At AURA, we position ourselves as an integrated design-build firm. It has a nice ring to it, but what does it mean? And how can it help you and your company? Read on to learn more about our integrated approach and how integrated design can help with communication, budget, and project timelines.  

Integrated approach   

An integrated approach is where strategy, design, and execution unite to bring your workplace vision to life through a unified team and holistic approach. With an integrated approach, you get one entity, one seamless flow of communication and a unified workflow from concept to completion.  

Earlier articles have discussed integrated workplace strategy, but how can an integrated approach help with design?    

What is Integrated Design?  

Integrated design is an interdisciplinary approach with a strong focus on collaboration. All project stakeholders work together under one roof with a comprehensive process that puts equal emphasis on design, construction, and workplace strategy. The goal is to maximize the interaction of the various disciplines, not just their respective systems. Moreover, it enables the designer and other stakeholders to collaborate to develop and achieve all the project’s aims and goals.  

If your company chooses a split process in which designers and contractors work separately, there may be some serious drawbacks. Key players may not share the same project goals, may not understand how their work affects the work of others, and may not be looking for ways to make the workplace more efficient while staying on budget and on time.  

Aura’s Integrated Design  

At AURA, everyone involved in the project shares responsibility and ownership of the entire project, not just one aspect. Designers collaborate with Project Managers and Contractors to easily share and discuss project information. Communication is seamless throughout the project. Any issues that arise can be addressed without a formal meeting or lengthy communication delays. This streamlined form of communication offers several benefits. With Aura’s integrated design, our in-house designers work alongside our estimators and project managers for an informed approach. This approach gives you the assurance your project is being designed with creativity to coincide with your project budget and schedule.  

  

Benefits  

Streamlined Communication   

Many components go into designing a workplace. When there are too many parties involved, it is easy for information to get lost or misinterpreted. When a third-party workplace strategist or company is involved, the work environment may be disrupted due to convoluted communication flow. Furthermore, the designer’s job is complicated because they are not fully immersed in the project’s workplace strategy part or heavily involved in the construction phase, allowing for more errors to occur. As a result of integrating all project components, all stakeholders have access to the same information. This unified approach results in the ultimate design and final workplace. 

In-depth workplace strategy  

In a non-integrated approach, workplace strategy is a distinct entity from design. This presents difficulties because designers are not fully informed and may not be on the same page about project objectives. Designers go through programming, which figures out the project’s needs, desires, and goals. This programming phase produces a document that includes the parameters of the project. The parameters can encompass how many workstations, private offices, phone booths, etc., are needed or which departments need to work next to each other.  

On the other hand, a workplace strategy is a specialized plan tailored to get the most out of your workplace’s unique dynamics and interpersonal relationships by aligning working patterns, personalities, and environments by researching and analyzing data, trend reports, design/layout, and employee feedback. Moreover, while workplace strategy does not replace programming, it does simplify it. When integrated, designers can use workplace strategy insights to guide their designs, resulting in an impactful office that is best suited to your company’s distinct goals. 

Optimized project delivery  

We can enhance the project delivery budget and timeline by integrating all the moving parts in a project. As your project moves into the design concept and budget stages, our designers collaborate with the estimators and project managers to design to both budget and creativity. We can do things concurrently by blending design, budget, and structural feasibility to complete the project 20% faster because of an integrated design approach.  

  

When all project components are integrated, specifically with design, the result is a magnificent space that exceeds expectations. Check out Our Services page or Contact Us to learn how our integrated design approach can help transform your workplace. 

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