Benefits of Early Stage Design Interventions

As the construction industry makes the inevitable shift towards more sustainable construction practices, the need for early stage design interventions have never been greater. Early and meaningful design choices with respect to the environment can have a significant impact on the overall energy efficiency and embodied carbon of the project. These decisions also help in delivering projects that comply with regulatory requirements, thus avoiding delays and helping the project stay within budget.

By carrying out early stage simulations and assessments, issues such as overheating can be identified early in the design process, which allows for sufficient time to make the necessary design changes before detailed design. This can help save time and resources as design iterations at earlier stages are easier to carry out and coordinate between different disciplines. With governing bodies being more stringent in enforcing policies and guidelines pertaining to building sustainability and occupant wellbeing, solving potential issues early on can prove crucial in keeping the project on schedule and within budget.

Early design choices should be aimed at optimizing form and minimizing the materials needed to develop buildings, while prioritizing locally sourced materials with low embodied carbon. Further simulations can be carried out to optimize thermal comfort and indoor lighting, optimize the building orientation to minimize solar heat gains and maximise passive ventilation and lighting strategies.

Ideally, early stage interventions should be carried out as early as the end of stage 1, when basic massing and building programmes become available. The above mentioned simulations and assessments work in conjunction with each other to influence the concept design of the project, to deliver a building that is conscious of the environment and the resident’s wellbeing.

3D modelling software such as Rhino 3D, when used along with a visual programming tool like grasshopper, can be used to implement a parametric approach to sustainable design, where multiple iterations of the design can be analysed in a short period of time. Open source plugins such as the ladybug tools can be used to carry out a variety of early stage simulations. Being open source, there is a strong community backing for these plugins, with new features and capabilities being regularly updated.

In conclusion, ‘sustainability’ and ‘green buildings’ are not just terms that should be slapped onto a project for marketing purposes. Sustainable and environmentally conscious decisions need to be ingrained into a project from its conception, starting right from its orientation to its form and constituent materials. The construction industry's shift towards sustainability is also crucial for regulatory compliance and cost-effective modifications. At JAW, we encourage our clients to engage with us as early as possible into the design process, to push for more sustainable and energy efficient buildings.

Written by Sreekanth Kumar