Systems approach to building design and construction
Contents |
[edit] Introduction
A systems approach is a concept built on the idea that all things are connected and dependent on each other. It is associated with business, but can also be applied to construction in terms of project management and other areas such as safety, infrastructure and net-zero buildings.
[edit] History
As an intellectual concept, the systems approach originated in the 1940s and 1950s. It was first formally proposed by Ludwig von Bertalanffy (originally known as general system theory or GST), an Austrian biologist who proposed the idea that open, organic systems (such as living things) were not necessarily ruled by classical laws of thermodynamics. He recognised that these elements were affected by, or interacted with, the environment, which meant understanding the system required an examination of each element along with its related processes.
A systems approach considers the attributes of an entire system to achieve the objective of a system through the anticipation of complex behaviours. It considers two basic components: elements (or components) and linking processes:
- Elements are essential, connected things such as objects, people, structures, events, concepts, behavioural patterns and so on. These interacting elements create a system of interest (SOI).
- Processes in the system are those events that transform the SOI into a holistic entity. Each element of the system plays its own role in the process towards becoming a complex whole.
[edit] A systems approach to construction
A systems approach to the built environment looks at how elements (or components) in the building work together as a whole instead of considering how the elements perform or function on their own. A successful outcome will require the development and application of linking processes - perhaps in the form of specifications - based on the purpose of the completed project.
The importance of a systems approach to construction was raised in the examination of consequences associated with the Grenfell Tower fire. In Building a Safer Future, Dame Judith Hackitt suggests that; “…there is a need for a radical rethink of the whole system and how it works. This is most definitely not just a question of the specification of cladding systems, but of an industry that has not reflected and learned for itself, nor looked to other sectors.”
As a result, Building a Safer Future puts forward the idea of delivering building safety as a system rather than by considering a series of competing or isolated objectives. The significance of a systems approach is stressed in terms of risk management, considering the layers of protection to ensure building safety for every structure that falls under the regulatory framework.
The risk management diagram above shows the layers of protection which may be in place for a high rise residential building to prevent and mitigate the risk of a large fire. Each of these layers of protection form part of an integrated safety strategy for the building. Some layers are physical and inherently provide higher levels of protection when installed. Some layers are system related: in other words a competent person needs to appropriately instal and maintain a physical control for it to deliver its protective function.
The report also suggests the regulatory framework should treat the building as a single entity (a system encompassing sub-systems) and a new over-arching Approved Document should be published describing the system and the holistic analyses that must be completed when undertaking building work. This should define the requirement to understand the interactions of the system and its comprising subsystems in both normal operation and outside normal conditions.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
- A systems approach to net-zero.
- Building systems.
- Career development for infrastructure leaders.
- Grenfell Tower articles.
- Grenfell Tower Fire.
- Hackitt review of the building regulations and fire safety, final report.
- Risk management.
[edit] External resources
Featured articles and news
Introducing or next Guest Editor Arun Baybars
Practising architect and design panel review member.
Quick summary by size, shape, test, material, use or bonding.
Types of rapidly renewable content
From forestry to agricultural crops and their by-products.
Terraced houses and the public realm
The discernible difference between the public realm of detached housing and of terraced housing.
Put digitalisation and sustainability at the core of curricula
Project management educators are urged.
Looking back at the influence of climate events
From a designer and writer: 'There are limits to growth but no limits to development'.
Terms, histories, theories and practice.
Biophilic design and natural light
Letting in the light and natural elements into spaces.
APM Programme Management Conference 2024
Strategies for Success.
Residential takes the reins as contract awards even out
Contracts down, but remain above the last quarter of 2023.
Celebrating Eid and the largest mud-brick building.
Barry Kingscote claims prestigious CIOB CMYA Award.
The British Mosque: an architectural and social history
The story of some 1,500 mosques or more in Britain.
Heat pump refrigerants, efficiencies and impacts
R12 to R1270 what are the differences?
Global heat pump market in 2023
Challenging times with positive but modest outlook.
Beyond the infrastructure pipeline
Opportunities and chokepoints.