bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
HVAC Ventilation Strategies: The Contribution for Thermal Comfort, Energy Efficiency, and Indoor Air Quality
Authors: Varodompun Jatuwat , Navvab Mojtaba
Published: February 2010

In Heating Ventilating and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems, ventilation strategies impact building energy consumption, occupants' thermal comfort and Indoor Air Quality (IAQ). Ventilation strategies such as Mixing Jet Ventilation (MJV), Displacement Ventilation (DV), and Impinging Jet Ventilation (IJV) are operated on the different principals. MJV relies on dilution, while DV and IJV rely on both dilution and stratification. Due to climatic variation, ventilation strategies must be operated under different cooling and heating load scenarios. Typically, each ventilation strategy controls the indoor environment through a single adequate flow rate with suitable supply parameters such as temperature, pollutant concentration, vapor, velocity, etc. Hence, the indoor thermal and IAQ condition are independently impacted. A room with excellent thermal condition is possible to have poor IAQ. Given this limitation, vast air flow variables, and occupants' activities, the performances evaluation of these strategies are complicated. In this study, three ventilation strategies, MJV, DV, and IJV are thoroughly investigated. The Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation was mainly utilized to handle the complexity of this study. The parametric studies of 48 CFD simulations are presented. Referring to ASHRAE RP-1133, the experimental data from a specially built HVAC-IEQ laboratory was used to validate the CFD data. The research results indicate both advantages and disadvantages in all three strategies. In addition, there is no single strategy that can perform excellently in all indexes. Using the well-known index called ventilation effectiveness (VEF), DV performs outstandingly. However, under a newly proposed index called ventilation performances, DV fails because the stratification discomfort exceeds 36% of room area. MJV suffers from low VEF and excessive draft. However, the IAQ of MJV is not as poor as expected. IJV can be an alternative especially for space where sleeping and sitting activities dominate. IJV can conserve HVAC energy, while maintaining good IAQ. Compared to DV, although VEF is lower, stratification discomfort is minimized to 24%–12% (depending on supply velocity). Overall, this study demonstrates that ventilation strategies are the key to enhance IAQ. Therefore, the utilization of an appropriate ventilation strategy might increase, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) score, particularly for Indoor Environmental Quality, Innovation and Design Process, and Energy and Atmospheric categories.
Preliminary Study of Green Design and Project Delivery Methods in the Public Sector
Authors: Bilec Melissa , Ries Robert
Published: February 2010

The selection of the project delivery method (PDM) for any project is critical—it establishes the communication, coordination, and contractual interfaces between the owner, contractor, and designer. With an increase in the number of green design projects, understanding the relationship between the PDM and green design is paramount to project and contract management. While it is reasonable to assume that a relationship between green design and design-build (DB) exists since both theoretically are intended to foster an integrated, holistic, team-based collaborative project; it is also appropriate to understand the relationship between green design and other PDMs. This preliminary research examined possible relationships between design-bid-build (DBB), construction management (CM), and DB PDMs and green design with the goal of beginning to identify potential positive correspondence between them. To develop an initial understanding, two main tasks were completed. First, existing published research was evaluated to reveal aspects of projects and PDMs independent of green design. Second, the research collected primarily qualitative information by conducting structured interviews with approximately twenty-five individuals, including owners, contractors, and designers involved in completed green design projects, mainly in the public sector. Upon completion of the structured interviews, responses from the interviews were reviewed for green design project characteristics. Additionally, the interviews provided insight on the initial understanding of the current state of knowledge and experience in green design and PDMs. After the two main tasks were completed, both were evaluated for commonalities. Preliminary results found that seven green design project characteristics emerged that in some cases related to a specific PDM, but in other cases were independent of a PDM. Future research will quantitatively investigate the relationship between green design projects, PDMs, and success factors.
Automated Material Selection and Environmental Assessment in the Context of 3D Building Modelling
Authors: Seo Seongwon , Tucker Selwyn , Newton Peter
Published: February 2010

There is significant scope for increasing the performance of commercial buildings across all dimensions of sustainability. For this to be realised, however, requires the development of more advanced real time assessment systems which provide automated eco-efficiency performance checking direct from 3D CAD as a regular and integral part of the design process rather than in late or post-design where options are more restricted. An integrated approach to directly link choice of materials and their environmental impacts with 3D CAD model object-oriented files containing significant building information, has been developed by the Cooperative Research Centre for Construction Innovation as a first step in this process. From 3D CAD objects, the system called LCADesign* automatically obtains the quantities of all building components associated with the selected products, calculates a complete inventory of constituents of building products, and links these to a Life Cycle Inventory database of building materials. The Life Cycle Inventory database includes all resource usage and emissions to the environment from the extraction of raw material resources, through their manufacture, transport, use, recycling, and maintenance. A number of performance assessment indicators can then be used to compare options in the choice of materials or design. An application to a commercial building project in Melbourne, Australia is provided to illustrate the potential of virtual building modelling.
Architectonic Studies with Selected Reflector Concentrating Solar Collectors
Authors: Goodman Joel H
Published: February 2010

Solar concentrating collectors with reflectors are a developing technology for thermal applications that can be useful to avoid fossil fuel greenhouse gas emissions, reduce demand for imported fuels and lessen biomass burning. The selected reflector concentrators for building integration studies are: fixed nonimaging compound parabolic concentrator (CPC) E-W line troughs, (building interior with evacuated tubes [ET] for the Temperate Zone, and exterior for the Tropics) with N-S involutes and adjustable end “wall” reflector options; and two-axis tracking small heliostats central receiver tower systems. When these reflector concentrating collector systems are integrated within building form, structure, and site planning, they are one of the main organizing design influences—an essential aspect of conceptual design. Schematic architectonic design studies are presented for mid temperature process heat applications beyond temperatures delivered with typical flat-plate thermal collectors (>≈80°C/176°F). Relations between: solar collector technologies, CPC optical characterization, daylighting, building structure, construction, site planning, and interior space usage are discussed for selected building types. These include CPC solar community and institutional kitchens for the Tropics, and house-size verification facilities with building interior ET and reflectors for the Temperate Zone.
Green Construction: Contractor Experiences, Expectations, and Perceptions
Authors: Ahn Yong Han , Pearce Annie R
Published: February 2010

As the benefits of green building continue to change the Architecture/Engineering/Construction industry and the number of green projects rises in the United States due to market changes, more construction firms are gaining experience with this new way of building and changing their expectations for new hires from degree-granting construction programs. This paper documents a baseline study of contractor experiences, expectations, and perceptions associated with green building conducted in Fall 2006. The study was based on detailed survey results from 87 different companies recruiting from three major university construction programs in the eastern United States (Auburn, Purdue, and Virginia Tech). The survey collected data regarding current experience levels and capabilities of companies with regard to green construction, corporate expectations of new hires in terms of green construction knowledge and skills, and respondent expectations and perceptions about the future of the industry with regard to green projects. The findings of this study support the growing importance of green building as a component of the whole construction market and provide a benchmark against which to measure future changes in the industry over time.
LEED–PDRI Framework for Pre-project Planning of Sustainable Building Projects
Authors: Weerasinghe Gamini , Soundararajan Karthik , Ruwanpura Janaka
Published: February 2010

Green buildings help in sustainability, in terms of achieving energy efficiency and minimizing the utilization of natural resources. Additional benefits include long-term sustainable building management and maintenance. There is, therefore, compelling motivation for the building of sustainable projects. This inspiration has led to the development of the leadership in energy and environmental design (LEED) rating systems and projects by the United States Green Building Council and the Canadian Green Building Council. Proper building project management (BPM) of such projects is warranted. Pre-project planning is a crucial part of BPM that ensures delivery and performance of construction projects. Pre-project planning is defined as the process that encompasses all the tasks between project initiation and detailed design. There is a positive relationship between comprehensive pre-project planning and enhanced project performance. Given the motivation for environmentally sustainable projects and proper management of constructing such projects, diligent pre-project planning for such projects is required. This paper investigates the use of the LEED rating system in pre-project planning of sustainable construction projects by developing a matrix that combines the LEED and the Project Definition Rating Index (PDRI) developed by the Construction Industry Institute. The conceptual matrix and its application to a case study demonstrates that the value of linking pre-project planning with LEED to improve the decision making process during planning and designing of building projects to improve sustainability.
Optimization of Aggregate Testing Using Polynomial Regression
Authors: Tam Vivian W. Y , Le Khoa N
Published: February 2010

Recycled Aggregate (RA) has only been used as sub-grade applications, roadwork and unbound materials because it is believed that RA has lower strength and poorer quality than normal aggregate. This paper assesses RA quality by proposing a new testing procedure. The new procedure is developed by using correlation information among the standard twenty three tests commonly employed in the construction industry. Samples of RA from ten demolition sites were obtained with service life ranging from ten to forty years. One additional set of samples was specifically collected from the Tuen Mun Area 38 Recycling Plant, Hong Kong for testing. The characteristics of these eleven sets of samples were then compared with normal aggregate samples. A Vandermonde matrix for interpolation polynomials coefficient estimation is employed to yield detailed mathematical relationships between results of two particular tests, from that redundant tests can be identified. Different orders of interpolation polynomials are used for comparison, hence the best-fit equations with lowest fitting errors from different orders of polynomials can be found. This paper shows that four out of twenty three tests are required in the new testing procedure.
Decision Support Tools for Green Building: Facilitating Selection Among New Adopters on Public Sector Projects
Authors: Keysar Elizabeth , Pearce Annie R
Published: February 2010

Green building is becoming more mainstream in the public sector, especially in federal agencies such as the U.S. Department of Defense, in a large part due to federal policies requiring more sustainable outcomes in the design and construction of public sector projects. These policies challenge contracted design professionals by adding new demands to a process already constrained by limited budgets, multiple objectives, and short time frames. The purpose of this research is twofold: (a) to inventory decision support tools available to aid the green design process, and (b) to investigate approaches for organizing these tools to facilitate tool selection and adoption by designers new to green building. The research approach is based on principles of innovation adoption theory, specifically the constructs of relative advantage and trialability of innovations. The 275 design-related tools examined here address the spectrum of green building concepts and represent a range of applicability to different design tasks. The findings of this research indicate that while considerable investment has been made in developing freely available web-based tools to support design, a relatively small number of those tools are immediately applicable to the task of making Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED) credit determinations for specific projects. The two characteristics of innovations explored in this research provide a basis for explaining some of the anecdotal observations of tools employed in practice, suggesting a need for further research to confirm and extend the findings.
Can Smart Growth Save the Chesapeake Bay?
Authors: Jantz Claire A , Goetz Scott J
Published: February 2010

The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States, and was once one of its most productive. Historically, the Chesapeake supported thousands of migrant and resident species, including oysters, blue crab, shad, herring, and waterfowl. Today the estuary's productivity is a shadow of what it once was. In 1880, for example, the oyster harvest was 120 million pounds, but this declined to a mere 3 million pounds by 2000—and that actually represented an increase from a historic low in 1993. While the native Chesapeake oyster has fallen victim to disease, a major contributing factor to its decline, along with the health of the estuary, has been the loss of habitat from dredging, sediment loading, and increased pollutant levels. Nearly all of the sediment and pollution originates from human activity on the land surface of the Chesapeake's watershed (Figure 1). As population and development continue to grow in the region, pollution from urbanized areas has become an issue of primary concern. Using examples primarily from the Chesapeake Bay region, we discuss how smart growth strategies can contribute to ecosystem restoration, and provide examples of how geospatial technologies have been developed to serve as decision support tools, ending with a summary of some of the challenges that remain for sustainable urban development.
The Elliot Ditch Constructed Wetlands
Authors: Zambo Aaron A
Published: February 2010

The purpose of this experiment was to determine the contaminant load reduction incurred using a constructed wetland with an average hydraulic detention time of five days in treating agricultural runoff. The main contaminants present in the runoff were nitrogen and phosphorus from agricultural fertilizers. The findings of the experiment show that significant contaminant load reduction results can be achieved with a detention time, of as little as five days, in a properly constructed wetland system.
Artful Rainwater Design in the Urban Landscape
Authors: Echols Stuart
Published: February 2010

The idea of artful rainwater design is based on the premise that new stormwater management techniques focusing on non-point source pollution, water balance, and small-storm hydrology can be used to create projects resulting in greater user satisfaction and perceived value. Examination of exemplary artful rainwater designs can provide engaging and useful information to guide designers in their own artful rainwater designs. This article is grounded in case studies of selected artful rainwater designs and offers two concepts to the existing body of stormwater management design knowledge by drawing attention to the valuable project attributes common to artful rainwater design projects, and by clarifying specific project approaches that can enhance the value of stormwater management systems. The article includes specific project examples to illustrate these project attributes and design possibilities. The article concludes by discussing some of the opportunities and challenges faced by those advancing artful rainwater designs.
Measurements of Indoor Air Pollutant Levels in a University Office Building
Authors: Gomes João F.P , Bordado J. C. M , Sarmento Georgina , Dias José
Published: February 2010

This work consisted of a series of determinations performed in typical rooms of a building belonging to the Technical University of Lisbon, which is located in a central urban area of Lisbon. The main objective was to evaluate the Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) of the rooms so that further corrective measures could be taken if unsatisfactory IAQ levels were to be found. Correlations were derived, between indoor and outdoor pollutant concentrations, in order to assess the existence of contaminations coming from outside. Also, correlations were derived between total volatile organic compounds (VOC) concentrations and specific individual organic species measured in the same room. The methodology recorded in this paper is effective to assess compliance analysis of total VOCs, however, it seems somewhat limited to determine specific individual chemical species responsible for obtaining high total VOC concentrations.
Environmental Aspects of Use of Aluminium for Prefabricated Lightweight Houses: Dymaxion House Case Study
Authors: Mrkonjic Katarina
Published: February 2010

The paper evaluates the environmental advantages and disadvantages of use of aluminium as building construction material for prefabrication of lightweight houses, by examining a case study of the Dymaxion House, designed by R. B. Fuller. The Dymaxion House was conceived as autonomous, transportable, lightweight, and disassembling unit. The predominant material in its envelope is aluminium. The production of this material has significant energy costs and environmental impact. However, aluminium is highly recyclable, long-lasting and has good performance characteristics, which, on the long run, diminishes the pressure on the natural resources and allows a significant reduction of quantity of used material. The paper re-evaluates its environmental impact on a larger time scale and takes into consideration all the aspects of its application. In addition, design strategies, (such as “design for disassembly”) of the house are studied. Finally, paper provides some considerations about the “service industry” system, as conceived by R.B. Fuller (and also used nowadays in enterprises such as Interface Inc.), necessary for securing the house manufacturer's responsibility over the entire life cycle of the dwelling, thus guaranteeing high recycling rates.
Making Major Retail Establishments Sustainable: The Case of the Mall at Robinson
Authors: Mehalik Matthew M , Gould Court , Edwards Beth
Published: February 2010

This case serves as a leadership example of what is initially possible for existing mall retail establishments regarding sustainability. The discussion consists of a case study of how a multidisciplinary team of Pittsburgh-regional experts conducted a comprehensive analysis using a systems approach [1] to identify and provide recommendations for sustainable business solutions to benefit a large retail shopping mall in the Pittsburgh Region, The Mall at Robinson. The convening organization for this project was Sustainable Pittsburgh. Findings from the assessment include solutions that will save or make money and increase the mall's effectiveness and resource efficiency. Other impacts include recommendations for becoming better stewards of the environment and community and increasing the mall's public profile. The project approach has been to focus on opportunities for continuous improvement where the interests of people, business, and environment meet.
An Analysis of Variation in the Energy-Related Environmental Impacts of LEED Certified Buildings
Authors: Wedding G. Christopher , Crawford-Brown Douglas
Published: February 2010

The US Green Building Council's (USGBC) LEED guidelines have become the dominant third-party certification program for “green” buildings in the US. Given that buildings use 37% of all energy and 68% of all electricity while contributing substantially to air emission, waste generation, and water consumption issues in the US, one of LEED's purposes is to address the environmental impacts of energy use in buildings. This research analyzes (1) how well the LEED guidelines measure these impacts and (2) which parameters create the most variation among these impacts. Environmental impacts here refer to emissions of carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, mercury, and particulate matter (PM10); solid waste; nuclear waste; and water consumption. Using data from the US Department of Energy, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the US EPA Energy Star program, and the USGBC, among others, models using Monte Carlo analysis were created to simulate the range of impacts of LEED-certified buildings. Various metrics and statistics were calculated to highlight the significance of variation in these impacts. Future research needs and implications of the results for LEED version 3.0 are also discussed.
Complexity of Value Creation in Sustainable Building Design (SBD)
Authors: Vakili-Ardebili Ali
Published: February 2010

Value creation is a significant part of the sustainable building process. To understand the process of value creation, this paper identifies a number of important issues. First, the paper addresses the existence of and identifies reasons for complexity in the process of value creation over a whole lifecycle (WLC). Then, a conceptual framework model is developed and adapted to the WLC in order to monitor building process stages and intervals. Next, the concepts and strategies leading to WLC value maximization are addressed. Finally, a conceptual WLC value creation model is proposed that is based on sustainable building process stages and building asset stakeholders' benefits. The paper indicates how value created is an accumulation of values acquired through various operations over the building WLC.
Alternative Uses for Fossil Fuels
Authors: Sullivan Terry
Published: February 2010

Is it possible to design sustainably using off-the-shelf equipment and fossil fuels? Yes, when designers consider a multitiered approach that considers everything from energy-conscious design to alternative uses of the old standards. Three case studies illustrate how, when alternative systems or fuels may not be readily available or cost-effective, designers can use current/standard technology and fossil fuels that are accessible in order to create sustainable systems. The Ohio Statehouse and Ohio Judicial Center, the Columbus Museum of Art, and Frank Lloyd Wright's Westcott house all presented particular challenges in heating and cooling, yet for these prominent public buildings, efficient and unobtrusive systems were a must.
Storm Water Best Management Practices that Maximize Aquifer Recharge
Authors: Larson Rebecca A , Safferman Steven I
Published: February 2010

This article reviews and provides evaluation guidelines for six major storm water best management practices including bioretention areas, grassed swales/filter strips, infiltration trenches, porous pavement, rain barrels and wet detention ponds. A detailed table allows for quick and easy design comparisons, including a separate table which allows for site specific cost comparisons. A logic diagram is provided as a basic tool for screening the most feasible management practice.
Interdependent Sustainable Innovation Processes and Systems in Dutch Residential Building
Authors: Bossink Bart A.G
Published: February 2010

This paper explores and explains the relationship between interorganizational sustainable innovation processes and the elements of a national sustainable innovation system in building. The literature proposes that this relationship is characterized by mutual reinforcement. This paper integrates the interorganizational innovation process- and the national innovation systems-approach into a new model. A case research project, that covers a sixteen-year period of sustainable innovations in the Dutch residential building industry, investigates the interplay between process and systematic sustainable innovation within the structure of the model. The research project indicates, illustrates, and explains how interorganizational sustainable innovation processes and a national sustainable innovation system in building co-develop in an interactive and mutually reinforcing process. In this process, the national system for sustainable innovation in building provides the structure in which the interorganizational sustainable innovative building processes develop. Simultaneously, the interorganizational sustainable innovative building processes stimulate the development of a national system of sustainable building innovation.
Sustainable Value on Construction Projects and Lean Construction
Authors: Bae Jin-Woo , Kim Yong-Woo
Published: February 2010

Lean production is a systemic approach to meeting customer expectations, whatever they value, by reducing waste. At first glance, lean then could only contribute to sustainability, while sustainability is achieved only if the customer values sustainability. The paper has two objectives. One is to examine whether sustainability is feasible using lean production with sustainability as an added value. The second objective is to examine how current lean construction tools and methods impact the construction and operation of sustainable facilities. The authors also suggest how these lean construction tools and methods have evolved to contribute to green construction. For this study, the authors interviewed lean adopters and conducted literature surveys on lean principles and methods, and its impacts on the economic, social and environmental sustainability.
Hybrid Ventilation in the Harm A. Weber Academic Center: A Late-Summer Case Study
Authors: Ahmann Dianne , Durston Lee
Published: February 2010

Passive ventilation employs a set of strategies, potentially including building shape, internal configuration, orientation, aperture size and position, and microclimate design, to direct air through a building without the assistance of fans or pumps. Passive ventilation has received widespread attention in green building design, particularly in mild climates, because of its great potential to reduce cooling costs. The challenge of predicting airflow speed and direction within a building has encouraged development of sophisticated computational simulation tools, and the resulting confidence has, in turn, led to the design of passive and passive/mechanical hybrid ventilation systems in increasingly extreme climates. The Harm A. Weber Academic Center possesses one of the most ambitious hybrid ventilation systems in the world: in the hot continental climate of the midwestern United States, this building integrates passive and mechanical systems into a single network of airflow pathways. Aperture openings for the system are controlled automatically, using information provided by numerous internal and external sensors, such that the building can make use of multiple hybrid modes to utilize the cooling power of outdoor air to the greatest extent possible. During August 2007, shortly after the peak of the local cooling season, when the building was expected to be under mechanical control, this investigation of the airflow and thermal properties of the new building was undertaken to provide useful information about its early performance.
A Proposed LEED Standard for Indoor Acoustical Quality
Authors: Jensen Wayne , Fischer Bruce , Wentz Tim , Camara Germano
Published: February 2010

Acoustical quality of the indoor environment is increasingly being recognized as important in commercial, residential and institutional building design. Unwanted sound is the most prevalent annoyance in many modern structures, leading to increased stress, loss of productivity and decreased quality of life for building occupants. The authors propose a minimum LEED standard for acoustical quality which can be incorporated into initial design or employed as a post-construction evaluation tool.
An Integrated Assessment of the Sustainability of Green and Built-up Roofs
Authors: Muga Helen , Mukherjee Amlan , Mihelcic James
Published: February 2010

There is growing demand to develop methods that integrate environmental and economic assessment of more sustainable technologies incorporated into commercial and residential buildings. In this paper, we incorporate economic and energy use data obtained for a green roof operating in the Midwest U.S. at latitude 42.94N into an integrated approach to estimate and compare the economic and environmental impacts of an intensive (or extensive) green roof with a built-up roof. The life cycle stages included in the analysis were material acquisition life stage which including the transportation effects from material extraction through manufacturing to the finished products, and the use and maintenance life stage of the building. Environmental impact analysis indicates that green roof emits three times more environmental pollutants than built-up roofs in the material acquisition life stage. However, in the use and maintenance life stage, built-up roof emits three times more pollutants than a green roof. Overall, when emissions from both material acquisition life stage and use and maintenance life stage are combined, the built-up roof contributes almost 3 times more (or 46% more) environmental emissions than green roof over a 45-year building life span. Furthermore the overall energy use, specifically energy involved in the transportation from material extraction through to the finished product indicate that green roof uses 2.5 times less energy than a built-up roof. An Economic Input and Output life cycle assessment (EIO-LCA) was used to estimate the environmental impacts. The economic impact over an assumed 45-year building life was determined using life cycle costing, taking into account Net Present Value (NPV) calculations. Life cycle costing results indicate that green roof costs approximately 50% less to maintain over a 45 year-building life than a built-up roof. A Monte Carlo simulation is also performed to account for any variability in cost data. In addition, the paper presents a method to quantify the value incentive that a decision-maker has in adopting green technology. Results from the study indicate that when a green roof is compared to the Midwest regional NPV of a built-up roof, we find that the cost to maintain it ($35 per square foot) lies well below the average regional NPV of $59 per square foot of a built-up roof.
Features and Benefits of Cool Roofs: The Cool Roof Rating Council Program
Authors: van Tijen Michelle , Cohen Rebecca
Published: February 2010

Green buildings incorporate many strategies to reduce energy use and environmental impacts and improve occupant health. Cool roofs are one important green building strategy because of the immense positive benefit they can provide. Cool roofs are not a new phenomenon, but they are essential to the construction and maintenance of energy efficient buildings, and new cool roof technologies give architects more options for both material type and color.
The Human Right to Access Clean Energy
Authors: Tully Stephen
Published: February 2010

This paper proposes the existence of a human right to access clean energy in view of trends favoring greater resort to renewable energy sources within several parallel policy contexts. The existing international framework for the protection and promotion of human rights may be applied to support an entitlement to access energy for individual benefit. However, the application of human rights norms to an appropriate energy source must also be compatible with the contemporary sustainable development agenda. This includes balancing economic development, sustainably using natural resources, environmental protection and poverty alleviation. A human rights approach must also be sufficiently receptive to similarities and differences in the energy strategies of developed and developing States. It is argued that a human right to access clean energy more accurately reflects intergovernmental concerns for both human development and environmental sustainability. While such a right can be employed to satisfy basic human needs, enhance living standards, maintain good human health and alleviate poverty, it can also contribute to the efficient use of existing natural resources, the prevention of climate change and environmental protection.
What Role Place and Localness in the Design of Sustainable Buildings?
Authors: Clarke Dick
Published: February 2010

Is “the new modernism” in domestic architecture—sometimes called “internationalism”—a useful step on the road toward sustainable buildings? Mindless recreations of traditional forms from other times and places are no better, as many writers have noted, but any building's natural and cultural context must play a fundamental role in the design, materials selection, and even the detailing, if sustainability is to be more readily achieved.

The role of place-based planning has been well researched and reported (Clarke 2006; Mant 1998, 2000; NSW Department of Urban Affairs and Planning 2001). Less well understood is the role of “localness” in building design. This informs the overall form of buildings, and their detailing, as well as their technical functionality. A local understanding stems from a sense of materials, climate, and indigenous or local culture, and informs the design process at every level. In this article, the position of internationalist domestic architecture (espoused in glossy architecture publications) is criticised, drawing also on previous research (a case study of the outcomes of a place-based planning instrument, by the author, and a joint paper on locality-based design written jointly with Trevor King). The internationalist design approach is shown not to provide culturally appropriate or technically sustainable buildings.
Should You Put Your Energy Into Green Roofs to Reduce Energy Consumption in Your Building
Authors: Bass Brad
Published: February 2010

Green roofs are touted as an environmental technology for urban areas due to their many benefits (Lundholm et al. 2008). Although the design and the benefits have been reported in many reports and articles, they are reviewed here for those who are unfamiliar with this technology. Green roofs, or more formally, green roof infrastructure, is a technology that allows for the growth of vegetation on a roof while protecting the building envelope from leakage and root penetration. A green roof is more than a layer of soil piled on the roof, planted in the way that you might plant a garden. The technology consists of multiple layers that include the plants and growing medium or substrate, but also a drainage layer for storing water that was not used by the plants and a waterproof, root-repellent membrane (Figure 1).
Checklist for Healthy and Sustainable Communities
Authors: Capon Anthony G , Blakely Edward J
Published: February 2010

This paper describes a 10-point checklist for the planning and development of healthy and sustainable communities. The 10 domains in the checklist are essentially physical characteristics of places. Each domain has relevance to the health of people living in the place, and to the sustainability of the environment. The checklist is intended as a tool for those who plan, develop and manage urban environments. Such tools can be valuable for assessing the health and environmental impacts of decisions made by urban and transport planners, and businesses engaged in land development and infrastructure projects.
A Feasibility Study of Implementing Material Management in Construction: United Kingdom and Hong Kong Empirical Studies
Authors: Tam Vivian W. Y
Published: February 2010

Construction organizations have a common practice to purchase and to deliver required materials to construction sites about one month before activities start. This leads to uneconomical inventory on site and contractors' warehouses. This paper investigates the feasibility in implementing material management in construction. United Kingdom and Hong Kong are selected for the investigation as one has a long implementation period and another one is just implementing material management as noted by interviewed contractors. Questionnaires and structured interviews are conducted. It is found that United Kingdom construction industry benefits are more significant than that in Hong Kong. This can stimulate interests in implementing material management in Hong Kong. Respondents from Hong Kong claimed that their companies will be willing to implement material management where practicable. This study can also help countries currently implementing material management. From that, waste generation can be reduced and a green construction environment can be achieved. Recommendations to improve the implementation are also discussed.
Improving the Link Between the LEED Green Building Label and a Building's Energy-Related Environmental Metrics
Authors: Wedding G. Christopher , Crawford-Brown Douglas
Published: February 2010

The US Green Building Council's (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating program has grown from a little known tool for market change to a label and brand relied upon by many of the largest players in real estate. It now serves as an indicator of sustainability and an instrument for environmental management. While LEED-certified buildings tend to offer greater environmental benefits than their conventional counterparts, research and experience shows that the variation in and magnitude of these benefits varies, even among buildings of the same LEED certification level. In light of growing concerns about “greenwashing” and the liability associated with questionable environmental declarations, it is important to ensure that users of LEED and similar certification programs receive a set of benefits comparable to those expected. With a focus on energy-related issues, this research (1) highlights evidence of the inconsistency between the expected and actual benefits of LEED buildings, (2) suggests revisions to LEED's Energy & Atmosphere (EA) section to reduce the variation and magnitude in the energy-related environmental impacts from LEED buildings, (3) quantifies this reduction in variation and magnitude of impacts using Monte Carlo analyses and probabilistic models created specifically for this research, (4) compares carbon dioxide emissions from LEED buildings to the Architecture 2030 Challenge goals and (5) quantifies the importance of scoring LEED buildings on a per capita normalized basis. This research is a follow-up piece to the authors' previous work published in the Journal of Green Building (Wedding and Crawford-Brown 2007).
SDFlex: A Framework for the Assessment and Construction of Sustainable Flexible Pavements
Authors: Hassan Marwa M
Published: February 2010

There is a growing recognition that highway construction and maintenance have major environmental impacts. Despite the lack of a clear protocol for designing and constructing an environmentally-friendly highway, the industry experimented with sustainable alternatives since the 1970s. With an ultimate goal to develop sustainable guidelines for highway construction practices, this paper presents a general framework for the design and construction of sustainable flexible pavement system. This framework follows a similar approach to the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) methodology by employing a point system to award a rating that quantifies the sustainability of the structure. The proposed framework divides factors related to highway design and construction into six major categories: sustainable sites (eight points), energy efficiency (five points), site air quality (four points), materials (ten points), water efficiency (four points), and innovative and design process (three points). The developed rating framework, referred to as Sustainable Design of Flexible Pavements (SDFlex), may be used to award a certification for sustainable highway design and construction. Different levels of certification may be awarded depending on the total earned credits from the six categories (Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Certified). A maximum score of 34 may be achieved under the aforementioned categories. It is proposed that a highway construction that satisfies the prerequisites and achieves a passing score of 10 be awarded a certified rating. The developed framework takes into consideration available technologies and the nature of the highway industry.
Understanding Innovation for Sustainability within the Australian Building Industry: An Evolutionary Social Learning Model
Authors: Binder Geoffrey
Published: February 2010

This paper argues that within the context of the building sector, inter-organizational relationships are determinants of innovation. To explain the workings of these relationships and their dialectical nature, an evolutionary social learning model is proposed that draws on Vygotsky's (1978) developmental psychology, Bourdieu's (1977) concept of habitus, and Wittgenstein's (1958) insights. A case study of the development of a tool designed to make builders select more sustainable building materials is analyzed to illustrate how the social learning model developed here allows an understanding of innovation. The “EcoSelector” was the tool developed to guide the builders in their selection of materials. The model provides managerial and behavioral insights into groups or individuals seeking to implement innovations in general, and sustainability innovations in particular.
Photovoltaic Hydrogen Production Prototype: Sustainable Energy for Residences
Authors: Roper D. Keith , Trujillo Edward , Bradshaw Rachel
Published: February 2010

Residential use of hydrogen (H2), for utility or personal transportation, is currently limited by economic effectiveness, lack of residential sources, and need for engineering improvements. A modular photovoltaic hydrogen production prototype (PHPP) was constructed to produce three liters of hydrogen per day at standard temperature and pressure with maximum energy and Faraday efficiencies of 75% and 89%, respectively. Producing 3 liters of H2with the PHPP required 2.4 milliliters of distilled H2O and 26 kJ of solar energy and eliminated 1.5 liters of byproduct CO2relative to steam reforming of methane to generate H2. A capital investment of $5,651 to produce 30 liters per day using additional PHPP modules gave a return on investment of 4.2% and a payback period of 7.5 years. Interdisciplinary teams of university and high school students constructed the PHPP and were familiarized with key aspects of sustainable use of hydrogen as an energy carrier. Language and geographical barriers to effective communication and teamwork among the students were met by organizing teams to meet student needs, providing instruction and hands-on training in teamwork and facilitating web-based and in-class interactions. Quantitative ethnographic observation of student interactions showed involving students in lectures and extracurricular presentations and enhancing communication and teamwork with constructive responses to student feedback increased student satisfaction with the experience.
Pervious Concrete Pavement—How Important Is Compressive Strength?
Authors: Marks Andrew
Published: February 2010

As asphalt becomes more expensive and in short supply, and as the need to manage stormwater runoff increases, designers must revisit old assumptions and take a fresh look at how pavements need to work in a sustainable environment, and how to design and specify for them. Pervious pavements are a recent addition to the list of viable paving options, but as yet, there have been few ways to design them and to effectively predict their performance. This article offers some help to accomplish those tasks.
Green Buildings: A Systemic Approach to Sustainable Products and Systems Integration
Authors: Goldberg Louise F
Published: February 2010

This article is not intended as a definitive discourse on the subject of green building design, but rather as an overview of the author's preferences and design practice.
Waste and City Form: Reconsidering the Medieval Strategy
Authors: Sterner Carl S
Published: February 2010

This paper argues that “new” sustainable technologies being used to manage human waste—composting toilets, bioremediation, and biodigestion—are essentially reviving the medieval strategy of waste management: containment and reuse of waste, as opposed to the modern strategy of dilution and evacuation. This debate should not occur in a vacuum, uninformed by the motivations for, and history of, the development of the modern system. Therefore, this paper more closely examines the medieval system, which closely linked waste and agricultural production. It then considers the transformation to the modern system, using the design of Leonardo da Vinci's city of Romorantin as a case study. It is argued that this transformation was largely predicated on now-delegitimized miasmic theory, which held foul or corrupt air to be the cause of disease, and that it precipitated larger changes in the urban environment. In light of this historical view it is suggested that contemporary sustainable technologies imply larger changes in the form of human settlement, and that the nature of these changes must be explored further.
Rapid Urbanization in the Asia-Pacific Region: A Roadmap to 2015 and Beyond
Authors: Lehmann Steffen
Published: February 2010

UNESCO, the UN nodal agency for education, science, culture and architecture, has made sustainability a key topic in its development oriented activities, and has launched a new initiative to address the increasing concern of non-sustainable urbanization which currently occurs in the Asia and Pacific region. It is a region of rapid change, cultural alienation and environmental crisis, with a threatening divide between city and countryside. This paper informs about the interdisciplinary research activities conducted by the newly established UNESCO Chair in Sustainable Urban Development for Asia and the Pacific. The Chair's roadmap for the next ten years to facilitate sustainable urban growth is explored and described in detail.
How Chapman Construction/Design Deep-Greened Its Business by Changing Employee Mindsets
Authors: Dyroff George A
Published: February 2010

Chapman Construction/Design, a construction management firm, infused its entire business with green practices and transformed the way its employees think by engaging them in the process with a fuel-efficient vehicle incentive program, the LEED renovation of its office, and a modern-day “barn-raising.”