This thesis is an exploration of how to do sustainable development for buildings, especially during the earliest stages of such development. The thesis starts by considering clear definitions of sustainability, development and sustainable development as these concepts apply to organizations in general and as they apply specifically to the charity All Our Relations (AOR) and their community of the Region of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada. Three critical challenges to the process of development are also discussed in these early chapters, namely assessment, vision and feedback. In the third chapter, these same challenges are put under the lens of sustainable development and three new, but related, challenges of connection complexity, shared futures and resilience are examined to better understand the problems and solutions that surround them. At the end of this broad introductory section, AOR’s relationships with the community are explored as part of their efforts to draft an organization-wide sustainability plan. The second part of the thesis is an attempt to apply and expand on the general ideas from the first half through a focus on buildings and specifically the building of AOR’s planned Hospice and Retreat Centre in Bloomingdale, Ontario. As part of the focus on sustainable buildings, the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED™) system of assessing building impacts is presented and critiqued. As part of a focus on building developments the earlier challenges of assessment, vision and feedback are revisited as they apply to the concept design phase of the typical building design. The final three chapters of the thesis are a synthesis of all the previous chapters and the formal presentation of the case study concept development for the AOR building. A full summary of all previous definitions are presented and the final definition of sustainable building development is expressed as a culmination and extension of its parts: Sustainable building development is a process of creating space-for-use which recognizes both the importance of space in our lives and the impact that developing that space has on our greater goal to pursue sustainability. Potential critiques of this definition are discussed and two methods of engaging in the difficult challenges of sustainable building development are presented: the decider’s dilemma and the life-cycle-service-network model of connection complexity. Finally, the case study use of LEED as a guide for doing sustainable development in buildings is contrasted against the author’s proposed approaches. Through a series of qualitative and quantitative observations based on the results from the case study design, LEED is revealed as being effective mostly as an early guide, but lacking in the rigor and complexity needed to address properly the challenges of building sustainability.

Sustainable development issues and environmental concerns continue to gain headlines as demand within Canada’s residential construction industry escalates. Current construction practices adhere to traditional methods of construction, with inherent weaknesses such as high labour costs, negative environmental impact during and after construction, and minimal technological advancement. Many programs exist to rate building environmental performance, including Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and Built Green, which are primarily performance-based, not practice-based evaluations. Considerable research has supported these performance ratings; however, there has been very little research in construction practice ratings. Hence, the purpose of the research presented in this thesis is to bridge this gap by proposing a construction practice rating program in order to challenge builders’ claims of being sustainable. Although rating programs should include measurements of both performance and practice—given that great performance does not equal great practice, particularly if the standard of performance achievement is low, current programs are based on performance alone. The goal of this thesis is to enhance the sustainability of the residential construction practice through the incorporation of sustainability evaluation rating tools. To achieve this goal, a framework has been developed which encompasses sustainability rating tools that include an integrated construction practice rating program, an application of Building Information Modeling (BIM) for carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions quantification, and implementation of a mathematical linear optimization model as a tool that minimizes cost while incorporating user-defined preferences and numerous environmental criteria under a green building rating system. CO2 emissions of various house construction stages are quantified and utilized in a 3D BIM. Application of the proposed framework is demonstrated in a case study with findings that show the weak results of sustainability ratings for a particular home builder. Hence, the findings in this research demonstrate a residential builder’s ability to measure his sustainability efforts and enhance construction practices based on a rating analysis. The introduction of BIM for quantifying emissions in the construction process is found to be of significant value. / Construction Engineering and Management

Thesis (M.E.S.)--Evergreen State College, 2009. / "May, 2009." Title from title screen (viewed 4/15/2010). Includes bibliographical references (leaves 49-53).

The attention on green building is driven by the desire to reduce a building’s running cost over its entire life cycle. However, with the use of sustainable technologies and more environmentally friendly products in the building sector, the construction industry contributes significantly to sustainable actions of our society. Different certification systems have entered the market with the aim to measure a building’s sustainability. However, each system uses its own set of criteria for the purpose of rating. The primary goal of this study is to identify a comprehensive set of criteria for the measurement of building sustainability, and therefore to facilitate the comparison of existing rating methods. The collection and analysis of the criteria, identified through a comprehensive literature review, has led to the establishment of two additional categories besides the 3 pillars of sustainability. The comparative analyses presented in this thesis reveal strengths and weaknesses of the chosen green building certification systems - LEED, BREEAM, and DGNB.

This Thesis is aimed at evaluating the options of renovation for an existing residential building to make it more energy efficient. The various aspects in the basic structures of residential homes are discussed in order to help the user identify the areas of the house for which renovation is required to improve the energy efficiency of the building. These aspects include doors, roof and wall in addition to various systems of electrical wiring, mechanical systems of ventilation, heating and cooling and plumbing systems for the efficient flow of water throughout the house. The renovation options have been described in detail to provide as many possibilities to the user as possible. The building taken for renovation is a 1953 suburban home which has been awarded the honor of being the first building to be labeled as Zero Energy Home in its vicinity. This has made the home so efficient that its expenditure of energy has become equivalent to its energy generation, therefore, cancelling each other out and creating an estimate of zero energy.

The thesis begins with a discussion of the concept of sustainability, green buildings and the traditional valuation approach. Then valuable information are extracted from the reports of IMMOVALUE project, which is aiming to improve the market impact of energy certification by introducing energy efficiency and life cycle cost into property valuation practice. A survey collecting Swedish valuers‟ opinion towards the sustainability issue is implemented and some results from early surveys are also employed for exploring this research area.Energy efficiency/Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is a breakpoint for the integration of green issues into property valuation practice. This is the most feasible way to quantify the effects of green features into property. Some modified methodologies based on the three traditional valuation approaches are proposed and the income related approach is the most suitable one here. For a good market acceptance of green buildings, the valuation of green issues must be taken.At the very early stage of the process of integrating green features into property valuation, this thesis explores the result from IMMOVALUE project and other researches. A close review of the process has been made and this may give valuers guidance of how to take green features into account not only in a qualitative, but also in a quantitative way.

Abstract does not copy

The current paradigm in the field of architecture today is one of degeneration and obsolete building technologies. Regenerative architecture is the practice of engaging the natural world as the medium for, and generator of the architecture. It responds to and utilizes the living and natural systems that exist on a site that become the “building blocks” of the architecture. Regenerative architecture has two focuses; it is an architecture that focuses on conservation and performance through a focused reduction on the environmental impacts of a building. This paper introduces regenerative architecture as a means for architectural design. I present the Nine Principles of Regenerative Architecture and Place Analysis Criteria, which I developed in order to provide a logical and succinct means for creating regenerative architecture. These are employed and embedded in the creation of the R_Urban Intervention Dwelling model and tested on the Coop House design project. The result was an architectural design in which the Nine Principles of Regenerative Architecture are embodied through the application of the Place Analysis Criteria process. Though the process underwent many mutations through its infancy, the final product has proven to work in producing successful and potentially regenerative architecture as described in part 1 of this paper.

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