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Buildings’ obsolescence and inefficient use can be prevented by designing general and adaptable plan layouts. General plan layouts accommodate different needs without being altered, while adaptable plan layouts can be easily altered thanks to, for example, demountable walls. A design-support method to quantify the generality and adaptability of plan layouts is the Spatial Assessment of Generality and Adaptability (SAGA) method Herthogs (Doctoral thesis. Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, 2016 [1]). To the knowledge of the authors, SAGA has not been used yet in a real design assignment. To understand how the method can support architectural decisions in a real design process, we applied an adapted version of SAGA in the transformation of a Brussels row house. In this paper, we describe the method’s relevance in validating the architect’s intuition by comparing the results of the method on the initial and future states of the house. Secondly, we evaluate the method’s added-value to guide the optimization of the plan layout, by comparing the future state with three alternative plan layouts. In this case, the architect considers the quantitative assessment as useful to evaluate and improve his architectural design, but the results are hardly interpretable without prior expertise. In conclusion, the method has potential in validating design choices fostering general and adaptable plan layouts. Depending on the expertise of the assessor, it can also support the optimization of the plan. In the future, implementing automatic checks or suggestions could bypass this reliance on expertise.
Camille Vandervaeren; François Denis; Waldo Galle; Niels De Temmerman. Challenging Architectural Design Choices with Quantified Evaluations of the Generality and Adaptability of Plan Layouts. Blockchain Technology and Innovations in Business Processes 2020, 161 -171.
AMA StyleCamille Vandervaeren, François Denis, Waldo Galle, Niels De Temmerman. Challenging Architectural Design Choices with Quantified Evaluations of the Generality and Adaptability of Plan Layouts. Blockchain Technology and Innovations in Business Processes. 2020; ():161-171.
Chicago/Turabian StyleCamille Vandervaeren; François Denis; Waldo Galle; Niels De Temmerman. 2020. "Challenging Architectural Design Choices with Quantified Evaluations of the Generality and Adaptability of Plan Layouts." Blockchain Technology and Innovations in Business Processes , no. : 161-171.
A possible design strategy to improve the sustainability of building products is facilitating their future reuse. This strategy inspires some manufacturers to design innovative products, such as reusable façade products. Although these products might have a higher environmental impact for production, their reusability could lead to an environmental saving from a life cycle perspective. A possible method to evaluate their environmental performance is life cycle assessment (LCA). Nevertheless, LCA studies of reusable products are still rare. Furthermore, although the general LCA frameworks is fixed by ISO and CEN standards, some methodological choices must still be made by LCA practitioners. This paper first presents a method (as four methodological choices) for a parametric life cycle assessment of reusable building elements. Then, this method is applied to a comparative LCA of reusable and brick-and-mortar veneers. With proposed method, the reusable brick veneer is environmentally advantageous if it is reused at least once and if it is properly recycled at its end-of-life. The parametric method also indicates the relative influence of various parameters such as reuse rate, number of interventions, transport distances and waste treatment. The manufacturers can use this LCA study as a retrospective assessment to validate the relevance of design choices, but also as target-driven product management support to know hot-spots in the product' life cycle management. This study will hopefully inspire other designers and manufacturers and accelerate the transition towards a sustainable built environment.
C Vandervaeren; Waldo Galle; N De Temmerman. Parametric life cycle assessment of a reusable brick veneer. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science 2019, 323, 012137 .
AMA StyleC Vandervaeren, Waldo Galle, N De Temmerman. Parametric life cycle assessment of a reusable brick veneer. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science. 2019; 323 (1):012137.
Chicago/Turabian StyleC Vandervaeren; Waldo Galle; N De Temmerman. 2019. "Parametric life cycle assessment of a reusable brick veneer." IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science 323, no. 1: 012137.
Design for Disassembly (DfD) is a promising design strategy to improve resource efficiency in buildings. To facilitate its application in design and construction practice, specific assessment tools are currently being developed. By reviewing the literature on DfD, including criteria and assessment methods, and with an explorative research approach on simple examples, we have developed a new method called Disassembly Network Analysis (DNA) to quantify the impact of DfD and link it to specific design improvements. The impact of DfD is measured in material flows generated during the disassembly of a building element. The DNA method uses network analysis and Building Information Modeling to deliver information about flows of recovered and lost materials and disassembly time. This paper presents the DNA method and two illustrative examples. Although DNA is still at a preliminary stage of development, it already shows the potential to compare assemblies and supports better-informed decisions during the design process by detecting potential points of improvements regarding waste generation and time needed to disassemble an element.
François Denis; Camille Vandervaeren; Niels De Temmerman. Using Network Analysis and BIM to Quantify the Impact of Design for Disassembly. Buildings 2018, 8, 113 .
AMA StyleFrançois Denis, Camille Vandervaeren, Niels De Temmerman. Using Network Analysis and BIM to Quantify the Impact of Design for Disassembly. Buildings. 2018; 8 (8):113.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFrançois Denis; Camille Vandervaeren; Niels De Temmerman. 2018. "Using Network Analysis and BIM to Quantify the Impact of Design for Disassembly." Buildings 8, no. 8: 113.