11
Sustainable Assessment Framework Ensuring Project Ambition

Sustainable Assessment Framework

Embed Size (px)

DESCRIPTION

Continuing from the research conducted the work aims to ensure the project team ambition is met.

Citation preview

Sustainable Assessment Framework

Ensuring Project Ambition

Manage ProcessDesign Process

Schematic Design Design Development Construction Drawings

Control Outcome

Sustainable Impact

510

2550

(Years)

0/

Sustainability Defined Through Time

This framework attempts to ensure that sustainability measures are reviewed and incorporated into the project without budget overruns and/or schedule delays while expressing the initiatives in terms of longevity.

Design Process Timeline

Time plays a major role in the determination of sustainability as well as in determining project goals. The following is the AIA’s determi-nation of how to best organise the process of sustainable design. The AIA’s scope of services serves as a model to base the processional activities of the Sustainable Assessment Framework.

“This scope of services establishes a process to: (1) determine the Owner’s Sustainable Objective; (2) develop a Sustainability Plan outlining the Sustainable Measures necessary to achieve the Sustainable Objective; (3) desig-nate responsibility for each Sustainable Measure; and (4) incorporate the Sustainable Measures included in the Sustainability Plan into the drawings and specifications for the Project.” (American Institute of Architects 2011)

Sustainable Indicators

Of paramount importance this tool is a manifestation of several different stand-ards. As the framework looks to coalesce wider sustainability goals into specific parameters, the indicators used to create the catgories can be associated to disciplines and design functions. The design team can use this tool to allocate third party rating system indicators directly to practice areas and associated projects.

The indicators were chosen from established rating systems in current use within the field. The systems are: AIA/Committee On The Environment | Living Building Challenge | LEED New Construction v2.2 | Max Fordam Wider Sustain-ability Parameters | BRE New Construction Technical Guide | The Natural Step | LEED Neighbourhood Development 2009 & BRE Sustainability Checklist for Developments. Through these documents a total of 251 sustainability indica-tors were categorised into the Sustainable Assessment Framework.

Societal Infrastructure Site Engineered Environment

Materials and Resources

Building Orien-tation Frame-work

13 32 41 37 45

Development Orientation Framework

24 23 21 8 7

Total of 251 Indicators 37 55 62 45 52

Framework

Society &Culture

InfrastructureNetworks

Site EngineeredEnvironment

Materials &Resources

Schematic Design Design Development Construction Drawings

Sustainable Impact

510

2550

(Years)

0/

Process

Outcome

Indicators

Societal Definition

The society category is defined as any activity that affects the cultural or human dimension of the project.

A critical area of sustainable impact is in the field of urban design. A key balance is found in the interaction between urban planning and architectural development. Determining how a project fits into the community and how it will influence and affect the area is crucial in looking at long-term sustainability.

DISCIPLINE: The relationship here is between the developer has with the local authority and community interest groups. Much of the decision making power in this area is found in a political sense and requires above average committment of the developer.

NPV: The net present value for societal outcomes is long and vague. Although there is no question that quality architec-ture can change the urban fabric however the complexity of the factors that contribute to the built environment affecting cultural capital is immense and uncertain. This life span is estimated at 50 years, or two typical human generations.

EXAMPLE: An example of an activity within this category would be a charrette where the intention is to seek input from the local citizenship. An example of development affecting the local cultural capital is found in gentrification.

PROJECT REVIEW: Determine the scope of sustainable measures. Focus on key areas of partnership and scalability where local political and/or community conditions can be leveraged.

Categories

Infrastructure Network Definition

Infrastructure networks are defined as any outside force or activity that interacts with the site. Infrastructure networks deal with all the resources and flows to and from the site dur-

ing the course of the building’s life.

This category represents an important aspect of the interaction between the natural environment and the built envi-ronment between within and outside of the site boundary.

DISCIPLINE: The key relationship here is between the developer and the local utility companies and authorities. Civil engi-neers and transportaion planners are also involved in this area.

EXAMPLE: The key areas of concern for the category are vehicle use and accessibility; storm water and potable water management; energy and light pollution. Lighting is also related to engineered environments, yet the concern with light pollution as it affects the area outside of the site boundary as it iteracts between the site and the surrounding area.

NPV: Infrastructure networks have a very real net present calculation as this is a primary economic method used to evalu-ate civic projects and returns on investment that often lead to a development decision. The net present value payback period here is approximately 25 years.

REVIEW: Ensure that the sustainable strategies are in place and all team members input is verified. Determine ability of local infrastructure to incorporate initiatives.

Site Definition

The site is defined here as all natural elements that occur within the boundaries if the site. Natural elements include any resource or force to be managed that occurs with the site

boundary.

In terms of process timing, establishing the site generally means the commencement of the design activity. Accu-rately placing the project into the ecosystem through adhering to site conditions and context is critical in pursuing ecologically aware architecture. Related to passive ecological design.

DISCIPLINE: This credit primarily affects the architect, the landscape architect and civil engineer.

EXAMPLE: Subject areas related to passive design regarding light, water and air are fundamental to this area of assess-ment. From an architectural standpoint this category contains many of the important sustainable design techniques and initiatives.

NPV: In determining the net present value payback period for the site a market rate of the real estate value is a good indi-cator. Both this category and the real estate value are defined as all activity and assets that occur within the building site. The typical amount of time that it takes for a real estate venture to earn significant returns is around ten years.

PROJECT REVIEW: Determine buildability, ability to scale and potential conflicts amongst project team.

Engineered Environment Definition

The engineered environment is defined as conditioning or creating environmental changes through active methods.

A critical balance of sustainability is represented here between a modern and managed enhanced quality of life and the ability of natural systems to absorb mankind’s built interventions. The idea of optimizing mechanical equipment to reduce the energy loads of a building is aligned with the concept of eliminating waste and streamlining projects. Related to active ecological design.

DISCIPLINE: The responsibility largely falls to the project’s mechanical engineer. The lighting designer, architect, and main-tenance teams are also involved in ensuring a quality design for the engineered environment.

EXAMPLE: The work of the mechanical or energy engineer has a significant impact in determining the sustainability of a project. Within the LEED 2009 New Construction rating system, meeting energy reduction parameters is mandatory for achieving any level of certification and 26 out of a possible 100 points are associated to the energy savings. (CaGBC 2009)

NPV: The net present value payback for this category is important in the current cost assessments used to evaluate sus-tainable development. The savings through the load requirements of the engineered system are an attractive incentive for owners to pay off the costs of implementing a sustainable design. An good payback period for an engineered system is five years.

PROJECT REVIEW: At this stage ensure that the full costs of each initiative are determined. Look at solidifying and discard-ing strategies. Enusre buildability of systems.

Materials and Resources Definition

The materials and resources category is defined as both the material selections for the building as well as all the resources used to fabricate these materials into the finished building. This includes all construction related activity and all energy used to create,

manufacture and transport personnel and materials.

The fabrication of a building is achieved one unit of dimensional material at a time. Construction represents a sig-nificant amount of immediate energy and waste. This is coupled with the fact that many building products can have a long-term detrimental impact on natures ecological systems. Therefore the sustainability of material and resource selections has both immediate and long term affects on the sustainability of a project.

DISCIPLINE: The primary responsible discipline here is the contractor. As the architect is largely responsible for the speci-fication of the materials the onus is largely on the contractor to meet these specifications and manage the materials and resources in constructing the project.

EXAMPLE: The choices and actions related to this credit occur very near the end of the design process. In some cases the specification for certain materials occurs at a conceptual level yet the actual material choices are very close to the impend-ing construction process.

NPV: This categorization has an almost immediate payback in a net present valuation. The immediate benefits of choosing nontoxic materials and reducing the impact of construction activity have immediate sustainable gains. PROJECT REVIEW: Final review before construction. Ensure that all components and systems are in place and responsibil-ity for documneting outcomes is verified.

Indicators Expanded | Building Based Rating Systems

Indicators Expanded Cont. | Development Based Rating Systems