Integrated Design Process at Neighbourhood Scale

Integrated Design Process at Neighbourhood Scale

Innovation Type: Instruction (Guidelines)

What is this innovation about?

The innovation is about developing a guideline for integrated energy design process at the neighbourhood scale (IEDN) through the development of 4 sustainable plus energy neighbourhood demos in four climates. The guideline aims to capture the most significant tasks and focus areas to include in the planning and design of SPENs. Moving from the building level to the neighbourhood scale entails a higher complexity and a more extensive involvement of different stakeholders from different disciplines. The IEDN process ensures that all issues (that can be foreseen to have a significant impact on energy and environmental performance) are discussed, understood, and dealt with. In other words, the IEDN process facilitates the integration of important issues into the development of buildings and neighbourhoods.

This guideline also makes clear which methods, tools and processes are useful in planning and designing a SPEN.

What kind of challenges it will solve if deployed widely

Guidelines and processes exist for the design of sustainable single buildings, but not for the design of SPENs. Based on the traditional integrated energy design (IED) for low-energy-buildings, the syn.ikia team will develop and test this new process for integrated design of sustainable plus energy neighbourhoods. Similar to the IED process, the IEDN process also involves multi-disciplinary teams and the application of advanced simulation tools from the early design phases, but the IEDN relates to the neighbourhood level instead of at the single building level. In addition, the IEDN process involves a broader range of design issues than the traditional IED process, starting earlier in the planning process (municipal/strategic level), and involving a wider range of stakeholders early in the process (municipalities, energy utilities, etc.).

The following users will find this innovation useful:

All professionals involved in the planning and design of SPENs. Also, universities that teach planning and design of SPENs.

How has syn.ikia project impacted the development of this solution/ process/ tool?

After the initial study, a first version of the IEDN method and guideline was developed in cooperation between all the syn.ikia partners, based on their previous experiences. The initial version was based on the 9-step procedure described in the EU project INTEND project (Andresen et al. 2009) and included a description of a selection of 7 key steps to be applied. Then, the experiences from applying the integrated approach in the planning and design of the neighbourhood demonstration projects were collected, analyzed, and discussed through interviews with the demo developers and through a series of workshops within the syn.ikia team.

The end result was an IEDN guideline organized into 4 main planning and design phases, each phase with a series of key activities and procedures to be carried out.

The guidelines are organized in four main planning and design phases: 1) Masterplan, 2) Zoning Plan and Detailed Plan, 3) Schematic Design and Design Development, and 4) Detailed Design. Within each of these stages, a set of key activities are described:

• Masterplan: Perform a Stakeholder Mapping, Set up a Multidisciplinary Team, Set Goals and Ambitions, Organize Workshops, Engage the Local Community.
• Zoning Plan and Detailed Plan: Make Measurable Goals, Address Policies and Regulatory Drivers and Barriers, Engage the Local Community, Make a Quality Agreement, Organize Workshops, Evaluate the Potential for Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy, and Energy Sharing.
• Schematic Design and Design Development: Set up a Multidisciplinary Design Team and Organize Workshops, Use Suitable Design Strategies and Tools, Evaluate Different Design Options through Scenario Analyses, Design an Integrated Energy System, Develop a Green Area Concept, Design for Sharing Concepts, Develop Suitable Business Models.
• Detailed Design: Design Building Details and Check Performance, Design for Energy Flexibility, Organize Energy Communities, Plan the Monitoring, Make Contracts that Incentivize High Operational Performance, Prepare for the Operation Phase

Key characteristics of the IED process were found to be equally or even more relevant for the IEDN process, i.e. the need for multidisciplinary cooperation and iteration between tasks, as well as the use of advanced tools in the early planning and design stages. Several new tasks related to the neighbourhood level were described, such as engaging the local community, evaluating the potential for energy sharing, and designing for energy flexibility.

How can this innovation be used beyond syn.ikia project? Within the built environment sector and the outside the sector ?

Skills and education training. Standards.
The IEDN guideline is intended to assist architects, engineers, contractors, and developers in designing sustainable plus energy neighbourhoods. It can also be useful to municipalities, universities and higher education, and energy utilities.

Contact persons:
Inger Andresen, NTNU, Niki Gaitani, NTNU, Tonje Healey Trulsrud, NTNU
For more information, please see D2.9: IDPN guidelines for plus energy neighbourhoods https://www.synikia.eu/resource-types/technical-reports/