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Architects, engineers and general contractors for years have touted their devotion to an integrated process.

But as the greenest fringes labor to push projects toward sustainability further and faster, one man is calling for an end to the buzz surrounding integrated design.

Scott Lewis, founder and CEO of Portland-based firm , said it’s time for green building leaders to stop resting on the laurels of integrated design and to focus on a method guided completely by sustainability goals.

鈥淚ntegrated design is still considered new and trendy by a lot of people in the world and even by some people in Portland,鈥� Lewis said. 鈥淏ut it’s not enough.鈥�

The growing interest in developing projects to meet building metrics openly labeled as 鈥渃hallenges鈥� 鈥� the Living Building Challenge and the 2030 Challenge 鈥� reveals a readiness to take bigger risks in regard to use of materials, water and energy.

Even though the standards are evolving, Lewis contends that the process isn’t. Most industry professionals agree that the way to create a high-performance building is not to rely on linear project design and delivery but rather bring together all team members early in planning stages.

But because the conventional integrated design process does not expressly integrate any sustainability goals, Lewis said that many project teams end up using Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design scorecards to drive the process. And that trend may be causing project teams to miss opportunities to find true innovations.

鈥淲e need to continue developing and improving the tools we use to help people build better buildings,鈥� Lewis said. 鈥淚ntegrated design became the buzzword in the early 2000s and everyone was all excited 鈥� and for good reason. But then they kind of stopped and said, 鈥極K. Now we’re doing it.’ 鈥�

But others don’t believe the process needs to be amended.

Mark Cork, principal at , said that integrated design 鈥� by its very nature 鈥� will continue to evolve based on the people who are using it and the projects undertaken.

鈥淭he process is constantly being redefined as it is,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t has not been a static approach.鈥�

The architects at Mahlum, which has offices in Portland and Seattle, are sticking with integrated design and finding ways to look beyond LEED, Cork said.

鈥淚’m not ready to throw it out yet,鈥� he said. 鈥淣ot until I see something better.鈥�

Others reject the criticism that integrated design does not go far enough because the openness of the process allows room for the most ambitious sustainability goals, even though it’s not required.

鈥淎t its heart, it’s a means to an end,鈥� said Craig Briscoe, director of integrated design at Glumac’s Portland office. 鈥淲hether that end is a restorative, transformative building or a building that’s perfectly comfortable, energy-be-damned, (integrated design) doesn’t include or exclude any particular goal.鈥�

Meanwhile, Brightworks is pushing for greater use of backcasting, which the firm has used on more than a dozen projects 鈥� including Oregon Health & Science University’s Center for Health and Healing and the Casey Condominiums in Portland.

The backcasting model calls on the owner and project team to set an ambitious sustainability goal, called the 鈥淣orth Star,鈥� at the outset and then work backward to figure out the necessary steps to achieve the desired result.

For the Center for Health and Healing, OHSU and developer set a 鈥淣orth Star鈥� goal of 60 percent greater energy efficiency and a 25 percent lower cost than for a comparable, conventionally designed building.

The project didn’t meet its financial target 鈥� it ended up costing slightly more than a conventional building 鈥� but that’s part of the point of backcasting. It encourages setting idealistic goals and then using a formalized template to see what can be achieved.

The 400,000-square-foot medical office and lab building, which did meet its energy target and earn a LEED platinum rating, includes sustainability strategies that may have been abandoned if not for the backcasting planning process, according to Lewis.

A proposed wastewater treatment strategy, for instance, was more expensive and required a code variance, but the designers went with it anyway because the backcasting template forced them to spend extra time figuring out ways to meet initial goals.

The membrane bioreactor system in the basement now treats up to 30,000 gallons of wastewater per day, which enables the building to reuse water for all toilet flushing. And the cost premiums associated with the sustainability features were paid back in less than two years.

Backcasting is not being employed by most firms, but of Los Angeles used the method to design a project for California State University Channel Islands.

Frances Moore, a CO Architects associate principal, said the backcasting charrette encouraged the designers to be more creative.

鈥淓very project has a life of its own,鈥� she said, 鈥渁nd the visioning aspect of backcasting really enhances the opportunities that are specific to each project.鈥�

Although she was impressed by the results of the brainstorming, Moore emphasized that it all still comes down to the owner’s willingness.

鈥淚n an ideal world, that would be the best formula,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut for most owners, it’s still difficult to open the conversation and say, 鈥楨verything is up for grabs.’ 鈥�