Architectural Design: Sustainability in the Decision-Making Process

Abstract

This article discusses the potential of introducing sustainability in the architectural design method so that building solutions can contribute to sustainable development. Sustainability has introduced a new pattern to the architecture practice, which involves important modifications in the teaching of architecture in what regards to the design methods to students but also practitioners, in order to provide more comfort for present and future generations. In the design phases of the architectural design, the subject of the three pillars of sustainability—economic, social and environmental factors—are not always considered by the architect in the decision-making process. The topic involves actions that will influence the overall performance of the building throughout its lifecycle. Sustainability has not been a priority in the training of the architect. The existing tools, Sustainability Assessment and Certification Systems, although adequate to evaluate the sustainability component of a building, do not prove to be the most appropriate tool to support architects during the design process. Therefore, the implementation and evaluation of strategies that integrate the sustainability principles need to be included in the early stages of the architectural design method. In addition to collecting data through literature review, a survey was conducted among 217 architects and architecture students in order to access the need for a tool that supports architects in the issue of sustainability. The results concluded that, although all the respondents agree about what concerns the implementation of sustainability principles in the architectural design method, only few respondents guarantee that these principles are implemented by means of a rigorous evaluation. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to identify a set of guidelines that can help architects to change the current approach of architectural practice towards more sustainable strategies in building design. This means the introduction, implementation and evaluation of sustainability principles in different phases of the architectural design method. The proposal stresses the main strategies that need to be considered in each phase of the architectural project and defines a level of recommendation in each guideline that allows the architect to evaluate the implementation of sustainability.

Applicability of Feng Shui Thoughts for Sustainable Space Planning and Evaluation in Korea Verified Using Three-Dimensional Digital Mapping and Simulations

“…The concept of sustainable development has been radically developed since the Earth Summit held in 1992 by the United Nations. According to Massod's recent research in 2017, the green architecture has been suggested as a mega trend that normally focuses on the relationship between architecture and nature, enabling energy to be used in new ways, such as solar and wind renewals, to meet both basic requirements of the ecological architecture and user needs [18].…”

Integrating the Sustainable Development Goals in Building Projects

“…It is important to note that the specific dynamics of each IDP team depends on the planning and design model followed and on the decision-making process adopted. In some projects, simpler, more flexible and more inclusive processes are used which could provide stronger connections with the objectives of sustainable development [48,58,62]. Thus, even in an IDP context, the main pillars of building design can still be considered architectural, engineering, or operational in nature.…”

“…One of the assumptions used in the study is the disconnect of the current planning and design process from the sustainable development objectives. Although the current prevailing practices do consider certain environmental, social and economic factors in the design, the researchers were unable to find theoretical or practical models which have sustainable development, in its broad definition, as their core objective (as opposed to cost, energy, or sustainability credits optimization objectives)-this assumption is supported by the work of [43,51,[58][59][60][61][62][63][64]. Additionally, this research does not explicitly compare, analyze or map the interaction between these rating and certification tools and the SDGs-thus not highlighting the possible synergies between the 2030 Agenda and the green building rating tools.…”

“…These narrow-focused approaches reflect the concerns voiced in the literature on the use of assessment systems as design tools-such as those presented in [51,60,61]. While different theoretical models for planning and design present unique approaches to the topic of sustainability (e.g., as suggested in [58,62] these include transactive, scientific, advocatory, incremental or synoptic models), none has sustainable development explicitly as a core goal [58]. Additionally, and J Sustain Res.…”

“…Scholars have attempted to explore the decision making and design processes in architecture and planning projects but have identified a significant gap in the body of knowledge relating to sustainability decisions [58]. Scholars have also pointed to the fact that sustainabilityrelated decisions in the architecture, engineering and construction industry are still made without enough rigorous analysis [59].…”