BNA-ONRI-KCBS collaboration for permanent professionals education

In the current trend of ‘forward integration’ within (Dutch) building (design) practice, where most of stakeholders try to secure their place in early phases of building design, the Royal Institute of Dutch Architects (BNA) and the Dutch Association of Consulting Engineers (ONRI) are looking for a ‘design model’ as well as an ‘education model’ that deals with design integration during preliminary design phase. The members of these organisations represent building design disciplines, whose perceived synchronous design activities need to be integrated. ‘Methodical design’ and workshop formula were the starting points for the development of ‘design’ and ‘education’ models. ‘Methodical design’ is problem and process oriented and distinguishes, based on functional hierarchy, various abstractions and/or complexity levels during different design stages and design phase activities. As such, it provides the basis for structuring ‘object design knowledge’ of involved disciplines. Since experienced practitioners are the main target group, a workshop format is thought to form a suitable framework for integration of their activities. Both ‘design’ and ‘education’ models are encapsulated in ‘integral design (ID) methodology’ for multidisciplinary design teams, making their (simultaneous) implementation and adjustment possible through a learning-by-doing approach. ‘ID-methodology’ is being developed within a PhD research project initiated in year 2004 by KCBS; cooperation between Technische Universiteit Eindhoven (TU/e) and the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research, core area Built Environment and Geosciences (TNO Bouw en Ondergrond). The first applications of ‘ID-methodology’, in a series of workshops involving more than 100 experienced professionals, showed that BNA-ONRI-KCBS collaboration successfully connects practice, research and education – the basis of "integral approach" (Zeiler et al., 2005) that can lead to integral building designs.