610
Summary: The Systems Approach
The object of the analysis is to identify those design features which are
responsible for the most serious negative effects.
612.3
PERFORMANCE DESIGN
Before recommendations for corrective measure can be formulated, the
various design determinants of the building type and components in
question must be identified and interpreted. They include user needs,
applicable standards and regulations, available technology, geographical
and environmental factors, labor union practices and target costs.
Building components are grouped under various categories, or
subsystems, and formal statements of how each subsystem is expected to
respond to these determinants are drafted to serve as the basis for system
design; these are the "performance requirements". In a prototype design,
they are retained as an integral part of the system description as criteria
for detailed design.
612.4
THE BUILDING SYSTEM AS A SET OF RULES
The first step toward increased efficiency is the establishment of rational
standards for design and construction which can serve as a common
basis for coordinated decisions among administrators, A/E's, contractors
and users. A prototype design is, first and foremost, a set of such rules.
Not until all parties understand and agree to comply with the rules can the
development of specific designs proceed effectively.
612.5
UNCOUPLING PRECEDES INTEGRATION
The principles of systems integration do not dictate immediate
achievement of a high degree of physical integration of building products
and components. Prefabricated assemblies as an efficient construction
technique must evolve from the interpretation, application and refinement
of a particular set of system rules by many people over a series of similar
building projects. In fact, in the analytical phase in which the prototype
design itself is under development, the major subsystems must be
"uncoupled", that is, clearly separated out within the building to establish
radically simplified interface conditions. This technique allows designers,
manufacturers and contractors to deal with manageable increments of the
total problem on their own terms. It is also very useful in the detailed
design of highly adaptable building subsystems.
3-5
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