Integrated Design in Contemporary Architecture

Listen in on any conversation about architecture these days and you will almost certainly hear the buzzword of early 21st century building―sustainability. But just how sustainable must a building be to earn that sought-after designation? How must architects reconsider the entire design process to achieve this important goal? Taking sustainability to the next level, the emerging practice of integrated design provides the strategies to achieve high-performance, low energy, and cost-effectiveness, by a careful ground-up consideration of how the program, siting, design, materials, systems, and products of a building connect, interact, and affect one another. This approach eschews specialists working in isolation in favor of solutions that are greater than the sum of their parts.
 
Integrated Design in Contemporary Architecture takes a comprehensive look at projects that exemplify current approaches to this exciting new field. From museums to residences, from office buildings to universities and yoga centers, this book showcases twenty-eight examples of integrated design that cut across building types, budgets, climates, and locales. Drawings, diagrams, and photographs illustrate how the many disciplines involved in the building process work together to create sustainable spaces that acknowledge architecture’s critical role in our shared global community, economy, and ecosystem. 

Kiel Moe is assistant professor at the School of Architecture, Northeastern University.