Showing papers in "Building Research and Information in 2013"

Do ‘green’ buildings have better indoor environments? New evidence

Abstract: A post-occupancy evaluation (POE) of 12 green and 12 conventional office buildings across Canada and the northern United States was conducted. Occupants (N = 2545) completed an online questionnaire related to environmental satisfaction, job satisfaction and organizational commitment, health and well-being, environmental attitudes, and commuting. In each building on-site physical measurements at a sample of workstations (N= 974) were taken, including: thermal conditions, air quality, acoustics, lighting, workstation size, ceiling height, window access and shading, and surface finishes. Green buildings exhibited superior performance compared with similar conventional buildings. Better outcomes included: environmental satisfaction, satisfaction with thermal conditions, satisfaction with the view to the outside, aesthetic appearance, less disturbance from heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) noise, workplace image, night-time sleep quality, mood, physical symptoms, and reduced number of airborne p...

A middle-out approach for improving energy performance in buildings

Abstract: A ‘middle-out’ perspective is used to investigate potential roles for professionals and practitioners in creating societal change. Social and technological innovations are commonly seen as either being induced from the ‘top-down’ or evolving from the ‘bottom-up.’ Instead, a ‘middle-out’ perspective focuses on agents of change that are located in the middle, between the top and the bottom. This perspective shows that middle actors can affect change in several different directions: upstream, downstream and sideways. By linking the top and bottom more explicitly, this approach is both an alternative and complementary to ‘bottom-up’ and ‘top-down’ efforts to implementing low-carbon innovations and practices in society. One particular kind of ‘middle’ in the built environment is explored: the role of building professionals to encourage (or discourage) societal change. Focusing on the demand side of the energy system, case studies of building professionals in the domestic and non-domestic sectors are used to em...

The importation of building environmental certification systems: international usages of BREEAM and LEED

Abstract: A proliferation of the development of building environmental assessment methods has occurred for application within many individual countries' domestic markets. However, the demand for ‘brand recognition’ in a global market, the desire for international standards and the motivation of the owners of some systems to expand the adoption of their assessment systems abroad are among many of the forces driving toward the increased international use of the two most established methods: BREEAM and LEED. Drawing on published databases of projects assessed by these two systems, an examination is presented of their international use, with particular attention paid to the relationship between their use and the existence of national systems developed in the countries of application. A more detailed analysis of the types of projects that have been assessed is provided using data from six specific countries with qualitatively different cultural, economic and environmental contexts and some of which that have national as...

City futures : exploring urban retrofit and sustainable transitions

Abstract: Cities are responsible for up to 70% of global carbon emissions and 75% of global energy consumption. By 2050 it is estimated that 70% of the world's population will live in cities. The critical challenge for contemporary urbanism, therefore, is to understand how to develop the knowledge, capacity and capability for public agencies, the private sector and multiple users in city-regions (i.e. the city and its wider hinterland) to re-engineer systemically their built environment and urban infrastructure in response to climate change and resource constraints. To inform transitions to urban sustainability, key stakeholders' perceptions were sought though a participatory backcasting and scenario foresight process in order to illuminate challenging but realistic socio-technical scenarios for the systemic retrofit of core UK city-regions. The challenge of conceptualizing complex urban transitions is explored across multiple socio-technical ‘regimes’ (housing, non-domestic buildings, urban infrastructure), scales (building, neighbourhood, city-region), and domains (energy, water, use of resources) within a participatory process. The development of three archetypal ‘guiding visions’ of retrofit city-regional futures developed through this process are discussed, along with the contribution that such foresight processes might play in ‘opening up’ the governance and strategic navigation of urban sustainability.

Summertime temperatures and thermal comfort in UK homes

Abstract: Internal summertime temperatures measured in 268 homes in Leicester, UK, are reported. The hourly data were collected from living rooms and bedrooms during the summer of 2009. Some household interviews were conducted. The sample of homes was statistically representative of the socio-technical characteristics of the city's housing stock. The data provide insight into the influence of house construction, energy system usage, and occupant characteristics on the incidence of elevated temperatures and thermal discomfort. The warmest homes were amongst the 13% that were heated. Significantly more of these had occupants aged over 70 years who are particularly vulnerable to high temperatures. The national heatwave plan might usefully caution against summertime heating. Temperatures in the 230 free-running homes were analysed using both static criteria and criteria associated with the BSEN15251 adaptive thermal comfort model. These indicated that flats tended to be significantly warmer than other house types. Soli...

Towards systemic domestic retrofit: a social practices approach

Abstract: The UK housing stock will play an important role in achieving the 2050 national carbon reduction targets. Upgrading the energy performance of the existing housing stock is a significant challenge b ...

The effect of BREEAM on clients and construction professionals

Abstract: The effects and influence of the Building Research Establishment's Environmental Assessment Methods (BREEAM) on construction professionals are examined. Most discussions of building assessment methods focus on either the formal tool or the finished product. In contrast, BREEAM is analysed here as a social technology using Michel Foucault's theory of governmentality. Interview data are used to explore the effect of BREEAM on visibilities, knowledge, techniques and professional identities. The analysis highlights a number of features of the BREEAM assessment process which generally go unremarked: professional and public understandings of the method, the deployment of different types of knowledge and their implication for the authority and legitimacy of the tool, and the effect of BREEAM on standard practice. The analysis finds that BREEAM's primary effect is through its impact on standard practices. Other effects include the use of assessment methods to defend design decisions, its role in both operationali...

Construction costs comparison between ‘green’ and conventional office buildings

Abstract: The actual construction cost of certified green office buildings in New Zealand is compared with conventional buildings. Although a large body of research exists on the financial and environmental benefits of green buildings, there is little evidence on capital cost implications for building green. This study serves as the first empirical study to analyse detailed cost plan data in New Zealand to quantify the impact of green building on construction cost. Data from 17 Green Star NZ v1-certified office buildings were paired with a set of modelled cost estimates derived from the Davis Langdon Blue Book and the Rawlinsons New Zealand Construction Handbook (the authoritative published sources for New Zealand construction cost data). The paired data were analysed across five panels using the non-parametric Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed ranks test. When benchmarked against the modelled costs, green building construction costs were higher on average, but the difference was not statistically significant. This was...

Preventing the overheating of English suburban homes in a warming climate

Abstract: As the impacts of climate change become more prominent within the next 50 years and beyond, the risk of overheating in homes is a concern. This is specifically relevant in the UK's suburbs where 84% of the population reside. To assess this future impact and the effectiveness of adaptive retrofitting, probabilistic climate change data for the 2030s and 2050s are used to assess the overheating risk in six suburban house archetypes in three cities in the UK: Bristol, Oxford and Stockport. The risks of overheating in typical constructions are assessed and the possibility of preventing overheating through the use of adaptation packages is evaluated through dynamic thermal simulation. Homes in Oxford show the greatest risk of overheating. The most effective (passive) package for tackling future overheating tends to combine fabric improvements and internal heat gain reduction. To assist planners and policy-makers in assessing and preventing overheating risk at a stock level, this adaptation package is further ev...

Impact of building service life models on life cycle assessment

Abstract: Life cycle assessments (LCAs) of buildings often use an operational lifetime of approximately 50 years, and have simplified descriptions of building operations and maintenance. The typical service life period is inappropriate for some materials given their exposure and use, and the simplified descriptions do not fully represent maintenance, repair and replacement cycles. Building service life prediction modelling is examined to improve the representation of service life in LCA and the evaluation of environmental impacts. A process is developed that incorporates service life, operational energy and LCA modelling which provides a means of examining the effects of materials and systems in building operation, maintenance, repair and replacement. This process advances the field of building LCA by representing a more complete and accurate building life cycle, and by highlighting the impact of building service life models on the LCA methodological assumptions. Nine building envelope combinations are modelled. Cu...

Thermal comfort in naturally ventilated primary school classrooms

Abstract: An investigation is presented of children-s thermal sensation trends and their perception of overall comfort and tiredness in school classrooms. Findings are reported from a field survey in a naturally ventilated primary school in Southampton, UK, which included thermal comfort surveys and simultaneous measurements of indoor environmental variables. Approximately 230 pupils aged 7-11 years were surveyed from April to July 2011. During this period of the summer term, there was no heating in the school. The results are compared with findings from other studies in schools and from studies with adults in offices. The results reveal a tendency of pupils towards warm thermal sensations which paradoxically is not complemented by an equally strong preference for cooler environments. There was no difference in the thermal sensation responses in terms of gender, but boys generally preferred cooler environments at high temperatures than girls. Overall, the results indicate that children in a classroom have a different thermal perception compared with adults, suggesting that current adult-based comfort standards may not apply to school children. The study shows that adjustments may be required to current comfort criteria in order to address the thermal perception of children. More child-centred research is needed to address pupils- thermal requirements under current and future climates. © 2013 Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.

Retrofitting existing housing: how far, how much?

Abstract: The significance of retrofitting the existing housing stock is considered for the policy commitment of delivering an 80% CO 2 emission reduction by 2050. Background issues of energy, legislation, potential and actual CO 2 savings, socio-economics (payback, fuel poverty, health impacts, employment stimulus, etc.) are discussed. Different potential retrofit strategies for the housing stock are presented. Three large-scale housing retrofit programmes in Wales, UK, are analysed for energy savings (using the Energy and Environmental Prediction Model), CO 2 reduction and costs. Two ‘whole house’ retrofit projects in Wales are also assessed, one of which has been the subject of long-term monitoring. Data are compared on a range of retrofit options: different strategies (elemental, multiple and whole-house measures), costs, actual CO 2 reductions and associated benefits. The findings indicate that as the cost of measures rise in relation to the predicted savings, reasonable paybacks will be difficult to achieve, particularly for finance packages such as the ‘Green Deal’. There are funding opportunities for installing ‘shallow’ elemental measures to reduce CO 2 emissions by 10–30%. However, the large-scale financing of ‘deep’ (60–80% reductions) whole-house packages of measures is not currently available and does not pay back.

Socio-technical issues in dwelling retrofit

Abstract: Although a wide range of technical solutions exist to reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions, these may not produce the predicted savings if occupants operate the refurbished dwelling in unexpected ways, resulting in a ‘performance gap’. Retrofit can be approached as a set of socio-technical issues. Social practice theory is the dominant approach in socio-technical studies of energy in the home. However, other ways can investigate how people engage with and experience their home environments, including their interaction with energy technologies. This can extend the reach of socio-technical studies to encompass personal experience of reconfigured homes within the broader socio-cultural context. Methodologies from phenomenology and ecological psychology used in architecture and philosophy of technology – principally the concepts of ‘breakdown’ and affordance – can examine occupants' experience of a retrofitted environment. An energy retrofit of an occupied dwelling is used to illustrate how such methods can provide insights into occupants' experience of and responses to refurbishment. It is suggested that householders' energy and comfort concerns emerge and recede alongside other concerns in both time and space as they adjust to their reconfigured home. Changing affordances after retrofit can influence how people use dwelling space in ways that have energy consumption consequences.

Scaling up: the challenges of urban retrofit

Abstract: The notion of ‘retrofitting’ or re-engineering the existing urban environments has gained increasing prominence within research and policy agendas in recent years (Cole, 2012; Dawson, 2007; Kelly, ...

Professionalism and professional institutions in times of change

Abstract: Professionalism and professional institutions have developed and changed very gradually in recent decades, such that there are conflicting and competing definitions of what it means to be a professional. The direction of travel is examined through an institutional lens in terms of current trends and practices that have transformed professional life. At first sight, the evolution of professionalism appears to be developing into a new professionalism that requires less of professional institutions and more of the institutions of societal governance, such as contracts and statutes. These transformations are explored with reference to the need for a sustainable urban environment, showing that despite a reduced role of professional institutions, certain aspects of professionalism remain crucially important, especially in those jurisdictions where societal governance is not well developed. With the growing sophistication of legislation, insurance and commerce, the emphasis of what it means to be a professional ...

Regenerative design, socio-ecological systems and co-evolution

Abstract: A key notion in regenerative design is the co-evolutionary, partnered relationship between socio-cultural and ecological systems, which requires an explicit engagement with the implications and consequences of future design decisions. However, despite the extensive literature in other disciplines regarding the co-evolution of socio-cultural and ecological systems, this approach has yet to receive serious scrutiny within the context of the built environment and within the emerging notions of regenerative development and design. Drawing on an interdisciplinary body of literature, a discussion is initiated on how socio-cultural and ecological systems and their co-evolution might connect to the concept of regenerative design. Following a critique of a relevant example highlighting the current practice of regenerative design, the new building for the Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, potentially relevant aspects of a socio-ecological system and ...

Linking occupant complaints to building performance

Abstract: The operation of a building connects the building, its performance and its end-users. When a mismatch occurs between users' expectations and operations processes, then complaints can arise. The use of enhanced complaint handling processes is investigated to ascertain whether this can help diagnose performance problems. Two LEED Platinum-rated office buildings form the basis for a case study of the components that make up an enhanced complaint handling process. Some of the social dynamics of complaints in buildings are consequently discussed. It is found that an enhanced complaint handling approach could contribute to a form of ongoing commissioning that goes beyond primarily reactive or dismissive treatments of complaints. Le fonctionnement d'un immeuble etablit des rapports entre l'immeuble, ses performances et ses utilisateurs finaux. Lorsqu'un decalage se produit entre les attentes des utilisateurs et les processus d'exploitation, des plaintes peuvent alors s'elever. L'utilisation de processus ameliore...

Promoting behaviour change through personalized energy feedback in offices

Abstract: A body of research suggests that the provision of energy feedback information to building users can elicit significant energy reductions through behaviour change However, most studies have focused on energy use in homes and the assessment of interventions and technologies, to the neglect of the non-domestic context and broader issues arising from the introduction of feedback technologies To address this gap, a non-domestic case study explores the delivery of personalized energy feedback to office workers through a novel system utilizing wireless technologies The research demonstrates advantages of monitoring occupancy and quantifying energy use from specific behaviours as a basis for effective energy feedback; this is particularly important where there are highly disaggregated forms of energy use and a range of locations for that activity to take place Quantitative and qualitative data show that personalized feedback can help individuals identify energy reduction opportunities However, the analysis a

Professionalism and ethics in a changing economy

Abstract: Professional responsibilities in a complex and contested work environment are constantly being reshaped by a changing economic, environmental and social context. Responsibility and accountability have become more diffuse, and they reside with a wider group including professionals and professional organizations. The codes, charters and laws of several built environment professional organizations in the United Kingdom and Germany are examined for ethical principles and guidance. The allocation of responsibility for acting in the public interest rests with both the individual professional and the professional organizations, but many professionals experience an ethical void due to little guidance from their institutions. To address this problem, an ethical framework is constructed for professionals, allowing ethical issues to be considered in a structured, practical way. Consideration is also given to how to foster conditions for professionals to take personal responsibility for ethical behaviour, including t...

Implications of trends in LEED usage: rating system design and market transformation

Abstract: Green building rating systems serve multiple functions: they define the attributes of green buildings, provide tools for environmental assessment and include specific interventions intended to promote market transformation. These goals are often complementary, but can also create tensions in the design and application of rating systems. Recent patterns and trends are considered for projects certified using LEED-NC and LEED-EBOM (new construction and existing buildings, respectively) rating systems. New data are presented on (1) patterns and trends in on-going market transformation (credit achievement, levels of certification and types, geographic distribution of project, etc.) and (2) the design and revision of the LEED rating system based on broad patterns of engagement and the achievement of individual credits. The data indicate strong regional and temporal variation in green building activity. The flexibility of LEED has allowed a diversity of credit achievement patterns. Information on these market-ba...

Regenerating cities: technological and design innovation for Australian suburbs

Abstract: Innovations capable of initiating a sustainability transformation of ageing suburbs in high-income Western cities are presented against a backdrop of urban infrastructures (housing, transport, water, energy) that are stressed due to levels of high population growth and consumption, an ageing asset base, changing socio-demographics, a resource- and carbon-constrained world, and an urbanizing world where attempts at urban intensification are confounding the urban planning and design professions. To be sustainable, cities need to be in a position to draw on innovative technologies, products and processes that can be substituted as existing infrastructures show signs of failure. A three-horizon model of urban technology innovation is proposed that is applicable at building, precinct and suburb scale. Cities also need to be innovative in the process of urban planning and design, especially in how they retrofit, redevelop, and regenerate their brownfield and greyfield precincts in the established inner and midd...

Energy epidemiology: a new approach to end-use energy demand research

Abstract: The call for action to transform the built environment and address the threats of climate change has been clearly made. However, to support the development, implementation and on-going evaluation of energy demand policy, a strong evidence base is needed to identify associations and establish underlying causes behind outcomes and variations in end-use energy demand within the population. A new approach to end-use energy demand research is presented which is founded on the interdisciplinary health sciences research framework of epidemiology, along with the establishment of a research centre. A case is made that through an ‘energy epidemiology’ approach a strong, population-level, empirically based research foundation can be advanced. Energy epidemiology is a whole-system approach that focuses on empirical research and provides a methodological framework for building physicists, engineers, sociologists and economists to engage in interdisciplinary work. The adaptation of the epidemiological approach to end-u...

Sensitivity and uncertainty analysis of England's housing energy model

Abstract: SAP/BREDEM-based models are commonly used for estimating national domestic energy consumption and for assessing the energy and environmental impacts of changes in the housing stock. However, policy-makers should recognize that such models are subject to multiple potential sources of uncertainty. A one-at-a-time sensitivity analysis is undertaken on the Cambridge Housing Model, a SAP 2009 model for estimating total domestic energy consumption in England and the UK. The analysis identifies several parameters to which the model is particularly sensitive, determines that the response to variations in individual parameters is typically non-linear, and concludes that changes to multiple parameters are not additive. A Monte Carlo uncertainty analysis is then undertaken to provide an indication of the impact of multiple uncertainties on model outputs. A concept map is developed to outline a number of potential sources of uncertainty, and in the absence of reliable information expert judgement is used to describe ...

Professionalism in digitally mediated project work

Abstract: Fieldwork in a major construction programme is used to examine what is meant by professionalism where large integrated digital systems are used to design, deliver, and maintain buildings and infrastructure The increasing ‘professionalization’ of the client is found to change other professional roles and interactions in project delivery New technologies for approvals and workflow monitoring are associated with new occupational groups; new kinds of professional accountability; and a greater integration across professional roles Further conflicts also arise, where occupational groups have different understandings of project deliverables and how they are competently achieved The preliminary findings are important for an increasing policy focus on shareable data, in order for building owners and operators to improve the cost, value, handover and operation of complex buildings However, it will also have an impact on wider public decision-making processes, professional autonomy, expertise and interdependenc

Value-added business models: linking professionalism and delivery of sustainability

Abstract: The property and construction industry's lack of progress towards sustainability is sometimes blamed on corporate short-sightedness and short-term profit-seeking. What is unfortunately not often taken into account is what constitutes an appropriate business model. The industry faces a paradox: long-term sustainability of this sector requires major changes to current practices, but in order to finance the necessary investment to change, short-term profits are required. Inherent structural characteristics of the industry inhibit this desired transformation, especially as industry structures currently do not reward those responsible for a building's added-value or performance. A business model is needed which genuinely relates price and earnings to the actual performance delivered to the customer and society. This dilemma is considered from the points of view of businesses and individual professionals. Research into sustainability of buildings should be underpinned by innovation in business models that: (1) ...

Adaptive comfort in an unpredictable world

Abstract: The current global economic crisis which started in 2008 has changed the world for many people. The cost of living has gone up, and for many the standard of living is going down with a correspondin...

A shared built environment professional identity through education and training

Abstract: Unlike the medical profession, traditional built environment professional education and training may not foster the development of a shared cross-professional identity. However, such a shared identity is a prerequisite for successfully integrating sustainable development principles along the built environment value chain, as it would help to overcome the existing level of fragmentation amongst professionals and the industry in general. Furthermore, a shared identity could support the definition of a shared goal: the creation, operation, preservation and development of a sustainable built environment. A set of common values based on a firm commitment (such as the Hippocratic Oath in medicine) is argued as being central to built environment professional practice, education and training because it will facilitate the development of such a shared professional identity: a built environment fellowship. Elements of recent educational reforms within the medical profession are considered for their ability to reinf...

Life cycle energy analysis of a zero-energy house

Abstract: Most zero-energy concepts focus on a reduction of the non-renewable operational energy use in buildings rather than taking the reduction of their life cycle energy use as a starting point. Nevertheless, the life cycle embodied and end-of-life energy will become more important, especially in buildings with low operational energy. Therefore, the life cycle energy use of a Belgian zero-energy reference house is examined by means of life cycle energy assessment. The influence of design decisions and regulations on the building construction type, the building services, and the performance of the building envelope are investigated. In terms of thermal performance of the building, the results show that the life cycle embodied energy in zero-energy houses with passive or standard thermal performance was not substantially different. From a life cycle energy perspective, passive house requirements are not essential criteria for zero-energy houses in Belgium. On the other hand, large life cycle energy savings were o...

Retrofitting England's suburbs to adapt to climate change

Abstract: The majority of the English population lives in suburbs and this is where the impacts of climate change will significantly affect people's domestic lives: heat stress, respiratory problems, flooding, drought, deterioration of green spaces and damage from storms. A recognized need exists to adapt suburbs (homes, gardens and public space) physically to mitigate against further climate change and to adapt to inevitable weather patterns. A number of potential adaptation options, addressing different risks, are identified and tested using a range of methods, including modelling, and workshops with residents and professional and institutional stakeholders. The ‘best’ solutions are those that reduce the climate risk within the context of local adaptive capacity. Solutions are effective, acceptable and feasible given the type of suburb; its location; microclimate; housing type; the climate risk it faces; the socio-economic composition of its residents and their attitudes; resources; and governance conditions. It ...