How similar are designing green buildings and Software Development? The Green Building Brain web app is a great example of this and was discussed in What does Green Building have to do with Software Development? Check out my notes after the break

• Vancouver Convention Centre has largest green roof in Canada, uses ocean water for heat source
• role of recollective.ca (there's another collaborator: vancouver design nerds www.designnerds.ca) - help projects meet environmental standards, green building & sustainable community consulting company
• design nerds did awesome car art at 10th and clark
• What would ultimate green building Web app do:
• find where green buildings w/particular features are located
• reduce redundant research
• feature venues for discussion
• promote sharing of lessons learned
• be open source, be open data as well

This notion is progressive for the building industry:

• most stuff is proprietary, most stuff is promotional, no public info about failures, etc.
• but open source model is compatible with green building segment of industry

Created Open Green Building Society Rails Web Application:

• to remove bias
• to be there for entire industry
• http://greenbuildingbrain.org
• Has a "the brain" i.e. database, map and forums
• always looking for funders of course :-)
• working with cascadia, morrison hershfield, ecotrust, aia, eco-integration, blue camas, light house, etc
• user generated content
• collaborative, wiki
• fun
• open source app you can get from github
• elements of social networking
• use the 'cognitive surplus'
• site went live 2 days ago i.e. June 9, 2009
• fully searchable
• global
• already has REST API e.g. to get buildings in XML, HTML & JSON , can also get KML

Integrated Design Process (IDP)

• innovative for building industry, resembles agile software design
• everybody in design team gets involved very early (not just owner and architect)
• team is also involved AFTERwards to get feedback i.e. info to improve this and future designs
• mullti-disciplinary and collaborative
• participation is unlimited, can offer ideas across, e.g. electrical engineer can offer ideas for interiors
• systems thinking - building is an integrated system NOT a collection of systems e.g. lightshelf combined with radiative heating
• appreciative inquiry - looking at what works well instead of just problem solving
• can use this for anything not just buildings! eg. used it for Open Green Building Society Web app
• IDP has all team/stakeholder meeting like a more structured barcamp
• Charette = 1-3 day workshop = quick delivery of design, originated from french term for wagon or cart where designers had to put designs on moving cart, range in size from < 12 to hundreds
• BIM = building information modeling, BIM Storming done realtime online
• e.g. did 60 blocks in 24 hours by 25 teams and more than 130 people
• BIM is like open source, anybody can jump in and contribute
• reflections - hard to overcome perceived ownership, hard to escape closed meeting, hard to create community if previous decisions are not communicated in a way that people likes or appreciate or expect (e.g. people don't read wiki)
• used lighthouse for bug tracking
• 5 sketches - looked at different approaches for interface, 5 sketches for each, 4 people, 100 sketches; lessons learned: even though has to be done in the small, need to publicize results and processes
• IDP team = 50 people approx. trying to expand
• Q: pros and cons of brain listing - pros: lessons learned, failings show transparency and reputation benefit cons: show bad stuff
• Q:how to encourage lessons learned? A: make it a separate field to encourage it