Though our project areas are diverse, all of them share our integrated, multidisciplinary perspective on working towards sustainability.
Central to our way of working is to integrate knowledge across fields, to arrive at solutions that optimize across the board, and use a systems approach at creating solutions. Our method therefore rests on our capacity to aquire knowledge from a wide variety of perspectives, sort it effectively, make new relationships visible, and implement solutions that optimize the system.
Consilience
In science, the approach for this approach of unifying knowledge is called 'Consilience', as defined by globally respected biologist Edward O. Wilson, and finds its foundation in the Ionic movement, 600 B.C.
Wilson writes: "Most of the issues that vex humanity daily - ethnic conflict, arms escalation, overpopulation, abortion environment, enedemic poverty, to cite several of the most persistent before us - cannot be solved without integrating knowledge from the natural sciences with that of the social sciences and humanities."1
Since the integration of knowledge is key to finding effective solutions, we have created a work process that enables this approach.
1. Approach analysis
In close cooperation with the client we scan the issue on the table, its scope, and the best angle of approach. The client often remains an integrated part of the entire process, informing us on key details of the issue and actively participating in solution finding.
2. Project team formation
We assemble a custom team of individuals with a mix of essential skills for the challenge at hand, with people from Except, our relevant partners and the client. We ensure a variety of disciplines, both practicioners and researchers.
3. Stakeholder participation
Depending on the project different stakeholders are involved, whom we search out and actively involve in our development process.
4. Integrated Research
Before we know where to go, we need to know where we are. Our research team analyses all facets of a situation to deliver the right ingredients to start cooking a solution.
5. Integrated Concept Development
Using our in-house developed methodology Symbiosis in Design (SiD) we analyse the 'ingredients' from both a global and local perspective, on different layers of society and management, and from a diverse range of angles. We merge them to arrive at solutions that perform better on all levels, and make sure not to create new externalizations.
6. Realization with partners
Depending on the subject the concept is developed with various partners from paper to execution, maintaining the quality of the concept along the way.
7. Communication strategy
A project, no matter how well developed, can only be a success if it is communicated in the right way, at the right time, to various relevant parties. Knowing our project inside out, we assist in this process using our communication
capacities.
What we do
While most of our projects are integrated, meaning that they use the full range of Except's abilities, we also work with partners and clients in the following three areas specifically:
Consultancy & Research
Except’s consulting and research services range from technical projects to strategic visioning. We advise both regional and international governments on questions of area planning, optimizing transportation, decarbonization, material flows, and long-term strategy.
We provide companies with technical consulting services ranging from resource and carbon footprinting to the design of sustainable food programs. We have equal expertise in general corporate social responsibility (CSR), including: communication and marketing (including the writing of CSR reports), company strategy and goal-setting, supply chain greening, and establishing multi-stakeholder dialogues.
As a design firm, we help develop architectural, planning, and product concepts that draw on the full range of our technical and cultural experience.
We are a full service architecture and urban planning office, and work on groundbreaking sustainable projects around the world. We also work in the field of sustainable product design, both as designers and advisors.
As a design firm we focus on how to adapt our current cities and building portfolio to the future. We combine agricultural innovation to implement in cities, develop new typologies and re-use derelict buildings.
The success of good ideas and designs is intricately tied with the way they are presented. Except helps in determining communication strategy and content generation for projects concerning the environment, policy, research, architecture & planning.
For all of our clients, we also provide expert presentation and communication services. These can range from print-based products to computer animations, films, and interactive web tools.
