Integral Building Design : Combination of reflective practice and prescriptive methodology

Mostly buildings are designed by a slow process characterized by parallel development of the design proposals and of the design assignment. The process of building design is far from effective and efficient. Often it is needed to change the initial design proposals according to the changes in time of the team knowledge about the design assignment. Also the clients’ perception of his own needs often changes, leading to new or altered demands for changes in the developing design. Misunderstandings as result of the evolving design (based on the rough design phases as conceptual, sketch, preliminary and final design) should be made less possible. Previous work in design methodology based on the rational problem solving paradigm presumes objective and often universal, a priori, criteria for design. The focus lies on objective interpretation of essential illdefined design problems, in order to be able to rigidly organize design process. This leads to a mismatch between design practice, lead by subjective interpretation based on experience of designers, and prescriptions by design methodology. By using the framework of Methodical Design as prescription and use it in workshops to observe and descript adjustments to the methodology used, a bridge between the ‘objective’ and ‘subjective’ interpretation can be formed. Thus a combination is made of reflective practice and prescriptive methodology. This prescriptive methodology was tested and reflected in practice in workshops with professional designers in the built environment, architects and consultants. It is now part of a permanent professional educational programme of the professional organizations involved.