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Home > Design Guidance > Design Objectives > Functional / Operational > Ensure Appropriate Product/Systems Integration

Ensure Appropriate Product/Systems Integration

by the WBDG Functional / Operational Committee

Last updated: 08-12-2009

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Overview

"There is no separation of utility and beauty. You cannot determine where a tree stops being beautiful and starts becoming utilitarian." Richard Neutra

A successfully designed building has also been compared to a beautiful symphony. The parts of a building, like individual instruments in an orchestra, have the capacity to make up a whole that is greater than if they were played alone. Imagine, for instance, that an office space had a beautifully designed interior and state-of-the-art furniture and computer equipment, but could not be heated and cooled properly. The lack of adequate climate control would be as apparent as if a loud "off-key" note were played during a symphony.

Photo of the Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris

Centre Georges Pompidou—Paris, France
(Courtesy of Rogers and Piano)

Like musical instruments, building systems, materials, and products incorporated into a design must be "integrated" in a supporting way to create a unified whole that achieves the desired functional purpose. See 'Whole Building' Design Approach.

An integrated solution results from a methodical design approach that considers the characteristics and properties of each system or product, its role in the greater whole of the design, and its needs for installation, coordination with other building systems and O&M serviceability. For example, the selection of a ceiling light fixture has implications that must be considered in terms of light as well as energy use, heat, noise, and radiation. An integrated design team will:

  • Develop design concepts that meet functional needs of the building program;
  • Understand the integral relationship of form and function;
  • Evaluate product/system selection for the specific application;
  • Seek design solutions that fully integrate product/systems; and
  • Consider how the facility will be operated and maintained.
Daytime view of Davies Symphony Hall, San FranciscoNighttime view of Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco

Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco

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Recommendations

Develop Design Concepts that Meet Functional Needs of the Building Program

  • Understand the needs of occupants required to perform programmed activities (space, environmental qualities, furniture, fixtures, equipment, communications, information technologies, etc.).
  • Explore a variety of design solutions and consider the merits of each alternative on the basis of functional performance.
  • Facilitate discussions with users to evaluate and test assumptions made involving functional issues. See WBDG Planning and Conducting Integrated Design (ID) Charrettes.
  • Understand design implications and space needs of unique "mission critical" activities requiring permanent construction as compared to more flexible spaces that can be configured to support multiple activities and functions.
  • Track decisions to maintain focus on design intents.

Understand the Integral Relationship Between Form and Function

Photo of Chesapeake Bay Foundation's John Philip Merrill Environmental Center

The glazed wall on the south contributes to passive solar heating and daylighting. Chesapeake Bay Foundation's John Philip Merrill Environmental Center—Annapolis, MD
(Courtesy of David Harp/Chesapeake Bay Foundation)

Functional characteristics of building systems (e.g., air distribution systems) can serve as unique design opportunities in shaping the facility's form and aesthetics. See WBDG, Aesthetic Opportunities and Aesthetic Challenges.

  • Accept environmental conditions as a primary influence on the building's form.
  • Develop design concepts that provide the user with a clear sense of the facility's functional purpose.
  • Address functional requirements and aesthetic goals through integrated solutions. For example, in the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's John Philip Merrill Environmental Center, the need for sun control resulted in an interior shading system that mimics sailboat rigging and an external structure supporting a "Brise Soleil", or solar shades.

Evaluate Product/System Selection for the Specific Application

  • Select systems and products that are "use-and user-appropriate" and support functional goals of individual spaces as well as the entire facility.
  • Avoid a "one size fits all" design approach. Also see WBDG Accessible—Plan for Flexibility. More
  • Look at design problems as unique opportunities for creativity and innovation. See WBDG Aesthetic Opportunities and Aesthetic Challenges.
  • When resolving conflicts in the design and selection of products and systems, coordinate with consideration of opportunities and impacts affecting design and constructability of all involved building systems.
  • Consider energy conservation and Life-Cycle Cost Analysis in the selection of systems and equipment, especially for facilities with longer expected/designed service life (such as institutional and governmental buildings).

Seek Design Solutions that Fully Integrate Product/Systems

Integrated design strikes a balance between all design objectives, including Aesthetics and Functional/Operational.

  • Adopt a 'Whole Buildings' approach—Systems integration involves the awareness of all affected trades and disciplines. Design with functional attributes of systems and products in mind.
  • Select materials and products that are compatible with design objectives for both appearance and function.
  • Carefully research the owner's equipment requirements and integrate them with the design.

Consider How the Facility Will Be Operated and Maintained

  • Anticipate the needs of the building-cleaning program, including refuse storage and disposal.
  • Provide adequate space for maintenance equipment, materials, and storage.
  • Design for regular building systems maintenance, including easy access to light fixtures, HVAC filters, sensors, and surfaces requiring scheduled cleaning.
  • Plan for eventual replacement of major systems components.
  • Give careful thought to designing delivery drives, loading docks, and storage rooms. Allow ample maneuvering room and clearance width and height.
  • See also WBDG Sustainable O&M Practices and Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM).
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Emerging Issues

  • Increased use of extranets and new communication tools that enhance interdisciplinary design coordination
  • Use of object-oriented Building Information Modeling (BIM) with documentation systems containing real-time building data in 3-dimensional, 4-dimensional (time), and/or 5-dimensional (cost) construction documents; the ability to check for systems clashes and interferences prior to construction; and the capability to use the BIM model as a facility maintenance tool throughout the life of the facility.
  • Trend towards using "Total Building Commissioning" throughout the planning, design, construction, operation, repair/alteration, and disposal life cycle
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Relevant Codes and Standards

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Major Resources

WBDG

Products and Systems

Building Envelope Design Guide—Wall Systems, Fenestration Systems, Roofing Systems, Atria Systems

Publications

  • Architectural Graphic Standards, 11th Edition, The American Institute of Architects, by Charles Ramsey, Harold Sleeper, and John Hoke. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., March 2007—The most widely recognized reference manual for architectural design guidance on planning, design standards, building systems, materials, methods, and construction techniques.
  • The Building Systems Integration Handbook by Richard D. Rush. Butterworth-Heineman, 1991.
  • Construction Materials Evaluation and Selection by Harold Rosen and Philip Bennett. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1979.
  • Design & Planning of Engineering Systems by Dale Meredith, Kam Wong, Ronald Woodhead, and Robert Wortman. Princeton, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1985.
  • Design for Maintainability Guidebook by Construction Industry Institute (CII). Oct 1999. IR142-2.—Designed to assist owners and others by providing specific instructions on using tools for improved design for maintainability. Includes a self-assessment that will define the user's "level of maintainability," and then provides specifics on more than 22 maintainability best practices as well as 16 tools to help in implementing the best practices.
  • Dictionary of Architecture and Construction by Cyril M. Harris. New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc., 2000. Oct. '99, 96 pages.
  • Environmental Control Systems by Fuller Moore. New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1993.
  • Fundamentals of Building Construction: Materials and Methods, 5th Edition by Edward Allen and Joseph Iano. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2003.
  • The Integrated Workplace: A Comprehensive Approach to Developing Workspace by Office of Real Property in the Office of Government wide Policy of the U.S. General Services Administration. May 1999. Developed by GSA's Office of Real Property to provide guidelines to help federal agencies define important issues and needs for an organization's workspace; to identify measurement tools that can be used to track the workplace's effects on people and organizations; and to define the basic elements of the Integrated workplace—people, technology, and space—and discusses how each of these should be considered when providing new or reconfigured offices.
  • Time-Saver Standards for Interior Design and Space Planning by Joseph DeChiara, Julius Panero, Martin Zelnik. New York: McGraw-Hill Inc., 2001.
  • Time-Saver Standards for Landscape Architecture (Mixed Media) by Nicholas T. Dines, Kyle D. Brown. New York: McGraw-Hill Inc., 2002.
  • Time-Saver Standards for Urban Design by Donald Watson. New York: McGraw-Hill Inc., 2003.

Associations

Others

Products and Systems Information Sources

Communications Technologies and Tools

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