Integrated design

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Integrated design is a collaborative design methodology emphasizing knowledge integration in the development of a holistic design.

The underpinnings for integrated design practices are in the “whole building design” approach. By viewing a building system interdependently as opposed to its separate elements (site, structure, systems and use), this approach facilitates sustainable design practices. The integrated design process requires multidisciplinary collaboration, including key stakeholders and design professionals, from conception to completion. Decision making protocols and complementary design principles must be established early in the process in order to satisfy the goals of multiple stakeholders while achieving the overall project objectives.

The understanding of integrated design has evolved in conjunction with the rise of multidisciplinary design firms and is now being used as a term to describe a collaborative design process. Innovative companies, such as IDEO, (providers of products, services and environments), have built their reputation in the marketplace as leaders based on their hands-on, innovative, and participatory design methodologies, including Interaction Design, broadening the definition of integrated design from the whole building to the whole environment.