Energy efficiency is just one of the many criteria that could be used, as 'footprints' are being adapted to measure the impacts of buildings in terms of carbon emissions, water and energy consumption.
In other words, how distant we are from considering all the aspects related to the consumption of resources in the 'sustainability' equation of our building stock? Could this be delivered through a unified indicator?
Are you aware of cases where these techniques have been applied in real urban and regional planning policies, plans, and programs?
Thank you for your suggestions.
I think you need to be clear if you are intending to 'measure' something, or 'monitor' it. The distinction: a 747 has 140+ indicators in the cockpit that monitor how the airplane is flying. Not one of them is the length of the plane, yet that measurement was critical in the design of the aircraft. Are you trying to design the plane, or fly it?
If you are trying to 'design the plane', then you need to use the units of measure for Sustainability, not indicators of Sustainability. The semantics matter.
The work I've done will provide an approach to finding the units of measurement, but I think you may need to go farther than I have. You may want to use Resources, Time Use, and Effectiveness to truly capture the 'importance' of architecture. Thus, you would have units of min d-1 gHa-1, and (I think, I'm still working on this step) a unitless ratio of the time spent meeting needs over the time spent meeting needs if all needs were met.
Conference Paper Towards Engineering for Sustainability
I think you need to be clear if you are intending to 'measure' something, or 'monitor' it. The distinction: a 747 has 140+ indicators in the cockpit that monitor how the airplane is flying. Not one of them is the length of the plane, yet that measurement was critical in the design of the aircraft. Are you trying to design the plane, or fly it?
If you are trying to 'design the plane', then you need to use the units of measure for Sustainability, not indicators of Sustainability. The semantics matter.
The work I've done will provide an approach to finding the units of measurement, but I think you may need to go farther than I have. You may want to use Resources, Time Use, and Effectiveness to truly capture the 'importance' of architecture. Thus, you would have units of min d-1 gHa-1, and (I think, I'm still working on this step) a unitless ratio of the time spent meeting needs over the time spent meeting needs if all needs were met.
Conference Paper Towards Engineering for Sustainability
We have a standard for assessing existing buildings
https://www.carbontrust.com/client-services/advice/business-advice/low-carbon-workplace/
which might be of use - they may give you a copy for research purposes if you ask!
I don't believe there is a unified way to measure the broader in-use sustainability issue (GHG, water, energy etc.) as buildings vary so much physically (age, materials, fuel types, location-based water stress), intended purpose and management system (e.g. owner-occupier, tenants, shared spaces).
I am afraid that I may not be able to contribute completely in this matter but I feel like I could add a suggestion or another way of thinking on the topic.
Something else to consider would be the relation to decay. Materials off gas and fall apart or they combine with the conditions of the area to speed up the process or to create a poison. Sometimes the materials actually used in the architecture, although great for long lasting built environments, are actually toxic to the people living on the located site.
I also feel that the "footprint" could be measured by usage. Was every part of the space utilized to the fullest? If the building changed functions, how has it coped with the new usage despite the original purpose? Was the "footprint" economical in design? Would it be worth it in the long run to upkeep a building because it works so well or is it necessary to upkeep it to modify? (I hope this made sense).
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