Raymond J. Cole

Life-cycle energy use in office buildings

The total life-cycle energy use is examined in a 4620 m2 (50,000 ft2) three-storey, generic office building for alternative wood, steel and concrete structural systems, with and without underground parking. Detailed estimates are made of the initial embodied energy, the recurring embodied energy associated with maintenance and repair, and operating energy. Based on currently accepted energy performance standards, operating energy represents the largest component of life-cycle energy use. At this time, strategies for reducing the life-cycle energy use should clearly progress first by introducing those design considerations which significantly reduce building operating energy.

ENERGY AND GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THE CONSTRUCTION OF ALTERNATIVE STRUCTURAL SYSTEMS

Abstract This paper provides a detailed examination of the energy and greenhouse emissions associated with the on-site construction of a selection of alternative wood, steel and concrete structural assemblies. The primary objective of the work is to ascertain the relative proportion that the construction process represents of the total initial embodied energy and greenhouse gas emissions and whether there are significant differences between the structural material alternatives.

Building environmental assessment methods: clarifying intentions

The intentions for, and the thinking behind, the Green Building Challenge (GBC) assessment framework and its development are made explicit. This paper disentangles three separate roles for environmental assessment of buildings (stimulating owners to improve a buildings performance, informing decision makers during the design stages and delivering objective measurements of a buildings impact on natural systems). The author provides a number of significant lessons from the development exercise and discusses further implications and directions for developing environmental assessment methods for buildings. A distinction is made between ‘green’ and ‘sustainable’ agendas and their implications for the future development of building environmental assessment methods. This is essential in order to clarify the many roles and applications demanded of these tools. The considerable practical overlap between the ‘green’ and ‘sustainable’ agendas suggests that they can be reconciled within a single tool. ‘Green’ perfo...

Reconciling human and automated intelligence in the provision of occupant comfort

This article explores the relationship between increasing demands for personal control by building occupants and the changing role and expectations of the ‘intelligent’ building. It specifically examines the relationship between human and automated intelligence and how these are manifest in green buildings. Given that comfort expectations and technological prowess are culturally bound, the article contrasts the ways that ‘intelligence’ is evidenced in North American and Japanese green building assessment methods and green building practice. Conclusions reinforce the need to invest greater effort in understanding how buildings actually function and, more specifically, redefine design assumptions regarding the way that occupants engage with buildings and control strategies.

Regenerative design and development: current theory and practice

This notion of regeneration – ‘rebirth’ or ‘renewal’ – has been variously applied in relation to the built environment and the communities it supports following major acts of devastation or when a prior condition had declined to an extent considered ripe for renewal – and, of course, where the commitment has been found to initiate rebuilding. The resulting transformed condition, while embodying traces from its prior condition, is infused with new aspirations and possibilities. Over the past years, however, regeneration has been garnering increasing interest as a means of reframing green building practices and, carrying with it, qualitatively different and broader connotations than that used previously.

Changing context for environmental knowledge

What are the ways that environmental issues have been framed by prevailing societal values and priorities over the last 30 years, and what repercussions have these had for building research and practice? These questions are explored primarily through a review of the critical ideas, positions and agendas as documented in UK and North American building literature. The historical framing reveals a highly dynamic relationship between the proposition and introduction of ideas offered by research and practice, and societys receptivity to them. The environmental debate over the past three decades has shifted from an attitude of ‘survival’ to one of responsibility and stewardship. It is these two notions, along with other developments, that have indirectly shaped environmental policy, building research and practice. The paper concludes by speculating on future technological developments and overarching notions that may shape future environmental attitudes, receptivity and actions.

Evaluating user experience in green buildings in relation to workplace culture and context

Purpose – This paper aims to explore the relationship between green building design and workplace design practice, and to examine the role of organizational culture in shaping design and operation decisions with consequence for user experience.Design/methodology/approach – A literature review and introduction of key concepts establish the foundation for the research and provide a context for interpreting results. Empirical findings are presented from a pre‐ and post‐occupancy evaluation of a companys move to a new headquarters building designed both to shift organizational culture and to meet environmental objectives.Findings – The paper demonstrates that, while there are potentially significant gains to be made from integrating green building with workplace design strategies from the outset, there are many other factors beyond the quality of the space, which may play a role in shaping user experience. Links are drawn between improved occupant comfort, health and productivity in the new headquarters buil...

Environmental auditing for building construction: Energy and air pollution indices for building materials

Abstract The design community has a reasonable understanding of the factors which affect operational energy in buildings and has a variety of computational tools for assessing it. By contrast, the broader environmental consequences of producing and operating buildings are poorly defined. Since operating energy represents the current extent of environmental auditing, a significant advance is to include the energy and emissions associated with the production of construction materials. This paper outlines the key issues associated with environmental assessment of the production and use of materials and presents examples of energy and air pollution audits for four comparable commercial building assemblies with similar thermal resistances.

Theoretical underpinnings of regenerative sustainability

Over the past half century, a discourse emphasizing environmental constraints and limits has both informed and provided many valuable ways of responding to complex environmental problems and has strongly shaped green building practices and associated environmental assessment methods. This paper delineates the concept of ‘regenerative sustainability’ – a net-positive approach to sustainability that is rooted in the notion of ‘procedural sustainability’ and a particular stream of constructivist social theory. The paper contrasts this to the concept of ‘regenerative development and design’ which, although having many commonalities, is based on different philosophical underpinnings. Since the origins of regenerative sustainability and regenerative design lie primarily in the social and ecological domains respectively, understanding their relationship is of importance in formulating approaches for the successful co-evolution of human and natural systems. The paper describes this relationship between regenerative sustainability and regenerative design, including a discussion of some of the key points of convergence and divergence between them, and concludes with an exploration of the practical implications of the regenerative sustainability concept.

Motivating stakeholders to deliver environmental change

This special issue of Building Research & Information is framed around ways of motivating stakeholders directly and indirectly involved with the production and operation of buildings to engage coll...