ONE – The DNA of High-Performance Integrated Building Systems

Within our ecosystem, ONE represents the set of principles that explains
how a building system integrates multiple essential functions within a
single architecture to achieve a higher level of performance.

ONE explains a different way of conceiving construction.

When these principles are applied correctly, the result is not simply a more efficient
building. It is a system in which structure, envelope, comfort, efficiency, durability, and
constructibility cease to be understood as independent objectives and become part of a
single solution.

To understand ONE is to understand the principle that gives rise to Integrated Building Systems.

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Integrated Building System


Every building must meet multiple needs at once. It must carry structural loads, provide
protection from the elements, deliver comfort to its occupants, offer durability, and allow for
efficient construction.

Traditionally, these functions are addressed through multiple independent systems,
materials, and processes that, when properly coordinated, achieve the expected
performance.

An Integrated Building System proposes a different approach. From its conception, it
seeks to integrate as many essential functions as possible within a single architecture,
allowing a single decision to simultaneously address multiple needs of the building.

Integration does not mean eliminating components. It means designing a system in which
each element contributes value to more than one function.

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Consequence


When a system integrates functions from the outset, the consequences follow naturally.

The need for independent processes decreases.

Coordination between trades becomes simpler.

The amount of labor required can be reduced.

Construction schedules tend to shorten.

The likelihood of error decreases as there are fewer interfaces between systems.

Performance no longer depends solely on the quality of each component; it depends on
the quality of the architecture that integrates them.

These outcomes are not the objective of the system. They are the natural consequence of
properly conceived integration.

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Reason for Being


For decades, the conversation about construction has revolved primarily around materials,
products, and technologies.

The proposal is to begin from a different place: first understand the principles that make an
Integrated Building System possible, and from there, understand why certain solutions
achieve a superior level of performance.

For that reason, ONE does not belong to any specific material, nor does it depend on any
particular technology. It represents a framework of understanding capable of remaining
valid even as the processes, materials, or tools used in construction evolve.

ICF México adopts these principles as the foundation for developing its systems, but ONE
transcends any particular implementation. Its purpose is to document and make
understandable the DNA that defines High-Performance Integrated Building Systems.

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A New Way of Understanding Construction


The evolution of construction does not consist solely in developing better materials.
It consists in developing systems capable of naturally integrating multiple functions
within a single architecture.
And a better system is not defined by the number of components it incorporates, but
by its capacity to integrate functions, simplify processes, and generate greater
performance as a single unit.

That is the principle ONE represents.