Case Studies in Sustainable Design and the Motivation for Enhanced Methods and Tools to Measure Environmental Impact

Inspired by rapid innovation in building technology and correlated advances inenergy performance, architects are turning to emerging technologies with unparalleledenthusiasm to achieve buildings aimed at greater ecological sustainability.But what are the costs – the consequences, perhaps – of these noveland often experimental building materials and methods of assembly? Andhow effectively are they currently being measured and considered alongsidecalculated energy use? Are the prevailing systems of measurement adequate,the industry-leading tools comprehensive enough and readily accessible to studentsand practitioners of architecture to enable truly informed decision-making,inspire knowledgeable adoption of nascent technologies, and ultimatelyinfluence the design and execution of genuinely sustainable buildings?The authors have begun to examine this question through the development ofa more accessible, efficient method of quantitative analysis of constructionmethods, materials, and principles of design; research that is simultaneouslysupported by and motivating the development of a novel digital design andanalysis tool which will enable students and design professionals to empiricallyevaluate and compare the broader impacts of their design decisions at everystep of the building design process. This paper will present a focused series ofcase studies involving both proposed and built projects and empirical materialsand methods analyses carried out using the novel methodology and Tool:How Green Is Gold?Comparative analysis of a new, LEED (gold; 2008) certified institutionalbuilding;The Placebo Effect and LEEDLoyola University of Chicago’s Information Commons (LEED Silver; 2007).What current research – and the tools available to both research and practice– lacks is the ability to holistically measure and evaluate building practices,from the commencement of the design process, to the selection of materials,the methods of their assembly, and the long term implications of one’s designalongside building energy use. As the paper will describe, data collectedfrom case studies generated as part of this research reveal that there existquantifiable differences between newness – in terms of advanced buildingtechnologies and design – and effectiveness, underscoring the need for moreaccessible and effective methods and tools for measuring, evaluating, and promotingthe execution of truly sustainable building design; and inspiring muchneededcritical examination of contemporary “green” building practices, manyof which may be, in fact, completely at odds with long term sustainability.The methodology and prototype tool being developed by the authors is uniquelyfocused on generating specific, objective, quantifiable data capable of describingand comparing the broader implications of decisions made at the veryearliest stages of the design process – and throughout the design process – inorder to positively influence the range of impact that those decisions may haveon the environment. By reaching beyond polemics and positions still groundedon largely aesthetic or stylistic premises, the research intends to expand existingmodes of inquiry and analysis, and aims, ultimately, to influence our abilityto make truly informed design decisions leading to the design and executionof truly sustainable buildings.

Volume Editors
Martha Thorne & Xavier Costa

ISBN
978-0-935502-83-1