REF: A16 A5 THEORIES OF DESIGN AND ARCHITECTURE HOLISM AS A PREREQUISITE FOR FUTURE ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN Shaimaa Mohammad Kamel Mahmoud Faculty of Engineering/Ain Shams University ABSTRACT In the context of our environmentally stressed planet the conservation of resources should be considered a non-negotiable imperative for all projects. It is not responsible to think of successful architecture only in terms of past, vernacular or contemporary design theories and directions. even after initial commitment to an environmentally oriented program at the design stage of some projects, due to economic factors compromises happen and architectural concept, visual qualities and functional performance becomes the only concern and hence the only outcome. Holism or the holistic approach means dealing with projects with respect to existing needs and available resources, aesthetic expression, function, environmental issues and climatic innovations; through integration of thought and feeling in the part of designers, clients and users. The paper describes examples of contemporary buildings that succeeded in covering almost all these areas of holism, where the design maintains the architectural aesthetic, while being sustainable incorporating alternative technologies. The examples are being analyzed in terms of the following parameters: the design process considering aesthetic principles, green principles, technological advances, and concern for end-users. KEYWORDS: Whole building design, integrated design approach, aesthetics, technology, sustainability. ﺍﻟﺨﻼﺻﺔ: ﺗﻌﺘﺒﺮ ﺍﻟﺮﺅﻳﺔ ﺍﻟﻤﺘﻜﺎﻣﻠﺔ ﻓﻲ ﻭﺿﻊ ﺍﻟﺒﺮﻧﺎﻣﺞ ﺍﻟﻤﻌﻤﺎﺭﻯ ﺿﺮﻭﺭﺓ ﺣﺘﻤﻴﺔ ﻓﻲ ﻅﻞ ﺍﻟﻀﻐﻮﻁ ﺍﻟﺘﻰ ﺗﺘﻌﺮﺽ ﻟﻬﺎ ﺍﻟﺒﻴﺌﺔ ﻓﻲ ﻭﻗﺘﻨﺎ ﺍﻟﺤﺎﻟﻰ. ﻭﺗﺤﺘﻢ ﺍﻟﻤﺴﺌﻮﻟﻴﺔ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺍﻟﻤﻌﻤﺎﺭﻯ ﻭﺿﻊ ﺍﻟﺤﻔﺎﻅ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺍﻟﻤﻮﺍﺭﺩ ﻛﺈﺣﺪﻯ ﺃﻫﻢ ﺍﻟﻤﺤﺪﺩﺍﺕ ﺍﻟﺘﺼﻤﻴﻤﻴﺔ ﺍﻟﺘﻰ ﻳﺠﺐ ﺃﻥ ﺗﺆﺧﺬ ﺑﻌﻴﻦ ﺍﻹﻋﺘﺒﺎﺭ ﻓﻲ ﺃﻯ ﻣﺸﺮﻭﻉ. ﺗﻌﺘﻤﺪ ﺍﻟﻐﺎﻟﺒﻴﺔ ﻣﻦ ﺍﻟﻤﺸﺮﻭﻋﺎﺕ ﺍﻟﻤﻌﺎﺻﺮﺓ ﻓﻲ ﺗﻤﻴﺰﻫﺎ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺍﻟﻤﻔﻬﻮﻡ ﻭﺍﻹﺗﺠﺎﻩ ﺍﻟﻤﻌﻤﺎﺭﻯ ﻭﺍﻟﺘﺸﻜﻴﻞ ﻣﻊ ﺇﻏﻔﺎﻝ ﺍﻟﻜﺜﻴﺮ ﻣﻦ ﺍﻟﺠﻮﺍﻧﺐ ﺍﻟﺒﻴﺌﻴﺔ ﻭﺍﻟﺘﻰ ﻭﺇﻥ ﻭﺿﻌﺖ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻹﻋﺘﺒﺎﺭ ﻓﻲ ﻣﺮﺣﻠﺔ ﺍﻟﺘﺼﻤﻴﻢ ﺍﻷﻭﻟﻰ ﻓﺈﻧﻪ ﻳﺘﻢ ﺍﻟﺘﻨﺎﺯﻝ ﻋﻨﻬﺎ ﻓﻲ ﻛﺜﻴﺮ ﻣﻦ ﺍﻷﺣﻴﺎﻥ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﻤﺮﺍﺣﻞ ﺍﻟﺘﺎﻟﻴﺔ ﻷﺳﺒﺎﺏ ﺇﻗﺘﺼﺎﺩﻳﺔ ﻻﺳﻴﻤﺎ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﺒﻼﺩ ﺍﻟﻨﺎﻣﻴﺔ ﻭﻳﻘﺘﺼﺮ ﺍﻟﻨﺎﺗﺞ ﺍﻟﻤﻌﻤﺎﺭﻯ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺍﺳﺘﻴﻔﺎء ﺍﻟﻘﻴﻤﺔ ﺍﻟﺒﺼﺮﻳﺔ ﻭﺍﻷﺩﺍء ﺍﻟﻮﻅﻴﻔﻰ. ﻭﺗﺆﺩﻯ ﺍﻟﺮﺅﻳﺔ ﺍﻟﻤﺘﻜﺎﻣﻠﺔ ﺇﻟﻰ ﺍﻟﺘﻌﺎﻣﻞ ﻣﻊ ﺍﻟﻤﺸﺮﻭﻉ ﻣﻦ ﺧﻼﻝ ﺍﻟﺘﻌﺒﻴﺮ ﺍﻟﻤﻌﻤﺎﺭﻯ ، ﺍﻟﻮﻅﻴﻔﺔ ، ﺍﻹﺣﺘﻴﺎﺟﺎﺕ ﻭﺍﻟﺠﻮﺍﻧﺐ ﺍﻟﺒﻴﺌﻴﺔ . ﻭﺗﻌﺮﺽ ﺍﻟﻮﺭﻗﺔ ﺍﻟﺒﺤﺜﻴﺔ ﺑﻌﺾ ﺃﻣﺜﻠﺔ ﻟﻤﺒﺎﻧﻰ ﻣﻌﺎﺻﺮﺓ ﻧﺠﺢ ﻣﺼﻤﻤﻮﻫﺎ ﻓﻲ ﺗﻐﻄﻴﺔ ﻣﻌﻈﻢ ﺍﻟﺠﻮﺍﻧﺐ ﺍﻟﺘﻰ ﺗﺘﻄﻠﺒﻬﺎ ﺍﻟﺮﺅﻳﺔ ﺍﻟﺘﻜﺎﻣﻠﻴﺔ ﻭﺗﻢ ﺗﺤﻠﻴﻞ ﺍﻷﻣﺜﻠﺔ ﻣﻦ ﺧﻼﻝ : ﺍﻟﻘﻴﻢ ﺍﻟﺘﺼﻤﻴﻤﻴﺔ ، ﺍﻟﻤﻌﺎﻟﺠﺎﺕ ﺍﻟﺒﻴﺌﻴﺔ ، ﺍﻟﺘﻘﻨﻴﺎﺕ ﺍﻟﻤﺴﺘﺨﺪﻣﺔ ﻭﻭﺿﻊ ﺍﻟﻤﺴﺘﺨﺪﻣﻴﻦ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻹﻋﺘﺒﺎﺭ. INTRODUCTION All great ages of architecture are known by their grand period titles, ours will probably be known as ‘Architecture in the Age of Consumerism’, modern day individualism and eclectic trends have removed architecture from the root stem of its historic tree while choosing to give expression to assertive consumerism. Not only architects and urban designers, but societies at large must develop a more focused vision to meet the changed cultural and environmental paradigms of this, the New Age [1]. Architecture that is based mainly on conceptual philosophizing and impressive expression and sculptural form became unrealistic and no longer of social relevance. The holistic approach in design is a deviation from the typical planning and 1 design process, of relying on the expertise of specialists who work in their respective specialties somewhat isolated from each other, to specialists who work together throughout all the project phases, where technical planning, design, and construction team to look at the project objectives, and building materials, systems, and assemblies from many different perspectives ;aesthetics pertains to the physical appearance and image of building elements and spaces as well as the integrated design process, function pertains to functional programming, spatial needs and requirements, system performance, durability and efficient maintenance of building elements, technology pertains to environmental performance of building elements and strategies and end user involvement pertains to occupants' well-being, physical and psychological comfort including building elements such as air distribution, lighting, workspaces, systems, technology and safety. The cast of specialists is quite large depending on the complexity of the project; design team members such as programmers, architects, and interior designers; site professionals, such as planners, civil and environmental engineers, and landscape architects; building systems experts, such as structural, mechanical, fire protection, and building science and performance engineers. The paper first describes the whole design approach and then demonstrates some contemporary projects which can be described as achieving merit, whereas some elements of holism are to be found in individual buildings of the past decade, the illustrated examples presented here score highly in various overlapping areas of holism. The contemporary buildings chosen were designed as part of the total environment. 1. WHOLE BUILDING DESIGN Whole Building Design or "integrated" design approach consists of two components: an integrated design approach, which is on of the guiding principles in the design of buildings [2], and an integrated team process where the design team evaluates the design for creativity, quality, future flexibility, efficiency, overall environmental impact, productivity, cost, and how the occupants will be enlivened; from defining the need for a building, through planning, design, construction, building occupancy, and operations. The Integrated Design Approach means that each design objective is significantly important in any project, yet a truly successful project is where objectives are identified early on and held in proper balance during the design process; and where their interrelationships and interdependencies with all building systems are understood, evaluated, appropriately applied, and coordinated concurrently from the planning and programming phase. Fig1: Design Objectives of Whole Building Design 2 Whole building design looks beyond the immediate building to how the building and its systems can be integrated with supporting systems on its site and in its community, and at how materials, systems and products of a building connect, interact, and affect one another. 2. SELECTED ARCHITECTS & PROJECTS The projects selected encompass high aesthetic values in all their diversity while harmonizing with the natural life and climate of their locations and are part of the lives of their inhabitants not only their enclosure. These architects are united by the innovative and surprising ways in which they deal with these interdisciplinary issues; they share a view in terms of the future of architecture in an increasingly environmentally challenged world. 2.1. TROPPO ARCHITECTS Troppo is a firm aiming to develop regionally responsive architectures promoting a Sense of Place for every project through a non constant dynamic architecture of adjustable skins that responds to climate and the local setting. They are committed to the notion of environmentally responsible architecture which leads to a whole-of-site approach. Their rational design decision flows through the belief that a building should be unique and adaptable. The Laguna Village Centre is a new and relevant contemporary architecture. Their design concept was to think dynamically and connect the indoors with the outdoors, respond to local climate and the cultural setting. Design of the buildings reached out to embrace all of the site and adjacent areas. And a whole-of-site approach led to the closer consideration of the users’ activities to be done outdoors, or semi-outdoors, rather than in enclosed (and building consumptive) space [3]. Selection of an appropriate energy source, they holistically considered the energy source production costs in terms of extraction, transport, infrastructure cost and maintenance, production energy consumption and environmental pollution. Renewable energy systems - e.g. solar/ wind generated power or direct solar heating - were optimal. Materials employed in a project were checked for the social and environmental impacts. The act of building, minding of human purpose and process, helped sustain a community's social and cultural fabric. It was one of a limited number of schemes which had been developed beyond abstract concept, architectural scale was appropriate to the context, the layout configuration was inclusive in its sense of community, and achieved a balance among the competing demands of reduced building cost to produce an affordable product and a high level of environmental performance and quality. Fig 2: Troppo Architects, the Laguna Village Centre, Australia. 2.2. TOM ALBERTS A valuable case study in the holistic design of the workplace is the headquarters of the ING bank in Amsterdam; the social aspect was considered one of the main considerations, the need to have a view to the outside as studies showed that employees are actually far more productive in an office space that permits awareness of outside conditions. Safety was also considered besides the careful choice of environmentally friendly non-toxic natural materials which were negotiated democratically with the users. In spite of the huge scale of the building the impact is not perceived to be negative. The architects 3 have articulated the building into ten linked units of a scale appropriate to the more domestic-scaled context, thereby countering the potential for prolonged discord in and established neighborhood. Apart from the obvious environmental merits of this environmentally