Sustainable Design Principle #1: Inter + Act

Tue, Jul 07, 2009 Dan Heinfeld architects, absolute design, building designers, Sustainable Design, 10 Sustainable Principles

Here at LPA, we've developed 10 Sustainable Principles that guide all our work. The intent of these principles is to help us think more globally about sustainable design, and use sustainability as a design partner not simply as a score card. This is the first of 10 posts about our 10 Principles of Absolute Design.

CSU College of EducationLPA's 10 Principles of Absolute Design

  1. Inter + Act
  2. Do Less
  3. Challenge Convention
  4. Zoom Out
  5. Zoom In
  6. Build Smart
  7. Enrich Lives
  8. Create Value
  9. Prove It
  10. Step Up

The first principle is Inter + Act. It's probably the single most important one because it really encompasses communication, collaboration, and cooperation. Essentially, it's taking all of the stake holders in a project and making sure that they have a voice in the creation of the sustainable aspects of the project.

This includes everyone from the users, to the maintenance personnel, to the engineers, and the architects. We believe that real sustainability happens when building designers have these collaborative interactions on a day to day basis. These spontaneous bursts of creativity between the various architects, engineers, interior designers, and landscape architects are priceless, and one of the main reasons we've brought all of these disciplines in house.