Proposals for a UK National Metric Library could provide a structured repository of quantitative and qualitative performance metrics for the built environment, supporting the UK’s net zero ambitions. Paul Dodd of the Scottish Futures Trust explains how it would work
How well our buildings perform has a direct impact on society in terms of social, environmental and economic outcomes. The built environment has entered a period of unprecedented levels of investment and change; however, its associated industries have been historically fragmented and slow to meet this change.
The sector presents one of the biggest opportunities to meet our climate targets, as it accounts for 40% of global energy-related carbon emissions and 50% of all extracted materials. This means that the need to accelerate change in how we deliver tomorrow’s high-performing built environment, that is sustainable, circular and provides high-quality places, has never been more urgent.
How we define and measure the performance of our built environment will help accelerate the transformation we need to see. For example, the introduction of operational energy metrics within Scotland’s Learning Estate Investment Programme has encouraged the industry to come up with innovative approaches to delivering net zero schools.
Across the built environment, clients, industry and academia are exploring new ways to measure performance throughout the asset lifecycle. As the methods of design, delivery and operation of buildings and infrastructure become more complex, so too have the ways in which we define, document and analyse the performance of our assets.
We need to measure so many aspects of our built environment, such as maintenance costs, indoor environment quality, social impact and whole-life carbon, in order to benchmark, learn and improve decisions. New capabilities and technical solutions are developing, providing greater insight into the overall impact of the built environment and, in turn, helping to improve outcomes.
The role of performance metrics
The importance of trusted, aligned and validated processes of measurement will be fundamental to ensure success. We can learn lessons from the automotive industry’s emissions scandal as an example of where performance metrics provided the framework for assessment, but the behaviour of parties never delivered the required outcomes.
The built environment’s approach to performance measurement remains siloed by initiatives, lifecycle stages, thematic areas, industry sectors or geography, which stifles its ability to improve performance.
Greater collaboration, alignment and dissemination of best practice is required to support the ongoing evolution of sector capability, enabling greater performance improvement. Initiatives such as the Construct Zero Performance framework, Transport Infrastructure Efficiency Strategy Living Lab and IPA Construction Metrics are examples of leading practice.
The opportunity exists to simplify how asset owners and industry access these initiatives and whole-life performance metrics through coordinating, hosting and disseminating a national library of performance metrics for the built environment.
UK National Metric Library
In 2019, in partnership with the Construction Innovation Hub, Scottish Futures Trust embarked on a journey to consider the potential benefits of a UK National Metric Library for the built environment that provided the following vision:
“The UK National Metric Library is a national structured repository of quantitative and qualitative performance metrics for the built environment. It will support coordination, innovation, knowledge sharing and dissemination of best practice to improve how we measure sustainable performance across the asset lifecycle.”
An industry working group was set up to explore three options for delivery and make key recommendations for implementation.
In May this year, a strategy paper was published to present initial research on the value of such a library.
The proposed National Metric Library will be a resource and repository for quantitative and qualitative performance metrics, which will be open to all industry and client bodies, and unbiased towards any industry methodologies. A user-friendly digital interface will ensure it will be accessible to all.
With the built environment developing this capability to better understand the whole-life performance of our assets, the National Metric Library will be a resource that supports knowledge sharing and drives forward the change needed to deliver a high-performing built environment for tomorrow. This, in turn, will benefit business, the overall economy, our net zero goals and society as a whole.
Paul Dodd
Senior associate director
Scottish Futures Trust
Tel: +44 (0)131 510 0800
mailbox@scottishfuturestrust.org.uk
www.scottishfuturestrust.org.uk
