Life cycle energy and carbon assessment of double skin façades for office refurbishments

In countries like the UK, the upkeep of existing buildings is where the greatest opportunities for achieving carbon reduction targets lie. Façades are the physical barriers between outdoors and indoors, and their upgrade can arguably be amongst the most effective interventions to improve the existing stock. Double Skin Façades (DSFs) represent a possible solution for low-carbon refurbishment due to their capability to reduce energy consumption, and the related carbon emissions, of the building they are applied to. Although much research exists on maximising the operational energy savings of DSFs, little is known about their life cycle performance. This article addresses such a knowledge gap through a comparative life cycle assessment between DSF refurbishments and an up-to-standard, single-skin alternative. This study adopts a parametric approach where 128 DSF configurations have been analysed through primary data. Energy and carbon (both operational and embodied) are the units assessed in this research. Results show that DSFs are more energy-efficient than single-skin in 98% of the cases, and more carbon-efficient in 85% of the cases. Not only does this study represent the first broad parametric approach to evaluating life cycle energy and carbon of DSFs within its given context, but it also informs environmentally-aware design and application of DSFs

Double skin façade (DSF) technologies for UK office refurbishments: A systemic matchmaking practice

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to establish how UK offices and double skin façade (DSF) technologies can be best matched for refurbishment purposes.Design/methodology/approachThis research uses a mixed methodology including primary and secondary data collection, analysis and interpolation through document analysis, comprehensive critical literature review, and case study approach.FindingsIn total, 22 benchmarks have been developed to represent 75 per cent of the existing office stock in the UK. Through a comparison with 36 case studies of European buildings refurbished with DSFs, two benchmarks showed to be most suitable for a DSF refurbishment and most appropriate configurations for a successful DSF refurbishment have been identified. Findings have been also checked against a large sample of DSF buildings in the UK.Research limitations/implicationsThe benchmarks delivered in this study can be developed further into parametric models, where variations can be obtained by changing the parameters provided. A follow-up study can be designed to help define the exact share of existing stock represented by each benchmark and to foster research where a more typological or statistical approach might be intended.Practical implications– Findings from this research can be of practical use to academics and practitioners alike involved in research related to office refurbishments, DSFs, and the UK existing office stock. The design for this research can also be adapted to similar studies on its own or further developed to suit different contexts.Social implicationsImprovements to existing buildings can preserve established communities, with a clear social advantage.Originality/valueThis paper represents the first attempt to systemically shed light on how existing UK offices and DSF technologies can be best matched in refurbishments. The benchmarks developed, the DSF case studies, and guidelines for suitable DSF technologies in UK office refurbishments represent the original contribution of this research

CO-CREATION OF KNOWLEDGE AND VALUE FOR POST- OCCUPANCY DECISION MAKING

ABSTRACT Capital investment fund for schools increased from £683 million in 1996-97 to £8.2 billion in 2010-2011. Decentralisation, has led to devolving responsibilities to local authorities, bringing along more independence for the schools and at the same time an increase in the number of decision makers with a new set of agendas, criteria, concerns and priorities. School buildings on the other hand are prone to postoccupancy design and alteration. In addition to post-occupancy design decisions, many other operational and maintenance decisions need to be made on a day-to-day basis to ensure that all activities within a premise will be carried out flawlessly. An ongoing research project focuses on post-occupancy design issues in schools in the UK. The research investigates the key factors in post-occupancy performance, in close collaboration with key stakeholders in school projects. It also outlines the maintenance and management of those premises and maps out the flow of information and the exchange of knowledge in this process. Using those findings it will then propose a decision support system to assist schools as well as local authorities in their postoccupancy design decisions. This paper establishes the decision processes and investigates the relationships between the stakeholders and how those may have impacts on the decision processes. The main focus of this paper however, is on the collaborative work processes for all the stakeholders to co-create knowledge and value. Once established it will then be used to devise a decision support system which will act as a permanent hub to facilitate information flow and knowledge exchange for post-occupancy works in school buildings. The paper will conclude with the design criteria for such a platform