ECONOMY

Currently, my building is approximately 80% efficient. The only areas for circulation are in the lobby, amenity spaces and the common areas. Be that as it may, my site has many amenity spaces associated with it, which increases the circulation of the community. In addition, the site is fully accessible by bike path, to encourage the residents and visitors to choose a greener option.

Primary Construction Materials: Concrete: $20/sf Brick: $50/sf Steel: $20/sf

Cost effective strategies impact overall design because as much as we try to fight it, everything comes down to dollar and cents. Being cost effective during the design process, material choosing, labour and construction will have a massive overall impact on how much a project can cost. Last week’s assignment outlined that the estimated cost of my building is $4.7M (for only building cost). In this case, perhaps the cost of building materials cannot necessarily be taken down enough to create an impact, however, as long as the client is aware of the cost prior to construction – it will drive every factor of the project. This could lead to material changes, design changes (ie. podium parking as opposed to underground).

You could show a client a great sustainable product that is low maintenance and longlasting. However, the first thing they will ask is the cost.

Dollars and cents drive everything.

Figure 1: Daytime Heat Map