The indispensability of good operation & maintenance (O&M) manuals in the operation and maintenance of low carbon buildings

Increase in energy usage, particularly from fossil fuel sources is widely understood to be responsible for the environmental problems (Climate Change) experienced globally today. Response to mitigating this anthropogenic induced consequence created the need for innovative low carbon and renewable technologies in buildings. In the UK presently, every new building is expected to be low-carbon and energy-efficient. However, it is widely acknowledged that significant differences often exist between designed and in-use performances of the buildings. Clients and end-users of these technologies appear not to be getting long term value for their investments; much attention has not been given to how these innovative technologies can be operated and maintained long into the future. Recent researches also underpin the fact that the wide information gap existing between designers and building end-users is one of the factors responsible for the performance-gap. This paper therefore presents excerpts of a research aimed at exploring a best practice approach to operability and maintainability of low-carbon-buildings. The research methodology involved the use of interviews, surveys and case study. Findings suggest that a properly prepared O&M manual is a potential document that that could bridge this gap and that it is an indispensable tool for the effective and efficient operation and maintenance of low carbon buildings

Beyond words: Aesthetic knowledge and knowing in design

Aesthetic knowledge comes from practitioners understanding the look, feel, smell, taste and sound of things. It is vital to work in many organizational contexts. In this paper, we explore aesthetic knowledge and knowing in organizations through detailed observation of design work in the architectural practice Edward Cullinan Architects. Through our research, we explore aesthetic knowledge in the context of architectural work, we unpack what it is, how it is generated, and how it is applied in design projects, shared between practitioners and developed at the level of the organization. Our analysis suggests that aesthetic knowledge plays an important part in organizational practice, not only as the symbolic context for work, but as an integral part of the work that people do. It suggests that aesthetic reflexivity, which involves an opening up and questioning of what is known, is experienced as part of practice as well as a `time out' from practice

Building information modelling to cut disruption in housing retrofit

There is a large stock of solid-wall homes in the UK with poor thermal insulation and low energy performance. Although the UK government has supported efforts to improve these buildings, the identification of appropriate technical solutions that effectively improve the existing stock remains challenging. This research investigates how four dimensional building information modelling (4D BIM) could improve the retrofit of social housing, specifically that of ‘no-fines’ solid-wall homes, through the development of what-if scenarios that enable the analysis of alternative solutions considering costs, energy performance and disruption to users. This paper focuses on the use of 4D building information models to evaluate disruption to end users. The results indicate that the development of such models supports a better understanding of the retrofit process on site. It also supports the definition of production plans with as minimal disruption as possible to users while delivering energy-oriented and cost-effective solutions

Managing institutional fragmentation and time compression in post-disaster reconstruction - the case of Bam

Several studies have revealed the difficulties often found in defining stakeholders’ roles in post-disaster reconstruction projects. Insufficient and ill-timed collaboration are typically identified as the principal source of problems. Borrowing the concept of Institutional Fragmentation (IF) from the field of project management, this paper examines significant obstacles to collaboration and to sharing knowledge and experience in post-disaster reconstruction projects, revealing the causes and effects at four levels of fragmentation: the construction industry, project procurement, design and construction work. The case of the reconstruction program conducted after the 2003 earthquake in Bam (Iran), illustrates these different levels of fragmentation and their short and long-term impacts. Results show that three of the four levels of fragmentation caused unexpected outcomes during program implantation and afterwards; fragmentation increased the divergence between the many stakeholders with their interests and expectations, during and after their intervention. Conflict and confrontation between two controller organizations led to an excessive emphasis on technical requirements at the expense of heritage preservation. Results also explain how specific conditions after the disaster - such as lack of time coupled with socio-political pressures - increased fragmentation. Post-disaster reconstruction projects require systematic and comprehensive procurement to cover the interfaces that will enable tasks to be conducted effectively. The study proposes a conceptual approach to fragmentation that can help academics, practitioners, and decision-makers understand the origins and consequences of institutional fragmentation on the timely use of resources, and to develop governance structures and mechanisms that can help reduce it in post-disaster reconstruction initiatives

Safety and security in housing design A guide for action

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre- DSC:q91/09173(Safety) / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

[catalog] Palladian design : the good, the bad and the unexpected /

More than 400 years after his death, Andrea Palladio (1508-80) remains one of the most influential architects of all time. This catalogue explores how the design principles of Palladio have been interpreted, copied and re-imagined across time and continents in very different ways since his death, and how they continue to inspire architects today. It includes previously unexplored works that put Palladio in a new social context and brings out unexpected stories about the impact of his legacy on functionality and style. It also questions how a style and an approach to architecture that Palladio intended to be democratic is now associated with wealth.Published by RIBA ... on the occasion of the exhibition Palladian design - the Good, the Bad and the Unexpected, 9 September 2015 - 9 January 2016, the Architecture Gallery at RIBA.Includes bibliographical references.Palladio, Palladianism, Palladians / by Guido Beltramini -- Palladianism: a project of radical discontinuity / by Pier Vittorio Aureli -- Cyma recta: Palladianism and the everyday / by Daniel Maudlin.More than 400 years after his death, Andrea Palladio (1508-80) remains one of the most influential architects of all time. This catalogue explores how the design principles of Palladio have been interpreted, copied and re-imagined across time and continents in very different ways since his death, and how they continue to inspire architects today. It includes previously unexplored works that put Palladio in a new social context and brings out unexpected stories about the impact of his legacy on functionality and style. It also questions how a style and an approach to architecture that Palladio intended to be democratic is now associated with wealth

Of collaboration or condemnation? Exploring the promise and pitfalls of architect-consultant collaborations for building performance simulation

This paper examines collaborative relationships between architects and energy consultants, for the uptake and use of building performance simulation (BPS). BPS is thought to hold massive potential for the AEC industry, by allowing professionals to quantify impacts of architectural design-decisions. However, a number of technical barriers are widely-cited in the literature preventing the uptake of these tools. Instead, many architects collaborate with consultants for BPS uptake. It is hereby proposed that alongside technical barriers, additional non-technical barriers may arise when architects and consultants collaborate as a consequence of worldview differences. To enable exploration of potential barriers, the context of BPS is observed from a social lens focusing on the human dimension of interaction. Qualitative methods from the social sciences are used to extract some barriers; and a quantitative follow-up is performed to ascertain whether extracted barriers are similarly perceived amongst a larger sample of architects and consultants. Barriers identified include: negotiating control over decision-making, differences in problem-solving approaches, cliental roles and regulatory frameworks, professional trust and communication. Identification of these barriers constitutes a starting point to advance BPS research, encouraging a deeper examination of the social contexts in which BPS is used