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The purpose of this paper is to identify the risks and challenges related to the change in building construction projects to the European Union (EU) zero-energy building (nZEB) decree in the year 2020. Another goal was to create solutions to those risks and challenges.

A workshop method was chosen to gather up-to-date information from the construction cluster in Finland.

In the workshop, the main concern was the level of knowledge and know-how with all the parties working with construction projects. As an answer to this challenge, serious and substantial education in the organisations and competence requirements for designers and piloting as much as possible in the next few years was offered. Commissioning consultant was also seen as vital for nZEB project. Tight schedules and unfit project delivery systems were also seen as a risk for nZEB projects. However, modern project delivery systems were seen to be problematic in practice even if they were functional in theory.

The results of the workshop are valuable for all parties working with building construction projects in Finland and the whole EU area.

This study aims to present property management challenges that municipalities have encountered regarding a public building with noted building-related symptoms. The study goes on to provide reasons for the failure of attempts to manage the symptoms and discusses the current challenges concerning the process.

A participatory case study was used as the research methodology to identify the current challenges concerning a municipal approach to managing the building-related symptoms in a case-study building. The researchers scrutinised the history of the health symptom management process and attended the project planning meetings focused on the investigation of the condition of the building.

Multiple challenges concerning maintenance and omitted or postponed repair actions, as well as vagueness in the management process were found. In addition to this, it was noted that the complexity of the initial design of the building and vandalism have resulted in challenges for the maintenance and moisture performance of the building structures. According to the study, more orderliness and a more systematic process is needed when managing a municipal property.

The identified property management challenges may be of practical value for the facility managers and the property owners, especially when managing the building-related symptoms and a damaged building.

This study highlights the importance of having an in-depth understanding of condition assessments as well as proper maintenance and timely repairs for the successful management of the building-related symptoms in a municipal building. This is a pilot project in a larger project of management of building refurbishment.

Poor indoor air quality in schools is a worldwide challenge that poses health risks to pupils and teachers. A possible response to this problem is to modify ventilation. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to pilot a process of generating alternatives for ventilation redesign, in an early project phase, for a school to be refurbished. Here, severe problems in indoor air quality have been found in the school.

Ventilation redesign is investigated in a case study of a school, in which four alternative ventilation strategies are generated and evaluated. The analysis is mainly based on the data gathered from project meetings, site visits and the documents provided by ventilation and condition assessment consultants.

Four potential strategies to redesign ventilation in the case school are provided for decision-making in refurbishment in the early project phase. Moreover, the research presents several features to be considered when planning the ventilation strategy of an existing school, including the risk of alterations in air pressure through structures; the target number of pupils in classrooms; implementing and operating costs; and the size of the space that ventilation equipment requires.

As this study focusses on the early project phase, it provides viewpoints to assist decision-making, but the final decision requires still more accurate calculations and simulations.

This study demonstrates the decision-making process of ventilation redesign of a school with indoor air problems and provides a set of features to be considered. Hence, it may be beneficial for building owners and municipal authorities who are engaged in planning a refurbishment of an existing building.

Design management plays a significant role in value creation in a construction project. Within the last few decades, new design tools such as building information model have been introduced, which supposedly enhance design productivity and quality. However, no such revolution of design quality has emerged. Therefore, more research on how design management affects the quality of construction project is needed. The purpose of this paper is to better understand the connection between design management procedures and quality.

This is a case study with a mixed-method approach. The data collection strategies used are quantitative user satisfaction survey and qualitative analysis over the documentation of the case project.

A deductive analysis was conducted to four suggested indicators of beneficial collaboration. An explanation was found for how the quality of the project outcome can be forecasted from the management style and procedures.

The research was conducted as single case study, and therefore, greater data would enable further development of the indicators.

The indicators have wide range of applicability: the clients can forecast the quality performance by evaluating the management procedures already during the project instead of waiting until the end of project. The indicator system also provides societal impact as it guides the clients to use the kind of managerial practices that improve the ability to create value in projects that are difficult to evaluate in money terms.

The research provides a novel way to gain a holistic view with analytical indicator tools. The research contributes to lean design management literature by providing insight to the underlying mechanism of beneficial collaboration.

This study aims to provide a foundation for the development of subcontracts that suit takt production in construction.

This is a non-empiric conceptual study, which integrates takt production and general construction literature into new proposals for subcontract clauses suitable for takt production in construction. This study uses literature reviews, from which proposals regarding takt production viable subcontract clauses are conducted via logical reasoning.

A total of 13 proposals for takt production applicable subcontracts are provided in this study. The proposals emphasize detailed and collaborative planning, suitable payment methods and flexibility for takt plan modification.

Previous takt literature has not properly addressed the development of subcontracts for takt production, despite regular attempts to use subcontracting in takt production. This study aims to aid main contractors to create fair and suitable subcontracts, so that adhering to takt schedules could be more viable in practice. This study also acts as a foundation for further empirical studies regarding the subject.

Public authorities are required to organise new facilities to respond to changed user demands in terms of a public-owned school. The number of pupils attending the case study school will increase in the following years, as will the number of children attending a day nursery located on the present campus. In addition, the users of the campus have complained of building-related symptoms. This study aims to understand the municipal decision-making process in organising the school’s facilities, in particular, the factors used for decreasing uncertainty around a project.

This study is a case study undertaken through an action research approach. The researchers participated in the project planning meetings concerning the future activities to take place in the building.

Over a 13-month period, multiple stakeholders participated in the project planning meetings providing a deeper understanding of the space demands posed, current challenges and opportunities offered by the existing building. In addition, the alternative solutions generated were evaluated. The problem identification and information gathering periods lasted over nine months, which was far longer than predicted. Thus, generating alternative solutions and evaluation of the solutions also delayed. As the entire process was delayed substantially, the final decision on organising the facilities was not made during this research.

This research may be of practical value for a property owner and a project team for decision-making concerning changed facility demands.

This paper provides information about how public authorities are making decisions on facility organisation during conditions of uncertainty.

Poor indoor air quality (IAQ) contributing to occupants’ health symptoms is a universal, typically ventilation-related, problem in schools. In cold climates, low-cost strategies to improve IAQ in a naturally ventilated school are rare since conventional methods, such as window opening, are often inappropriate. This paper aims to present an investigation of strategies to relieve health symptoms among school occupants in naturally ventilated school in Finland.

A case study approach is adopted to thoroughly investigate the process of generating the alternatives of ventilation redesign in a naturally ventilated school where there have been complaints of health symptoms. First, the potential sources of the occupants’ symptoms are identified. Then, the strategies aiming to reduce the symptoms are compared and evaluated.

In a naturally ventilated school, health symptoms that are significantly caused by insufficient ventilation can be potentially reduced by implementing a supply and exhaust ventilation system. Alternatively, it is possible to retain the natural ventilation with reduced number of occupants. The selected strategy would depend considerably on the desired number of users, the budget and the possibilities to combine the redesign of ventilation with other refurbishment actions. Furthermore, the risk of poorer indoor air caused by the refurbishment actions must also be addressed and considered.

This study may assist municipal authorities and school directors in decisions concerning improvement of classroom IAQ and elimination of building-related symptoms. This research provides economic aspects of alternative strategies and points out the risks related to major refurbishment actions.

Since this study presents a set of features related to indoor air that contribute to occupants’ health as well as matters to be considered when aiming to decrease occupants’ symptoms, it may be of assistance to municipal authorities and practitioners in providing a healthier indoor environment for pupils and teachers.

The purpose of this paper is to show the results of the task given by a major research program concerning low-energy building and indoor environment. The task was to develop contracting document model layouts to be used in zero-energy building (ZEB) and nearly zero-energy building (nZEB) construction projects.

A workshop method was chosen for gathering information and developing the layouts.

In the debate in the workshop three main topics arose: the selection of project delivery system, the use of performance controller for the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems and making innovation possible by making the call for bids as loose as possible.

The use of performance controller could be investigated more, and more accurate information and knowledge about the best practices on nZEB construction can be captured as the industry moves in that direction and more projects will appear.

The goals of the research program were met and also the main issues of nZEB construction contracting were documented, which can be utilized by the whole industry of house building.

Senior buildings have been designed as purposeful space programs. Therefore the elderly need coherent information about different senior housing concepts. The study seeks to set out a method for measuring the quality level of senior housing.

The method includes measuring four different factors: local services, building and yard, apartment, and on‐site services. Measuring the quality level of two separate residential areas and senior housing facilities demonstrates the use of the quality level measurement system.

The overall quality level of Facility 1 was significantly lower than that of Facility 2. The lower quality level measurement for Facility 1 was primarily the result of the lack of premises for lease to commercial or other tenants and the lack of on‐site services. The quality level measurement system is a successful tool for assessing the functioning and quality standard of residential areas and housing facilities in the point of view of elderly people.

This study has developed a unique application for measuring the quality level of residential areas and senior housing facilities. The measurement system is useful for estimating the quality level of a facility and also for analyzing different quality level factors to identify possible problems. While the intention is to provide a method primarily for expert assessments, seniors and their relatives could also use the method as an aid in weighing up the suitability of different senior housing facilities.

Numerous studies have shown that indoor environment affects health and performance, which in turn affect productivity. Property owners have not utilized Indoor Environment Quality (IEQ) as a value‐added factor to market the office spaces. On the other hand, tenants have not had a tool to demand certain indoor conditions. The paper aims to present one market mechanism for including IEQ in office space supply: the office lease contract model entitled Indoor Environment Quality.

The research included a constructive search for a lease contract model for the problems presented above. The need for this novel lease model is proved by the financial calculations.

The lease contract procedure whereby a lessor issues a condition guarantee to a tenant consists of: technical building audit process; and entering the terms of the indoor condition guarantee in the lease contract. It makes sense for the owner to invest in a favourable indoor environment if the benefits are shared. An owner's monetary benefit from improved IEQ is also greatly related to longer lease periods. When tenants stay longer in the same facility there is less empty office space and less need for alterations by new tenants. Therefore, rental income is higher and alteration costs are lower, which in turn lead to higher profitability of the property owner's business.

The lease model proposed forms guidelines for taking account of the indoor air quality in lease contracts.