How energy efficient office buildings challenge and contribute to usability
Abstract
Purpose
This is an analysis of modern office buildings with high energy efficiency. The purpose of this paper is to focus on how such buildings affects usability for the organizations occupying the buildings.
Design/methodology/approach
The analysis combine results from studies of two case projects with a literature review. Case studies include qualitative interviews with key informants, internal post-occupancy evaluations and annual reports from the user organizations. The two buildings are Norwegian pioneers regarding energy efficiency.
Findings
The new buildings provide a high degree of usability for the user organizations, including user satisfaction, efficiency and effectiveness. The case projects illustrate the potential in combining improvements for energy efficiency and the usability of buildings. There are synergistic effects in a mutual process of development for the buildings and organizations based upon strategic business goals. Management of the process is crucial in order to succeed.
Research limitations/implications
The study applies the approach of usability to an analysis of energy efficient buildings. Two case projects exemplify potentials and challenges.
Practical implications
Office buildings can be developed to a high degree of energy efficiency by considering the many aspects of usability for the user organizations. Integrating constructing projects into organizational development processes is crucial for the result.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the emerging field, analyzing effects on usability for the organizations occupying energy efficient office buildings. The study also adds to the young field of analyzing the integration of the development of buildings into processes of organizational development by enlightening the potential regarding buildings with high energy ambitions.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Thanks to the informants of the two case projects for supplying the data for analysis, and to the Center for Real Estate and Facilities Management (Metamorfose) at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) for providing the theoretical tools for analysis. The author gratefully acknowledges all input and comments on the paper provided by Marit Støre Valen and Tore Haavaldsen (Department of Civil and Transport Engineering), Thomas Berker (The Research Center on Zero Emission Buildings) and Siri Blakstad (Department of Architectural Design and Management), and the anonymous reviewers of Smart and Sustainable Built Environment.
Citation
Meistad, T. (2014), "How energy efficient office buildings challenge and contribute to usability", Smart and Sustainable Built Environment, Vol. 3 No. 2, pp. 110-131. https://doi.org/10.1108/SASBE-03-2014-0027
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2014, Emerald Group Publishing Limited