Performance oriented building assessment: a decision-support method based on an integrated approach

By the under construction European standard family of CEN TC 350, focused on a performance oriented building assessment, an integrated approach is suggested, announcing in the future “an overall assessment of integrated building performance”. Actually, the methodologies, the impact and the performance indicators at the European level are developing following three different drivers: environmental, social and economic. However, in the real case studies of construction works it is not possible to ignore the interrelations between each action and the others as so as between the related effects. Similarly, to face the challenge of complexity, a multi-scale, multi-stage and multi-criteria approach is needed. The paper reports on one of the initial stages of the research, focused on the development of an inductive, logical / operational decision-support method, aiming at optimizing the sustainable management of construction works. The method is based on the above conceptual model and applied to the “Città Studi Sustainable Campus” in Milan. The paper shows the methodology and the results of deepening the economic aspects and indicators to use in the assessment of sustainability and their contribution to the strategies of optimization of sustainability. Starting from the panel of the economic aspects and indicators identified by the CEN TC 350 standards, the analysis engages the results of a number of relevant studies carried out by important, national and international projects at European level. The work could offer a contribution to the future development of the CEN TC 350 standards.