Process Matters
A truly integrative design process examines systemic interrelationships to optimize the performance of the whole.
It's not "just" a project, it's a process
Project stakeholders in deep collaboration develop conceptual options that integrate technical solutions with social and ecological health. Transcending perceptions of cost and efficiency, the project ultimately delivers higher order project outcomes by engaging more effective technical solutions that regenerate the health and quality of life of the community and the larger ecosystem in which the project is nested.
We've been at this a long time... the video from our archives explains the process.
It's how we collaborate
An effective integrative process invites community members and design team members to become authentic co-creators: they co-create and own the project's purpose, rather than being told what it is; they participate in defining project goals that benefit all stakeholders, rather than having to be convinced that the project has value; they develop principles to guide decisions, rather than arguing over opinions; and they participate in exploring conceptual design options, rather than poking holes in a design solution that is presented to them.
We are often taught to believe that 'compromise' offers the highest potential in the process of human interactions. However, when there are limited resources, such as time, money and/or will, a process that results in 'reconciliation' offers new energy, inspiration and potential that serves as a catalyst for more sustainable transformation. All projects seeking to come into the world face constraints. An effective integrative process treats those constraints as opportunities, not as obstacles to be overcome. In order to engage a reconciling process, it is necessary to harmonize the seemingly contradictory perspectives each of us brings to the process. An integrative process facilitates intelligent and intentional communication between all team members and interested parties to create connections and agreement around the project's purpose before design begins.
In order to change building performance outcomes, the design process needs to change.
We're so passionate about process, we wrote a book about it...
For more than two decades, 7group has been deeply engaged in helping the building design and construction industry pursue green building practices and sustainability. During that period, it became clear to us that project teams overwhelmingly lack information about effective green building design processes. Accordingly, the partners of 7group and Bill Reed have collaborated to create a book that fills this void with an easy to understand manual, The Integrative Design Guide to Green Building: Redefining the Practice of Sustainability.
This is a pragmatic book. There are many books on green design that describe the what of sustainability – what to do, what to use, what to design, what to buy, what not to buy. In this book, we talk about how. How to make the best decisions, how to work with others to creatively address the issues of sustainability, how to address complex issues that threaten living systems, and how to be more and more deeply purposeful in pursuing what is required of us to achieve these objectives. How you do something is a process. This book is about redesigning the design process. It describes in detail a practical, replicable Integrative Design Process (IDP).
Folks that have built on our book in ways we appreciate
(click images to enlarge)
To continue exploring integrative process, contact us, check out these resources above, and our book.
%20(1).avif)
By optimizing components in isolation we will pessimize the system as a whole. If we do not design our systems to work with one another, they will tend to work against one another.
