Integrated processes for the evaluation and optimization of building performances

An efficient way to reduce the consumption of materials and energy in buildings is represented by an improvement of building processes. A regulated information management is essential to avoid delays, cost overrun, errors and lack of performances during the whole building life-cycle. Thus, the adoption of an integrated design process is becoming of great importance; BIM, considered as building information modelling and management, could be a way to perform such integrated processes. A central repository for project data and information could be advantageous if knowledge is exchanged between different stakeholders (e.g. through IFC or gbXML). Moreover, BIM supports building performance analyses and evaluations, allowing, for instance, simulation of energy performance, computation of environmental impacts and estimation of costs. In this way, it is possible to compare several options and choose the optimal ones. The importance of the link between BIM and sustainable buildings is underlined by the state of the art, such as the Green Overlay to the RIBA Outline Plan of Work, the series 10 of COBIM related to energy analysis, and the BIM Guide for energy performance developed by GSA. An Italian case study for the improvement of the building process is Innovance, a research project with the aim of developing a national database for the construction sector. In order to improve the collection, storing, management and sharing of data, an unambiguous classification system and standardized technical sheets have been developed and a web portal has been designed to ensure the interaction among stakeholders.