1
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Facility Performance Evaluation in
Architecture
T
he US Energy Information Administration in 2016 wrote
that the residential and commercial sectors used 40
percent of total US energy consumption in 2020.
1
In a
combined building sector evaluation by Architecture 2030
(Side Lesson A: Architecture 2030) showing the great inuence
buildings have on energy use, greenhouse gas emissions,
and economic use. Nearly half of all energy and over half
of electricity globally is used to build and operate buildings
2
(Figure 1.1). In fact, two-thirds of the existing building area
will still exist in 2050 and the renovations of those buildings
will only impact a small number of the building stock each
Side Lesson A – 1.1:
Architecture 2030 is a non-
prot, educational institution
established in 2002 in response
to an increased awareness and
concern for worldwide climate
change. It created the 2030
Challenge in 2006 which has
set a goal for zero emissions,
and which has been adopted
by numerous governmental
and architectural rms, and
also the American Institute of
Architects (AIA) (see https://
architecture2030.org/about/).
TRANSPORTATION
23%
INDUSTRY
32%
BUILDING OPERATION
S
OTHER
28%
6%
BUILDING CONSTRUCTION & MATERIALS
11%
Fig 1.1 US CO
2
emissions by sector
Source: Derived from Architecture 2030 (https://architecture2030.org/buildings_problem_why/). Diagrammed by Elizabeth Meyers, 2019
DOI: 10.4324/9780429449703-1
INTRODUCTION
2
Side Lesson B – 1.1:
Benchmarking is a familiar
concept of tracking a building’s
water and energy consumption
and comparing it to the
buildings past performance and
other buildings nationwide.
It compares this consumption
using a standard metric.This
type of comparison inspires
building owners to use energy
eciency upgrades (see www.
energystar.gov/buildings/facility-
owners-and-managers/existing-
buildings/use-portfolio-manager).
year. Increased existing building energy efciency renovations
and the generation and procurement of renewable energy will
be needed to hit emissions reduction targets set by the Paris
Agreement.
3
The high numbers attributed to energy consumption derive
from existing buildings that have been benchmarked (Side
Lesson B: Benchmarking). Mandatory energy benchmarking is
rapidly proliferating in the US. The Institute for Market Research
currently identies areas as ‘benchmarking,’ ‘going beyond
benchmarking,’ and adopting ‘related policies’ (to ensure that
it occurs). In fact, at the end of 2016, 26 cities and 12 states
had requirements for public building benchmarking. In mid-2019,
these numbers increased to 31 cities and 18 states.
4
Following
the lead of Washington and California, many of these states
expanded their policies to include multifamily and commercial
establishments (Figure 1.2).
In addition to the growing stock and an increase in energy
mitigation requirements, buildings are being designed or rede-
signed concurrently to measure sustainable benets in terms of
their impact on human health, environment, and cost implica-
tions. Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE), also known as Facility
Performance Evaluation (FPE), is dened by the National Institute
of Building Sciences as a “continuous process of systematically
Fig 1.2 US cities participating in building benchmarking
Source: Derived from Institute for Market Transformation (www.buildingrating.org/graphic/us-citypolicies-building-benchmarking-
transparency-and-beyond). Diagrammed by Elizabeth Meyers, 2019
INTRODUCTION
3
evaluating the performance and/or effectiveness of one or more
aspects of buildings in relation to issues such as accessibility,
aesthetics, cost-effectiveness, functionality, productivity, safety
and security, and sustainability.”
5
This process improves the
long-term usefulness of a building while decreasing operational
costs and evaluating energy uses by continually collecting
energy and design performance measurements.
Whereas once architects ended their relationships with
buildings upon completion of construction, new roles
encompass a broader range of FPE and verification services
for the buildings they design. Z Smith, director of sustain-
ability and building performance at Eskew+Dumez+Ripple,
believes his firm and many others are starting to see post-
occupancy research and engagement as a learning oppor-
tunity as well a marketing and business opportunity.
6
Firms
like Perkins and Will have their own peer-reviewed research
journal and ten labs which feature evaluations of select
buildings they have designed. HKS offers building evalu-
ations in conjunction with CADRE (Center for Advanced
Design Research Exploration), a non-profit research group
established by the firm that conducts intensive research pro-
jects focused on enhancing human and organizational well-
being.
7
SmithGroup architect Greg Mella has been tracking
their award-winning Brock Center’s energy and water use
beyond the 12-month period required by the Living Building
Challenge (Side Lesson C: The Living Building Challenge),
because maintaining net zero design, understanding build-
ing performance, and aspiring to net positive aligns with the
goals of both his firm and his own knowledge.
8
According
to a survey of sustainability leaders from 29 mid-size and
large architecture firms in the United States and Canada,
two-third currently conduct some type of facility evaluation.
9
Moreover, almost all respondents say they would like to
complete POEs for a majority of their projects in the near
future. The document also indicates that of all the clients
who have requested or desired applying post-construction
evaluation to their facilities, the higher education indus-
try demonstrated the most interest in an evaluation of the
performance of their existing buildings. This may be due
to many factors: the high priority of enrollment, the dete-
rioration of historic facilities on many campuses, a lack of
personnel with the requisite experience, funding, skill or
knowledge in how to track the performance, or the absence
of a performance feedback mechanism.
Becoming aware of such simple practical measures via a
performance evaluation should be learned in the foundational
curricula of emerging building professionals. Buildings which
students occupy daily as a part of their scholastic experi-
ence on campus benet that institution and begin to foster
a win-win cycle of analysis, documentation and feedback to
fulll new net zero and sustainability requirements of the
building industry. Using campus facilities as educational tools
has grown to be a popular trend among universities across
the country.
Side Lesson C – 1.1:
The Living Building
Challenge is a set of
performance standards
created by the International
Living Building Institute
to ensure the construction
of sustainable and green
buildings (see https://
living-future.org/basics/).
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