The UK Green Building Council Task Group has revealed the success factors for delivering building performance in a new report…
How to increasing building performance has been laid out in a new report from the UK Green Building Council (UK-GBC). The report highlights five key success factors, as well as the steps needed to reduce the gap between building design and building performance.
The report, ‘Delivering Building Performance’, provides recommendations for the industry, including adopting kWh/m2 as a means to set common aspirations. This would allow the industry as a whole to share a common language.
Additionally, the Task Group, composed of representatives from the industry, recommended collaborative contracting to ensure performance is guaranteed and control maintained throughout the delivery process
Design should also incorporate performance. The report found performance improved when aspirations “go for the ceiling, not the floor”.
Projects should have a commitment to monitor and feedback. Links should be established between operational facilities management (FM) and the design team, as well as between FM and building occupiers.
Lastly, the report said there should be improved knowledge across the whole value chain that supports good outcomes. This can be achieved by openly sharing knowledge.
Chief executive officer of the UK-GBC Julie Hirigoyen said: “The gap between the design intent of buildings and their performance in operation is significant.
“This means that, as an industry, we’re not only failing to manage our carbon emissions, but we’re also failing to manage our operating costs and we’re compromising our ability to deliver other positive outcomes such as health, wellbeing and productivity for occupiers.
“This report attempts to cut through the complicating noise around this issue. It points to existing tools and simplified processes.
“The challenge will come in our willingness to change as an industry. The UK Green Building Council will continue to provide education and support to those that are willing to take up the challenge.”
The Task Group—which was sponsored by Buro Happold, Saint-Gobain, and Tarmac—comprised of:
• Julian Sutherland, Cundall (formerly Atkins): Project Chair
• Lynne Ceeney, Lytton Consulting: Project Manager on behalf of UK-GBC
• Chris van Dronkelaar, BuroHappold/UCL: Project Researcher
• Mark Allen, Saint Gobain
• John Davies, Derwent London
• Emma Hines, Tarmac
• Judit Kimpian, AHR
• Duncan Price, BuroHappold
• Sarah Ratcliffe, Better Buildings Partnership