Integrated design

Integrated design drops the traditional sequence where the architect draws first and the engineers adapt afterwards. Architect, structural, mechanical and electrical engineers, landscape architect, energy consultant and often the contractor and client sit at the same table from the first sketches. The aim is to bring each discipline’s knowledge in while decisions are still cheap to change. The Turkish term is bütünleşik tasarım.

Why work this way?

A building’s orientation, the proportion of glazing on its facade, its structural system and the position of service shafts all affect one another directly. Decided separately, they lead to clashes, redesigns and oversized mechanical systems. Decided together, daylight, natural ventilation and insulation become part of the design from the outset, and both energy use and cost come down. That is why integrated design is seen as the core method behind sustainable and green building projects.

How it works in practice

• Shared targets are written down at the start: energy, comfort, budget and programme.
• Regular joint workshops test alternatives with everyone in the room.
• Shared models such as BIM help each discipline work from the same data.

Visualisation acts as a common language throughout. Simple massing renders and daylight studies produced early on let people from very different backgrounds see the same design in the same way.