Process Indicators to Track Effectiveness of High-Performance Green Building Projects

Abstract

High-performance green buildings, which maximize energy efficiency and indoor environmental quality, require increased collaboration among interdisciplinary professionals during project delivery. Recent theoretical and applied research illuminates the critical role of delivery attributes in performance outcomes. Despite such evidence, rigorous research is still needed to establish links between delivery attributes and performance outcomes in sustainable projects to further motivate owners and project teams to adopt and successfully implement sustainable practices and eventually improve actual energy performance and indoor environmental quality of buildings. This paper used quantitative methods to identify statistically correlated in-process indicators with project performance outcomes such as green level, cost, and schedule in sustainable building project delivery. The sample set used data from two previous studies totaling 51 green-certified building projects. Results yield statistically significant corresponding weightings for 7 to 15 in-process indicators for sustainable building project delivery including setting owner-initiated sustainable goals, having all major project parties attending design charrettes, running energy and lighting simulations no later than the schematics-design phase, adequacy in owner capabilities for scope definition and decision making, selecting contractors from a restrained pool, and enabling contractor involvement in the delivery process no later than the design-development phase. This paper contributes to the body of knowledge by offering statistical evidence underlining the importance of in-process indicators for sustainable building project performance outcomes and proving insights to elevate team integration through the delivery process.