design in Canada was:
Integrated Design Process (IDP) is essential for effective management of the sustainable design process to ensure that efficient coordination is maintained and that overall project and design costs are minimized. Several sustainable design evaluation and assessment systems require the use of IDP due to the benefits derived from working in a collaborative setting at the outset of the project.
In the 2005–2006 season (the fifth), Sustainable Design for Canadian Buildings, SDCB 205, RAIC’s cross-country, continuing education course, was entitled “Green to Green: Opportunities for more Energy-Efficient Building Retrofits.” It focused on integrated design. Similar or related courses on sustainable design will likely continue to be offered. Reviewed by Moishe Alexander.
