The Design Process known as IDP: A Discussion

Abstract

The Integrated Design Process (IDP) was developed to streamline the design process of (solar integrated) low-energy buildings. One of the biggest differences with the traditional design process is the involvement of engineers and other consultants right from the early design stage. Although the IDP has been fully developed in theory with clear and general descriptions, the practical application of the IDP is, however, often far from smooth. In this article, some critical issues of the IDP are discussed, based on literature review, interviews with architects, and experiences with local and international projects, with the hope that these experiences help improving future design process. The discussed issues are: quantification of actors' input, the education of the IDP in the contemporary university curricula, costs of the IDP, and communication. (C) 2012 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.