This paper proposes a multi-criteria based approach for the analysis of building layouts, from space quality and cost related perspectives. A computational prototype is developed to analyse a building layout from various accessibility related measures in order to evaluate the quality of the building special layout. A case study is used to demonstrate the assessment of a building layout based on...

E to green the building industry are strongly linked to performance metrics such as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). Yet, despite the importance of climate impact as a driver of green building choices, such standards typically address a basket of poorly quantified “green” attributes and, when they do address energy, they focus on conservation rather than carbon emissions so...

Concerns over the energy consumption and environmental impacts of the built environment have been recently growing more than ever. States and local agencies in California make every effort to set rules and regulations to curtail depletion of resources and promote efficient construction and facility management. Policy efforts to deal with these issues have mainly focused on sustainable architect...

Concrete is by far the most widely used construction material worldwide. Its huge popularity is the result of a number of well-known advantages, such as low cost, general availability, and wide applicability. But this popularity of concrete also carries with it a great environmental cost. The billions of tons of natural materials mined and processed each year, by their sheer volume, are bound t...

To improve education regarding sustainability and green buildings, we designed a multiplayer (2–4 people) green building strategy game called GBGame to deliver knowledge of and introduce applied technologies for green buildings. To verify the game’s learning effect, we conducted separate measurements using the ARCS motivation model and a paper-based exam among 72 students majoring in architectu...

Empirical evidence is provided to show that peer effects have statistically significant and positive impacts on the diffusion of green building certificates. Application and approval records of green certificates by commercial buildings in NY and AZ are used. The challenge of self-selection is addressed by the usage of fixed effects and the challenge of reflection is addressed by the time lag d...

a r t i c l e i n f o Green building rating systems Building performance analyses Today, there is a high level of demand for sustainable buildings. The most important decisions regarding a building's sustainable features are made during the design and preconstruction stages. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED ®) is the most widely adopted sustainable building rating system in t...

The environmental movement has emerged as a response to society’s concerns about the sustainability of Earth’s natural resources and the effects of human activity on the environment and on society’s wellbeing. Effects such as deforestation, air and water pollution, and resource depletion have shown to cause a decline in the quality of life of humans. In response, concerned citizens, non-governm...