Holistic Building Design: An integrated building design methodology based on systems thinking for reaching sustainability

Abstract

This paper introduces a new perspective on methodological requirements in building design related to questions of sustainability, where stakeholders ought to look at design in an integrated way when economy, society, and technical components are embedded in an ecological holistic perspective. To bind these different aspects together and face complexity, while the goal is to reach sustainability, Holistic Building Design (HBD) is drawn on existing concepts of systems thinking (ST), integrated design processes (IDP), and application of innovative technologies through building information modeling (BIM). The main aim of this approach is to involve deeper in all aspects of sustainable building design. The methodology is introduced and empirically practiced in a master's level course, and a general overview besides the first results of this on-going process are presented in this paper. It is observed that the HBD framework could significantly influence the understanding of the design process and enhancing it by iterative decision-making and turning the focus on the early design stage.