WG3 – Restorative Building and Operations
WG-Lead: Giulia Peretti, Vice Lead: Carsten Druhmann
Sub-Group Leaders: Martin Brown , Blerta Vula, Suvi Nenonen, Indra Purs
Regenerative Construction and Operation. WG3 Publication
The RESTORE Cost Action publication that records the outputs of the sustainability working group (3) is now available to download here: RESTORE WG3 Booklet.
This publication is the summary of COST Action RESTORE Working Group 3 activities and investigates the implementation in the Building Sector of the theoretical regenerative concepts and the design approaches developed by the Working Groups 1and 2. The main question Working Group 3 faced is how a building can be built, operated and maintained in a regenerative manner. The easiest answer is that this can be achieved through integration of restorative and regenerative principles into the construction and operation process. However, the current state of the art in construction and operation do not include, or only includes partially, sustainable or regenerative values. In regard to Regenerative Construction and Operation, and developing further the theoretical regenerative concepts of Working Group 1 and the design approaches of Working Group 2, a number of gaps, difficulties and opportunities become evident. Barriers can undercut a paradigm shift from the “business as usual” to a regenerative economy, making the realisation of regenerative projects difficult. The need for robust strategies to guide a transition from traditional construction process towards one which incorporates regenerative values is very clear.
This publication collates the thoughts developed by the participants of Working Group 3, investigating and proposing robust approaches helping the paradigm shift, from the procurement to the operation and maintenance phases.
The main part of the publication consists of the reports of the four sub-working Groups:
- Procurement – considering what follows design stage and proceeds construction phase, including bidding, tendering, procurement
- Construction – from the preparation of the site up to the management of the construction site, including materials and technologies used during the construction process
- Use & Operation – starting from the commissioning and going through the operation and maintenance of the building
- Second Life – considering what is happening to the building after its preliminary life, including refurbishment, retrofitting, reuse, adaptation, and in the worst case, demolition and dismantling
These four reports contain a state-of-the-art analysis and analysis for the respective sub-theme, the identified gaps and give an outlook.
The report is supplemented by the abstracts of some presentations given by the speakers at the Training School 3 (TS3) in Bolzano (IT) in March 2019 followed by articles from selected trainees of the Training School. The booklet concludes with the result from the Training School 3 challenge.
Enjoy the reading and please do not hesitate to contact us for any question!
Mails: giulia.peretti@wernersobek.com and carsten.druhmann@zhaw.ch
Introduction to WG3
In the 3rd work package we explore the instruments, the approach and the procedures for the construction and operation of restorative building. Further our aim is to develop solutions and implementation strategies for a paradigm shift in the construction sector.
Starting from the outcomes of WP 1 and 2, we investigate how to implement and maintain the restorative goals developed in the previous packages. In our work we will try to respond to questions related to the practical implementation of restorative thoughts, like:
- How can the goals of restorative building become reality?
- What requirements should be set in the pre-construction stages to assure a restorative construction process and operation?
- Who are the key agents and which contribution should they bring to the implementation of a restorative construction and operation process?
- Are instruments available for the implementation of sustainable and regenerative pre-construction, construction and operation phases (e.g. Sustainability building certification systems, standards and norms…)?
- Which technologies can support the planning and the construction process (also with cross reference to WP 4)?
We organize our work following a life cycle approach investigating following stages of the building process: (→Infographic WG3.pdf)
Task 3.1 A: Restorative construction bidding
Goal: Integration of sustainability/restorative aspects in the call for tenders, specification, procurement and contract stage
Task 3.1 B: Restorative construction process
Goal: Minimize waste of materials, emissions, water, time and effort during the construction in order to generate the maximum possible amount of value
Task 3.1 C: Restorative Operation and Maintenance
Goal: Continuous optimization to maximize the benefits for environment and users and assure that the initial state is maintained or enhanced
Task 3.1 D: Restorative Refurbishment and Second Life
Goal: Regeneration of existing buildings to improve their value for users and environment
The topics investigated in the WP 3 include: lean construction, restorative procurement, construction and operation, zero waste, material conservation, modern methods of construction, facility management, building operation…