The generation of an architectural design begins long before the first sketch is made, and involves many people other than the architect. These pre-design activities are critical for a successful design and should not be overlooked. They are captured in the design brief. The design brief is a message between the clients or users and […]

Life-cycle evaluation is an essential foundation for sustainable design. It covers both life-cycle costing (LCC, financial) and life-cycle assessment (LCA, environmental). The idea is very simple: when comparing alternative strategies for a construction project, don’t select the cheapest but the one that performs best in the long term. A durable and efficient building is often […]