Integrated Project Design: From Academia to the AEC Industry

Integrated Project Design/Delivery is not new, but in recent years, it has been achieving the status of yet another acronym, more connected to its contractual details than to the actual meaning of the profound change in how work is to be developed. This book clarifies this situation by presenting several examples in academia, research and practical design situations, ranging from the use of old-style expression media, such as handmade drawings, to comprehensive digitalisation processes. The IPD model is shown as an effective way to tackle the ever-increasing challenges of balancing productivity with the urgent demands for designs that embrace decarbonisation, net-zero buildings, energy efficiency, modularisation and disassembly, including lessons learned from Industrial Design. IPD is a mindset that clashes with the traditional academic model of placing architecture and engineering in different (and frequently opposite) fields. Actual examples of course syllabuses’ that disrupt this approach are also presented, showing how wide collaboration from the early stages of the design process can improve the sought-after result, providing future professionals with a hands-on experience of its efficiency as a work methodology.