The Integration Readiness in Sustainable Architectural Practice: A Phase-Aware Model of Environmental Design

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Abstract
The integration of digital tools and environmental design methods is widely recognised as essential for sustainable architectural practice. However, their influence on early design decisions and lifecycle continuity remains limited. This study introduces the concept of integration readiness and operationalises it through the Integrated Environmental Design Framework (ILPP+), which links environmental methods to project phases, decision leverage, and organisational conditions. An exploratory survey of 37 architectural design offices in the Lower Silesian region of Poland was conducted to examine how BIM, life cycle assessment (LCA), passive strategies, performance-based analysis, and monitoring practices are embedded in design workflows. The analysis combines descriptive statistics with exploratory correlation analysis to identify relationships between selected integration dimensions. The results indicate uneven patterns of integration. Passive strategies and simulations show moderate coupling (ρ = 0.60), while weaker relationships between simulations and structured decision processes (ρ = 0.40) suggest that analytical tools are not consistently used as decision-support mechanisms. Similarly, BIM shows only partial integration with LCA (ρ = 0.41) and post-occupancy evaluation (ρ = 0.46), indicating limited lifecycle continuity within the analysed sample. These findings suggest that environmental integration may be constrained not by the availability of tools but by their positioning within decision processes and across project phases. The study highlights the importance of aligning analytical methods with high-leverage design stages and strengthening feedback loops between design and operation.

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