Many minds are needed to realize innovative and project-appropriate solutions.

In the 21st Century few easy sites remain, and most design projects are founded on a tangle of hairy problems. Using the Integrated Design Process we have developed a design method that is transparent, inclusive, goal focused and outcome intensive so that Clients can see demonstrated and clear progress as their projects advance. This process reduces the risks of project uncertainties by considering project variables early on, supports public participation through open Integrated Design sessions and supports a careful monitoring of project costs by tying fees to smaller scale deliverables.  The Integrated Design Process is utilized in all of our projects and grounds the work of the firm.

Integrated Design means many things to many people. However, our process is characterized by the following:

  •  A commitment to a whole process, and resistance to the temptation to abandon the facilitators too early.
  •  The adoption of a clear and rigorous process which is mapped out at the start, rather than made up on the fly.
  •  Definition of key qualitative and quantitative indicators by which the project success will be measured.
  •  Inclusion of all team members in defining creative solutions to project problems, including cost, schedule and delivery.
  •  Inclusion of all stakeholders in understanding and describing the long term impact and lasting change(s) that will occur as a result of the project.
  •  A process built around a number of facilitated workshops which become increasingly specific as time advances.
  •  Early identification of project purpose and project goals
  •  Workshops built around a number of structured exercises designed to encourage cross fertilization and integration between disciplines
  •  Development of whole building solutions to technical performance criteria such as accessibility, energy efficiency, daylighting and air quality.