Morphology to illustrate the mental model of a design team's process.

The need for nearly zero energy and environmentally sustainable buildings introduced further complexity in the design process of buildings. This calls for a holistic integral design approach with the involvement of besides architects various design experts from different domains to form multidisciplinary design teams right from the conceptual design phase. Mental models can be used to explain the way members organize and present knowledge about the design task that enable design teams to perform its work. To support this process a design method based on the use of morphological charts and a morphological overview was developed in cooperation with the Dutch professional organizations of architects and consulting engineers. This method was implemented in the master education of the Faculty of the Built Environment of the TU Eindhoven. The morphological approach is discussed in relation the theoretical design construct of mental models of the conceptual design process. In this paper, in addition to a detailed discussion on the mental model of a design team, shows the use of the morphological approach and mental model to illustrate the design process of a group of professional designers in a real project setting.