Integrated design at the
Centre for Sustainable Development
Unlike the conventional, linear design process, in which the various participants intervene one after the other and have to adapt to the decisions made upstream, the integrated design process allows members of the project team to play an active role at the earliest stages of design. This approach makes it possible to identify the main challenges at the outset and to find solutions using methods and techniques that draw on several fields of specialized expertise rather than just one.
From the outset of the project, the Centre for Sustainable Development team sought to incorporate the principles of integrated design in some of the strategies adopted. The application of this approach is particularly evident in the method used to select the team of professionals involved in the project. For example, the candidates were required to meet several criteria:
- present the qualifications of the team’s members as well as their sensitivity to social issues and innovation (community involvement, commitment to sustainable development, innovative ideas, etc.);
- conduct a guided tour of a project carried out by one of the team’s members;
- take part in a group interview including a simulation exercise designed to test leadership and listening skills within the team;
- produce a financial offer, including a proposed contribution to the project.
The application of the integrated design process at the Centre of Sustainable Development revolves around two main axes:
Diversity of actors
Whether they are members of the project’s professional team (architects, engineers, entrepreneurs, etc.), external stakeholders (researchers, ergonomics experts, energy specialists, building managers, etc.) or community actors, people from a variety of backgrounds have been involved in the project in order to ensure the broadest range of perspectives and ideas possible.
The high participation level of three members of Équiterre not only allowed them to learn a great deal more about the complex challenges related to the Centre’s construction, but also to offer their own expertise on issues related to sustainable development at each stage of the design process.
Intensity of the work process
During the first of the two project development stages, from September 2006 to September 2007, over 54 interdisciplinary meetings were held, with an attendance rate of 80% among the team’s professionals.
Overall, the integrated design approach has made it possible to achieve a fully mature project, to acquire detailed knowledge of all aspects of the project by the decision-makers (Équiterre) and to integrate numerous innovative features that are usually absent from this type of project (sustainable development, ergonomics, building operation, innovation, etc.).
Composition of the design team:
- 3 representatives of Équiterre and a project manager;
- Architects;
- Engineers (mechanical/electrical, structural/civil);
- Sustainable development coordinator;
- Consultant contractor;
- Commissioning agent;
- Energy experts;
- Representatives of Hydro-Québec’s real-estate sector;
- Consultant researchers;
- Special consultants (building code, solar energy, computer-aided design).
