To assist architects in the design of site-responsive buildings, SYMPHYSIS draws from the use of various tools, such as Geographic Information System (GIS), climate data, and Building Performance Analysis software, to inform the design at its earliest phase, when decisions have the most impact on a project’s performance and life-cycle costs.

Minimizing the energy demands of a building can be achieved through a design adapted to its climatic environment and other surrounding ecological forces. Identifying and understanding these complex factors is fundamental to the shaping of an appropriate design solution.

Based on these site-specific variables, performance specifications - or design benchmarks - can be established, and integrated within the design process concurrently with the spatial and functional programs of the project.