How public owners communicate the sustainability requirements of green design-build projects

The design-build (DB) system is regarded as an effective means of delivering sustainable buildings. Specifying clear sustainability requirements to potential contractors is of great importance to project success. This research investigates the current state-of-the-practice for the definition of sustainability requirements within the public sectors of the U.S. construction market using a robust content analysis of 49 DB requests for proposals (RFPs). The results reveal that owners predominantly communicate their desired level of sustainability through the LEED certification system. The sustainability requirement has become an important dimension for the best-value evaluation of DB contractors with specific importance weightings of up to 25%. Additionally, owners of larger projects and who provide less design information in their RFPs generally allocate significantly higher importance weightings to sustainability requirements. The primary knowledge contribution of this study to the construction industry is the reveal of current trend in DB procurement for green projects. The findings also provide owners, architects, engineers, and constructors with an effective means of communicating sustainability objectives in solicitation documents.

Planning the sustainable eco-city in Taipei: The implementation of green design and green building schemes

Taipei City has put a significant effort toward the implementation of green design and green building schemes towards a sustainable eco-city. Although some of the environmental indicators have not indicated significant progress in environmental improvement, implementing the two schemes has obtained considerable results; therefore, the two schemes are on the right path towards promoting a sustainable eco-city. However, it has to be admitted that the two schemes are a rather “technocratic” set of solutions and eco-centric approach. It is suggested that not only the public sector but also the private sector need to put more effort toward implement the schemes, and the government needs to encourage the private sector to adopt the schemes in practice.

Green Animal Shelter Design for the Stokes County Humane Society of North Carolina

The Stokes County Humane Society has the opportunity to implement sustainable design concepts and demonstrate long-term fiscal savings in the design of an animal shelter for Stokes County, North Carolina. The proposed renovated structure takes advantage of passive design strategies that convert a cold, steel structure into one with warmth, light, and functionality. Proposed design techniques include an interior courtyard, geothermal heating and cooling, solar panels, a green roof, rainwater harvesting, sustainable landscaping, and clever materials selection. A cost analysis identifies capital costs and long term operational costs for both traditional and sustainable construction techniques. The results are capital costs of a sustainable design that are comparable to a traditional build, with long-term operational cost savings and generated revenue.

Understanding the performance of green commercial buildings: a Sustainable Built Environment National Research Centre (SBEnrc) briefing report

Efforts to reduce carbon emissions in the buildings sector have been focused on encouraging green design, construction and building operation; however, the business case is not very compelling if considering the energy cost savings alone. In recent years green building has been driven by a sense that it will improve the productivity of occupants,something with much greater economic returns than energy savings. Reducing energy demand in green commercial buildings in a way that encourages greater productivity is not yet well understood as it involves a set of complex and interdependent factors. This project investigates these factors and focuses on the performance of and interaction between: green design elements, internal environmental quality, occupant experience, tenant/leasing agreements, and building regulation and management. This paper suggests six areas of strategic research that are needed to understand how conditions can be created to support productivity in green buildings, and deliver significant energy consumption reductions.

Design thinking and the precautionary principle : development of a theoretical model complementing preventive judgment for design for sustainability enriched through a study of architectural competitions adopting LEED

Cette thèse contribue à une théorie générale de la conception du projet. S’inscrivant dans une demande marquée par les enjeux du développement durable, l’objectif principal de cette recherche est la contribution d’un modèle théorique de la conception permettant de mieux situer l’utilisation des outils et des normes d’évaluation de la durabilité d’un projet. Les principes fondamentaux de ces instruments normatifs sont analysés selon quatre dimensions : ontologique, méthodologique, épistémologique et téléologique. Les indicateurs de certains effets contre-productifs reliés, en particulier, à la mise en compte de ces normes confirment la nécessité d’une théorie du jugement qualitatif. Notre hypothèse principale prend appui sur le cadre conceptuel offert par la notion de « principe de précaution » dont les premières formulations remontent du début des années 1970, et qui avaient précisément pour objectif de remédier aux défaillances des outils et méthodes d’évaluation scientifique traditionnelles. La thèse est divisée en cinq parties. Commençant par une revue historique des modèles classiques des théories de la conception (design thinking) elle se concentre sur l’évolution des modalités de prise en compte de la durabilité. Dans cette perspective, on constate que les théories de la « conception verte » (green design) datant du début des années 1960 ou encore, les théories de la « conception écologique » (ecological design) datant des années 1970 et 1980, ont finalement convergé avec les récentes théories de la «conception durable» (sustainable design) à partir du début des années 1990. Les différentes approches du « principe de précaution » sont ensuite examinées sous l’angle de la question de la durabilité du projet. Les standards d’évaluation des risques sont comparés aux approches utilisant le principe de précaution, révélant certaines limites lors de la conception d’un projet. Un premier modèle théorique de la conception intégrant les principales dimensions du principe de précaution est ainsi esquissé. Ce modèle propose une vision globale permettant de juger un projet intégrant des principes de développement durable et se présente comme une alternative aux approches traditionnelles d’évaluation des risques, à la fois déterministes et instrumentales. L’hypothèse du principe de précaution est dès lors proposée et examinée dans le contexte spécifique du projet architectural. Cette exploration débute par une présentation de la notion classique de «prudence» telle qu’elle fut historiquement utilisée pour guider le jugement architectural. Qu’en est-il par conséquent des défis présentés par le jugement des projets d’architecture dans la montée en puissance des méthodes d’évaluation standardisées (ex. Leadership Energy and Environmental Design; LEED) ? La thèse propose une réinterprétation de la théorie de la conception telle que proposée par Donald A. Schön comme une façon de prendre en compte les outils d’évaluation tels que LEED. Cet exercice révèle cependant un obstacle épistémologique qui devra être pris en compte dans une reformulation du modèle. En accord avec l’épistémologie constructiviste, un nouveau modèle théorique est alors confronté à l’étude et l’illustration de trois concours d'architecture canadienne contemporains ayant adopté la méthode d'évaluation de la durabilité normalisée par LEED. Une série préliminaire de «tensions» est identifiée dans le processus de la conception et du jugement des projets. Ces tensions sont ensuite catégorisées dans leurs homologues conceptuels, construits à l’intersection du principe de précaution et des théories de la conception. Ces tensions se divisent en quatre catégories : (1) conceptualisation - analogique/logique; (2) incertitude - épistémologique/méthodologique; (3) comparabilité - interprétation/analytique, et (4) proposition - universalité/ pertinence contextuelle. Ces tensions conceptuelles sont considérées comme autant de vecteurs entrant en corrélation avec le modèle théorique qu’elles contribuent à enrichir sans pour autant constituer des validations au sens positiviste du terme. Ces confrontations au réel permettent de mieux définir l’obstacle épistémologique identifié précédemment. Cette thèse met donc en évidence les impacts généralement sous-estimés, des normalisations environnementales sur le processus de conception et de jugement des projets. Elle prend pour exemple, de façon non restrictive, l’examen de concours d'architecture canadiens pour bâtiments publics. La conclusion souligne la nécessité d'une nouvelle forme de « prudence réflexive » ainsi qu’une utilisation plus critique des outils actuels d’évaluation de la durabilité. Elle appelle une instrumentalisation fondée sur l'intégration globale, plutôt que sur l'opposition des approches environnementales.

Design of experimental composting of animal carcasses in universitary unit of treatment aimed a correct final disposition and soil improve

For many years, composting has been used as a result of the recycling of organic matter. There is significative animal carcasses accumulation from teaching and researching activities of the university veterinary hospital. Every year, Unesp University needs to dispose correctly about 180 tones of this waste and the composting seemed to be the most sustainable alternative. Piles of animal carcasses were prepared using peanut hulls and tree pruning as bulking agent and water to the first phase of this process. The extracts pH values no impediments for offering germination and indicated a good addition to the soil management. The germination index showed no impediment to the seeds germination on any type of compost and the extracts concentrations not influenced this biological process. No parameters studied assigns risks of contamination of carcasses for the compost development in Unesp according to the proposed design. © 2013 Taylor & Francis Group.

Green supply chain management em uma indústria de bens do consumo do Vale do Paraíba - SP

The Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) is gaining prominence in the academy and business, as an approach that aims to promote economic and environmental gains. The GSCM is operated through the Environmental Management System Tools and treated as an Environmental Management System (EMS), involving Reverse Logistics, Green Purchasing, Green Sourcing, Green Design, Green Packaging, Green Operation, Green Manufacturing, Green Innovation and Customer Awareness. The objective of this study is to map the GSCM tools and identify their practice in a consumer goods industry in the Vale do Paraiba. The approach and data collection were made in the company's database chosen as the object of study, as well as through on site visits and interviews. The results showed that the tools Green Operation, Green Manufacturing, Green Innovation and Green Sourcing are applied in the company and just Costumer Awareness tool showed no practice at all. To other tools was identified ideology or interest of the company in applying them

Green supply chain management em uma indústria de bens do consumo do Vale do Paraíba - SP

The Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) is gaining prominence in the academy and business, as an approach that aims to promote economic and environmental gains. The GSCM is operated through the Environmental Management System Tools and treated as an Environmental Management System (EMS), involving Reverse Logistics, Green Purchasing, Green Sourcing, Green Design, Green Packaging, Green Operation, Green Manufacturing, Green Innovation and Customer Awareness. The objective of this study is to map the GSCM tools and identify their practice in a consumer goods industry in the Vale do Paraiba. The approach and data collection were made in the company's database chosen as the object of study, as well as through on site visits and interviews. The results showed that the tools Green Operation, Green Manufacturing, Green Innovation and Green Sourcing are applied in the company and just Costumer Awareness tool showed no practice at all. To other tools was identified ideology or interest of the company in applying them

Greenfield shopping center development. The integration between environmental features, building design and investment analysis at the decision making stage

The Shopping centre is a long term investment in which Greenfield development decisions are often taken based on risks analysis regarding construction costs, location, competition, market and an expected DCF. Furthermore, integration between the building design, project planning, operational costs and investment analysis is not entirely considered by the investor at the decision making stage. The absence of such information tends to produce certain negative impacts on the future running costs and annual maintenance of the building, especially on energy demand and other occupancy expenses paid by the tenants to the landlord. From the investor´s point of view, this blind spot in strategy development will possibly decrease their profit margin as changes in the occupancy expenses[ ] have a direct outcome on the profit margin. In order to try to reduce some higher operating cost components such as energy use and other utility savings as well as their CO2 emissions, quite a few income properties worldwide have some type of environmental label such as BREEAM and LEED. The drawback identified in this labelling is that usually the investments required to get an ecolabel are high and the investor finds no direct evidence that it increases market value. However there is research on certified commercial properties (especially offices) that shows better performance in terms of occupancy rate and rental cost (Warren-Myers, 2012). Additionally, Sayce (2013) says that the certification only provides a quick reference point i.e. the lack of a certificate does not indicate that a building is not sustainable or efficient. Based on the issues described above, this research compares important components of the development stages such as investments costs, concept/ strategy development as well as the current investor income and property value. The subjects for this analysis are a shopping centre designed with passive cooling/bioclimatic strategies evaluated at the decision making stage, a certified regional shopping centre and a non-certified standard regional shopping centre. Moreover, the proposal intends to provide decision makers with some tools for linking green design features to the investment analysis in order to optimize the decision making process when looking into cost savings and design quality.

Nagele, a green building without a roof

The paper shows the design process of Nagele, a Dutch modernist agrarian settlement designed during the Post-Second World War period by the internationally recognized group of architects De 8 en Opbouw: Rietveld, Van Eesteren, Merkelbach, van Eyck, Bakema, Stam, Ruys, etc. It is located in the Noordoostpolder (NOP), in the Flevoland province, which was entirely reclaimed from the sea. The country planning of the Noodoostpolder reveals a high rationalization in the disposal of roads, canals, cities, agrarian land and forests, which can be an inspiration for the cities of today. The configurational elements of Nagele must be understood in terms of their relationship to the overall system of the polder. Important territorial principles in structure, form and landscape can be seen in the project of Nagele. This relationship is an additional example of the continuing transformation that the entire length and breadth of The Netherlands in subjected to. The research developed to date reveals a plan which shows the evolution of functionalistic paradigm at the CIAM postwar congresses. The particular case of Nagele points to the incorporation of human scale, green design and social co-existence. The source of these theories mainly came from Aldo van Eyck, who played an important role during the second phase of design. The research will be developed analyzing his drawings and texts and will show the way his theories appear in the project. Can Nagele be a materialization of Van Eyck¿s ideas? Nagele constitutes one of the most outstanding contributions to modern urban planning as far as both urbanism and landscape, are at the service of human well-being. Not only were urban independently designed parts, but their relationships also formed a perfect urban whole.

Sustainable retirement village for older people: A case study in Brisbane, Australia

Retirement villages are regarded as a viable accommodation option for the ever increasing ageing population in Australia. This paper aims to identify sustainability features and practices adopted in retirement villages and associated benefits to improve the life quality of older people. A case study of an existing retirement village 10kms from Brisbane CBD was conducted involving a series of interviews with the village managers and residents together with documents relating to the village's operations and activities. The environmentally friendly features that were incorporated into the development mainly include green design for the site and floor plan and waste management in daily operation. More importantly, a variety of facilities are provided to strengthen the social engagement and interactions among the residents. Additionally, different daily services are provided to assist independent living and improve the health conditions of residents. Also, the relatively low vacancy rate in this village indicates that these sustainability features offer good value of money for the residents. The paper provides a first look at sustainable retirement villages in terms of triple bottom line sustainability with emphasis on social aspects, reveals the importance in maintaining an appropriate balance, and provides examples of how this can be achieved in practice.

The Performance Nexus - A framework for improving energy efficiency in existing commercial buildings by considering a whole-of-building approach

Efforts to reduce carbon emissions in the buildings sector have been focused on encouraging green design, construction and building operation; however, the business case is not very compelling if considering the energy cost savings alone. In recent years green building has been driven by a sense that it will improve the productivity of occupants,i something with much greater economic returns than energy savings. Reducing energy demand in green commercial buildings in a way that encourages greater productivity is not yet well understood as it involves a set of complex and interdependent factors. This paper outlines an investigation into these factors and focuses on better understanding the performance of and interaction between: design elements, internal environmental quality, occupant experience, tenant/leasing agreements, and building regulation and management. In doing so the paper presents a framework for improving energy efficiency in existing commercial buildings by considering a range of interconnected and synergistic elements.