Our Framework for Integrative High-Performance Design

Browning Day has established an actionable, firm-wide strategy for developing sustainable design best practices.

Programming: Listen

From the outset of discussions regarding programming, the project team should engage the client to establish quantitative and qualitative project requirements related to performance, environmental responsibility, and human health/wellness. This should take the form of a delivered document that becomes part of the Owner’s Project Requirements (OPR).

Conceptual Design: Respond

During conceptual design, the project team should respond to the sustainable design requirements and goals in specific ways. Through an integrative process, the project team shall engage the client and project stakeholders to initiate an integrative process charrette (also referred to as eco-charrette) to further refine the project’s sustainable design objectives and prompt an opportunity for multi-disciplinary engagement with the client and stakeholders.

Whether in narrative form or through diagrams and figures, the design team shall track the best practices and specific strategies to be implemented on the project to meet the owner’s sustainable design requirements and goals – this includes performance targets, certifications, and other objectives.

As part of the products-of-design for the conceptual design phase, this information should be clearly communicated to the client in a manner deemed more appropriate by the project team. This artifact will constitute the Basis of Design (BOD). During the conceptual design phase, the project team should work with the client to establish to what degree commissioning will be executed as part of the project. If possible, the Commissioning Authority (CxA) should be engaged during the integrative process charrette.

Schematic Design: Set Targets, Iterate, and Optimize

As part of the schematic design process, the OPR shall be reviewed, revised as appropriate with the client, and leveraged to further develop the BOD, serving as a key driver for schematic design development. Sustainable design requirements and goals shall be reconciled with the various parameters of the project and revised appropriately. Through design performance modeling, project performance baselines shall be established and targets should be identified. A result of iterative analyses, the project design should be optimized to meet its quantitative and qualitative objectives.

At this stage, the project should establish a track to pursue project certification in accordance with the OPR. The project should seek registration and an action plan to pursue certification should be developed and disseminated to the design team and client. The products-of-design for the schematic design phase should include project performance baselines and targets, the building certification action plan, and revised figures and diagrams to help communicate the project’s sustainable design requirements and goals.

Design Development: Optimization

The design development phase necessitates careful attention to ensure that the project’s sustainable design strategies are clearly communicated and integrated across the various disciplines involved in the design process.

At this stage, a more robust investigation into the project’s performance outcomes will require deeper engagement with energy modeling and building information modeling. Diligent coordination is required as the design team seeks to optimize the design project to best meet the goals and objectives as outlined in the OPR.

Construction Documents: Ensure Alignment

During the construction documents stage, the design team should continue to refine the project design and ensure that the implanted sustainable design strategies are aligned with the project’s schedule, program, and budget. Specifications shall be developed to better ensure that the building is constructed in accordance with the sustainable design requirements and goals.

Bidding: Communicate

During the bidding process, the project team shall clearly communicate the unique sustainable design components of the project. Roles and responsibilities of the contractor need to be clearly identified and communicated.

Construction Administration: Ensure Execution

During the construction administration phase of a project, the project team should regularly coordinate with the contractor, owner, and design team with regard to certification tracking and documentation, performance goals, and commissioning. The project teams shall meet no less than once per month for updates and coordination on such matters.

Post-Occupancy: Follow-Through

The design team should work with the project ownership in order to define a scope of services to serve the project after substantial completion of the project.

Performance Data

It is recommended that the project team procures 12 consecutive months of metered energy and water performance data for no less than five consecutive years. After each 12-month performance period, the project team shall aggregate the data and compare it against predicted performance outcomes. The design team should endeavor to review the data with the client and, if deemed appropriate, discuss strategies to further improve performance in the future.

Ongoing Certification / Re-Certification

If the project is pursuing on-going certification, the project team shall coordinate with the client to ensure that all parties continue to track data and produce documentation as necessary.

Post-Occupancy Surveys / Response Plans

The design team shall engage the client about the potential benefits of regular post-occupancy surveys (POS). If the client elects to engage the design team for such additional services, the design team shall assist the client as requested. A response plan shall also be developed to accompany the POS and define strategies to improve the project’s performance in order to remedy unsatisfactory POS results.