"Aggregated" information and knowledge has two roles:

• To positively influence the context in which design occurs—the political, economic and social context that influences the demand for buildings with high environmental performance—that is, increasing the demand for green buildings.  Moreover, aggregating the environmental improvements and direct and indirect cost savings associated with improved building environmental performance would offer considerable weight to the importance of, and need for, and funding more research.
  
  
• To provide a repository of the best information, knowledge and experience required to guide design.   

Four general notions framed the discussion of emerging environmental research agendas: "Intelligence" and "Nature" and an understanding of the relationship between "real" and "virtual" environments and the ways that designers engage in each.

The notion of intelligent building is an acknowledged area of inquiry, and will increasingly be linked to green building design. As such, where future building design will draw "intelligence" and where will it is placed in design has consequence for framing environmental research, for example:

• Drawing on the wisdom in natural systems and processes.
  
  
• Where "intelligence" is assumed—either implicitly or explicitly—in the provision of controls and occupant comfort.
  
  
• "Smart" materials and the synergies between design strategies/environmental technologies.

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