Over the first forty years of a building’s life, the costs of design and construction are only 11% of the total cost of operating, maintaining and refurbishing it. Are we focusing on the actual cost impacts of our decisions? Or are we blowing investment value?

Lack of time to optimise the whole of life value of a building is likely a false economy. Especially when, like me, you are trying to pilot change for energy and water efficiency, eliminate toxic chemicals and landfill from our buildings.

However, if offered a faster, better and cheaper design and procurement, I have no doubt kiwi developers would leap at the opportunity – a challenge that Bill Reed, architect, international thought leader and systems specialist, has been looking at for decades.

Bill has worked around the world with his company Regenesis and the Integrated Design Collaborative. Hosted by Jasmax and a group of fantastic sponsors, Bill will be in New Zealand from 3-7 November hosting the NZIA Resene Sustainable Design Series 2014. He will be sharing case studies, ideas and training to help forward-thinking construction professionals gain the advantage in delivering high performance buildings faster and with less cost. The key outcome of his process is to enhance the capacity of the project to support life through a systems approach.

Bill will run an extended session at the NZIA sustainability series and host a Living Future Collaborative half day training event in Auckland on November 6th, as well as presenting public talks in Wellington, Christchurch and Auckland.

In my recent blog post, I said that I would share feedback from the Building a Better NZ conference in early September, where we were offered some fascinating insights into our modern construction industry. One standout session was the Fletcher Construction/Auckland Council presentation on the refurbishment of Albert Street's old ASB Tower into the new Council HQ. With determination, goal setting and a refusal to fail, the collaborative team achieved over 90% diversion of waste from landfill. Unlike demolition projects, this 90% was the tricky stuff – old insulation, blinds, plaster ceiling tiles, light fittings. If they can do it, everyone else can too! Overall, I was disappointed with the low attendance and the lack of consensus on the direction in which the industry is heading. There should have been double the numbers and a broader coalition leading the conference.

At his series of events, Bill Reed will demonstrate how a strategic process can deliver the better outcomes. We need to get a lot more people – especially the decision-makers – excited and collaborating on this journey to create a better built environment. In the words of Buckminster Fuller, we need to make that which we wish to change obsolete. 

If you are interested in living systems design, regenerative design and integrated design process I recommend  attending one of Bill's sessions. Integrated design is the core process that allows us to address complex systems-based challenges and ensure we achieve the best possible long term outcomes – for buildings, products, business and services. It has many parallels with leadership through diversity.