Professional Studies 3 - Journal B

en.Y Group E Journal B

Professional Studies 3, 2019

en.Y Gen.Y Carmen Maxim Chris Foulkes Constantina Alambriti Daniel Vella Daria Pavlova Dimitra Evmorfopoulou Farah Arar Frixos Petrou Joseph Stooke Justin Chung Shambhavi Joshi Smriti Solanki

CONTENTS The Gen.Y Story

6

Big Data

10

Workflow

18

Case Study Step 1: Step 2-3: Step 4: Step 5-6: Step 7-9: Step 10:

26 28 30 32 34 36 38

Client Identification Tech Implementation Gene.Y App Data Evaluation Building Improvements Subscription Model

Gen.Y Tech Gene.Y App Data Evaluation Improvements Subscription

42 42 46 48 50

Risk Management Consulation Forward Feeding

53 54 56

Conclusion

61

Bibliography

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THE GEN.Y STORY AN INTRODUCTION WHO, WHAT, WHY, HOW?

Change is both imminent and necessary. Necessisty is the mother of innovation.

The world of today is vastly different to that of 50 years ago.

Confronted with many contemporary global challenges such as climate change, rapid population increase and resource scarcity, its volatility and transience is becoming more and more apparent. 30% of global carbon emissions are ascribed to the construction industry. 200,000 people per day are moving to urban areas, all of whom are dependent on urban infrastructure. While many industries have been quick to react and adapt to these challenges, particularly the technology sector, the building industry is embarrassingly lagging behind, despite being core to the problems at hand.

As a result of this rapid physical transformation, we anticipate an equally rapid social transformation. Why? Because the legal framework in which the industry operates simply is not fit for purpose amidst the cloud of global challenges we now face. We believe that altering the operation of an entire industry on such a drastic scale, as is necessary, is quite akin to moving mountains. In order to meet EU and UN carbon targets and reverse our mistakes, legally binding mass change rooted in government policy and legislation is necessary.

Recognising that necessity is the mother of innovation, we not only acknowledge these challenges as pressing calls for change, we consider them opportunities for industry-wide improvement. We are inspiring innovators seeking to redefine the sector. We anticipated imminent change and we modelled our company around this. How? Simply by embracing the technological revolution and emphasising Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE) in our projects. We have been working hard to future-proof the construction industry and our practice, propelling it from an industry of competitive procurement models based on undercutting fees and abrupt ends to client-architect relationships, into a subscription based model focusing on continued relationships and constant building improvements grounded on sophisticated digital data collected from POE. Using the Google office building (Stockholm) case study as an example, the following document guides you through our process.

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BIG DATA A BRIEF OVERVIEW

WHAT IS BIG DATA? Big Data is used to describe vast volumes of data that inundates a business on a day-to-day basis. The data collected is so large and complex that it is impossible to process using traditional methods. That is where our expert team of data analyists come in. What is more important than the data itself is the way in which the Gen.Y analyists use this data for insights that lead to better databased design decisions grounded on evidence rather than instinct. Consequently, Gen.Y operates as a team more productively and designs higher-performing & cheaperrunning buildings with heightened user experience.

Big Data is characterised by the 6V’s: + Volume: the amount of data collected from various sources, including the Internet of Things, videos, social media, data sensors, user feedback. + Variety: the various formats that data comes in, for example, numeric data, text documents, videos, emails, audios, transactions. + Velocity: the speed at which data is generated.

Sensors, smart metres, the Internet of Things propel the need to deal with data in real-time. + Veracity: the quality of data from multiple streams and how reliable it is. + Value: the business value of the data

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What is more important than the data itself is the way in which the Gen-Y analyists use this data for insights that lead to better data-based design decisions grounded on evidence rather than instinct. + Variability: the ability to manage seasonal and event-triggered data loads and the way the data can be used.

Gen.Y’s data analyists connect and correlate relationships and hierarchies to find patterns and answers that enables reductions in a building’s design time, construction time and running costs, while being able to detect building defects post construction before they become costly problems.

CONSIDER THIS - ON ANY GIVEN DAY THERE ARE:

95 million

500 million tweets

5.6 billion google

5 billion youtube

searches

videos watched

instagram posts

65 billion Whatsapp messages sent

Big Data

Volume

Variety

Velocity

Veracity

Value

Variability

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WHERE DO WE GET OUR DATA? Our database has built up over time from multiple sources: + Streaming Data: Data accumulated from Gen.Y technologies implemented into our own projects for our post occupancy analyses. This includes data collected from the Internet of Things, sensors, and other connected devices such doors and windows.

This is then fed into our database and used to inform future projects. Every architectural element in a project will soon associate itself with datadriven Gen.Y technology.

decisions and produce more cost effective, energy efficient and user friendly buildings than traditional architecture practices. Our POE data improves our process as much as it improves our output. Over the years, we have found: + A shift in our clients’ needs: They now demand data from their buildings. The POE data allows us to better our designs while sensors embedded into the building fabric allows our innovative clients to measure and improve their facilities’ performance.

This data is then fed back into our database and used to drive design decisions from the get-go for future projects.

Our POE data improves our process as much as it improves our output.

+ Publicly Available Data: Existing data collected from the RIBA, government sources, online journals & articles and published research papers from universities and research trusts is fed into our database. + Social Media: We are exploring how to integrate interactions on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook including videos, images, text and audio into our database.

WHAT IS THE VALUE OF THE BIG DATA COLLECTED FROM GEN.Y’S POST OCCUPANCY EVALUATION? The world has experienced two revolutions: the Agricultural and the Industrial. It is in the midst of its third: the Technological Revolution. At Gen.Y we are at the building industry forefront of this. We recognise that utilising Big Data within the industry gives us a competitive advantage over those practices that do not. Using our database, we are able to make faster and more informed 12

+ A shift in policy and legislation: Our success at Gen.Y has been partly due to our capacity to anticipate regulation change as a result of the declared climate emergency.

We anticipate that authorities will soon have to verify building performance using actual data in order to effectively reduce building-related carbon emissions.

We are already experts at this. + A wish for verification: Clients are now seeking actual data to support an architect’s claim that they can design an energy efficient building that conforms to more stringent building regulations. Our Big Data platform can track resource usage and energy wastage, while also predicting returns on future investments as a result of more energy efficient enhancements.

University Research

Online Articles & Journals

Gen.Y Technology

Research Trusts & Published

Government

Findings

Sources

Gen.Y database sources

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HOW DO WE USE BIG DATA TO GENERATE A BETTER ARCHITECTURE? Typically, handing over a building to a client concludes the interaction between us architects and the building. Many architects are therefore unaware of how their buildings perform and how they are used by the occupiers. At Gen.Y, we understand the importance of information feedback and post occupancy analysis. Big Data collected from said analysis informs us on how our buildings perform and how they can be improved; we learn from this data and use it as a design tool for future projects. In addition to this, Big Data also allows us to predict behavioural patterns of building users from the early stages of the design and therefore design better buildings for the people who will use them.

We conduct our post occupancy analysis by innovatively using existing technologies already embedded into buildings, in combination with Gen.Y technologies in order to evaluate our buildings on both a qualitative and quantitative basis.

What are the future opportunities?

The greatest architectural use of Big Data today is in analysing energy consumption and running costs.

However, Gen.Y believe that it is those practices that depend more on expertise, experience and intuition that hold the most opportunity to use Big Data in a positively disruptive manner.

We are excited by the potential to implement Big Data into each stage of the design process and we are constantly researching ways in which we can achieve this. Some of our current research includes: + Combining Big Data and GIS systems to gather and analyse vast amounts of geospatial information about a site in order to improve site analysis. + Quantifying what has traditionally been left to the ‘subjective’ views of the architect, for example, beauty.

By expanding our data pool within the public domain, can we measure the attractiveness of a building or a streetscape by investigating how many photos of a particular building have been uploaded to the likes of Instagram? What patterns could we learn from this? What effects could this have on concept and schematic design?

We use Big Data to create a proactive rather than reactive architecture.

For example, we use surveillance cameras that are already implemented into buildings for security reasons to detect the ‘mood’ of occupants; we measure the cosiness of a room using sensors which detect the time spent in said room; we monitor the individual comfort levels of building occupants using mobile apps. We design commercial buildings based on customer behaviour.

We design schools based on the analysis of spatial arrangements that are most strongly associated with good academic performance. We embed sensors in our structures to collect data and detect damages and strains to the building fabric before they become problems. In short, we use Big Data to create a proactive rather than a reactive architecture.

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+ Since understanding occupancy patterns of spaces is vital to predict building performance, we are exploring ways in which Big Data collected through sensors can improve occupancy modelling and predictions and lead to more spatially-efficient floorplans based on how users actually use buildings, and not how we think they use buildings.

Big Data does not exclude intuition and expert knowledge, but inform intuition and expert knowledge.

User Feedback

Gen.Y Tech

Existing Tech

Smart Building

Our Database

Feedback into our systems and

Gene.Y App

Feedback into our systems

Improvements

Client Savings

High Performing,

Heightened User

Energy Efficient Building

Experience

Gen.Y database inputs & outputs 15

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WORKFLOW I WHERE WE COME IN

REPAIRING THE CYCLE In 2013 the RIBA updated their Stages of Work to include two new stages: Stage 7 ‘In Use’ and Stage 0 ‘Strategic Definition’. The addition of these two stages aimed to promote the importance of recording and disseminating information about completed projects in order to inform subsequent projects. However, in practice, the link between these two stages was often overlooked and dismissed as unnecessary uses of time, money and resource by architects and clients alike. Gen.Y comes in at the end of the process to repair the link between Stage7 and Stage 0 by accurately measuring and clearly documenting the benefits of post occupancy evaluation.

The data collected from this process is gathered into a larger database and “forward fed” into future Gen.Y projects.

Our ability to clearly understand and rationalise this data means that design decisions can be made at Stage 0 that guarantee a higher standard of building efficiency.

Gen.Y new builds will include technology that analyses the performance data of the building after its completion and feeds this information back into the Gen.Y database.

This continually updating database ensures that future projects have a constant upwards trajectory in measured building efficiency. The value of this data also ensures that we as architects have a long lasting relationship with the building and the client, and attract future clients.

Gen.Y comes in at the end of the process to repair the link between Stage 7 and Stage 0 by accurately measuring and clearly documenting the benefits of post occupancy evaluation

Our strategy involves the implementation of innovative technology that measures both qualitative and quantitive aspects of a building. The measured data is analysed by a team of in-house data specialists who provide advice to improve the building’s operational efficiency. The cost-savings achieved by these implementations are measured and distilled into an app format that the client can access.

By clearly conveying the benefits of our interventions through this app the client is able to fully appreciate the exact value of post occupancy evaluation, encouraging further investment into this field.

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Expanding upon the link between Stage 0 and Stage 7 not only implies a more effective means of creating better performing buildings, but also allows Gen.Y to quanitfy our value as designers.

By clearly demonstrating that we significantly improve the profitability of a building by increasing its efficiency, we are free to dictate our own fee. We are able to capitalise on our expertise as post-occupancy evaluators, as well as improve the current learning link between finished buildings and new builds.

Consultation

0

7

7

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Complete Cycle

5

2 4

6

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RIBA Plan of Work in Theory

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Cycle

2

3

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6

5

2 4

3

RIBA Plan of Work in Practice

1

3

RIBA Plan of Work with

Knowledge

Knowledge

Knowledge

Gen.Y approach

Project 1,2,3,4

Project 1,2,3,4

Project 1,2,3,4

Knowledge Growth in Theory

Knowledge Growth in Practice

Knowledge Growth with Gen.Y approach

Gen.Y approach to RIBA stages of work

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WORKFLOW II AN OUTLINE OF OUR PROCESS

THE INFORMATION LOOP

Gen.Y focuses on building long lasting relationships with our clients. The design process begins with a series of meetings with the client where we explain the benefits of post occupancy evaluation. During these meetings we consult our existing data cloud to discuss how we achieve a high standard of building efficiency. Clients come to us with either existing buildings or new design projects. We apply our Gen.Y data measuring technology to both, either retrofitting a finished building or embedding it throughout the construction of a newly designed building.

Once the Gen.Y technology is implemented, data is harvested that measures different aspects of the building’s performance efficiency. After 1 year, this raw data is then sent to in-house specialists who process it into comprehensible reports, informed by professional expertise in the field. From this, a thorough post occupancy evaluation is achieved. This comes in the form of an app that clearly sets out the current operational efficiency of the building, identifying where energy is being lost, and what improvements can be implemented to fix this.

The evaluation is presented to the client who then decides whether or not to sign up to an ongoing subscription to Gen.Y services. There are 3 subscription options that the client can choose from; yearly, 5-yearly, and 10-yearly, each set at different prices with unique benefits. After signing up to a subscription option, the identified improvements are then applied to the building through our limited invitation tendering system. A group of contractors are offered the tender, the ones with the best bid and most appropriate experience are offered the work.

The Gen.Y technology continually analyses and improves the building’s performance for as long as the client’s subscription lasts. Data from this analysis is collected into a larger data cloud that contains information from all projects by Gen.Y, in addition to data collected from other sources. It grows over time as more projects come into 20

The Gen.Y workflow becomes a self perpetuating information loop that continually improves the design of efficient buildings, and advances the field of post occupancy evaluation the office, and data analysts improve on existing research fields. The data cloud ensures our expertise and is therefore a valuable asset to the company. This is what sets us apart from other design companies; it ensures our expertise in the field of post occupancy.

External designers can access the data on the cloud through the Gene.Y app. This is done on a consultancy basis that provides another source of income for the company. Sharing data spreads the impact of our post occupancy expertise to have a wider effect on the building industry, promoting the construction and maintaining of higher performing buildings. The data collected is then also “forward fed” into the early design stages of Gen.Y new build projects, to continually improve the design of efficient buildings. The Gen.Y workflow becomes a self perpetuating information loop that continually improves the design of efficient buildings and advances the field of post occupancy evaluation, and architecture as a whole.

Client

New Design Project

Built Project

Research & Data Analysis 75% occupancy Post Occupancy Evaluation (1yr)

Subscription

+1 yr

+5 yr

+10 yr

Data Cloud

Consultation

Gen.Y post occupancy workflow

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WORKFLOW III POST OCCUPANCY: STEP BY STEP

10

1 BUILDING & CLIENT IDENTIFIED

2

RECURRING SUBSCRIPTION FOR CONTINIOUS IMPROVEMENT

9 GEN.Y TECH IMPLEMENTATION

3 BUILDING SURVEY

BY GEN.Y TECH

GEN.Y TECH SURVEYS IMPROVEMENT & USER FEEDBACK THROUGH APP

CLIENT RECIEVE DATA REPORT POST IMPROVEMENT

4 DATA SEND TO ARCHITECT THROUGH APP

7

8

6

5 DATA EVALUATION

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RISK MANAGEMENT

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DATA COLLECTED FOWARD FEED TO OTHER PROJECTS

6 CLIENT APPROVES IMPROVEMENTS & PAY TO SUBMIT FOR PLANNING

DATA USE FOR CONSULTATION FOR OTHER PRACTICES

ARCHITECT INPUT

EXPANDING BIG DATA

GENE.Y APP GEN.Y TECH CLIENT INPUT

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CASE STUDY KUNGSBRON OFFICE BUILDING

THE CLIENT Our client, John Hyde, CEO of Google, met with us in 2009 at the RIBA awards in London. John had heard about Gen.Y’s expertise in achieving high standards of building efficiency through post occupancy evaluation and was interested in working with us. Both Google and Gen.Y are passionate about creating a more sustainable future, one that addresses the many global challenges we face today.

It was the perfect match. A week later, John contacted us to discuss the evaluation of a Google office building in Stockholm that was currently under-performing.

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THE BUILDING The ‘Kungsbron’ office building is located in a thriving commercial district in Stockholm, Sweden. It was completed in 2007 and Google moved into the building immediately after construction. Problems were noticed from the outset. The building failed to meet the current sustainability standards and building users were markedly unhappy. This reflected poorly on Google’s philosophy for a sustainable future. Gen.Y were brought on board in 2009 to fix this.

Photograph from 2019 showing the building in its current form, after 10 years of Gen.Y care

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STEP 1

BUILDING & CLIENT IDENTIFIED

We believe knowledge not shared is knowledge wasted, as such, our first step is the most important – a vital opportunity to both learn and teach. We learn of our client’s needs, wants and aspirations while we teach of our expertise, the importance of our data and the financial and sustainable benefits of post occupancy evaluation.

Quick to grasp our philosophy and excited by what we had to offer, John Hyde of Google was eager to show

us around their Kungsbron office building. Upon initial empirical analysis and occupant consultations, some of the building’s flaws soon became apparent, as shown on the right. By building a trusting relationship with John and the Google staff, we were quick to establish a brief to better the building and thus their work environment. We shape our buildings, thereafter they shape us.

2. Building study

3. User feedback gathered

1. Initial consultation

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4. Outlining the brief

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STEP 2-3

TECH IMPLEMENTATION

Here we started the process to turn initial observations based on our expertise into hard facts based on data: we put the gen (information) into Gen.Y. By implementing already existing technologies that are waiting to be better used, in conjunction with our own developments, we marry the mostly separated tech and building industries. Our team worked alongside John to identify the areas of the building

which would benefit best from Gen.Y technologies based on our expertise and his knowledge of everyday use of the building. Once the optimum locations were identified and the tech was installed, Gene.Y was ready to perform its analysis and feed it into our vast database ready to be analysed by our specialists and used as a tool for design improvements.

2. Gen.Y tech brought to site

3. Gen.Y tech installed in building

1. Optimal locations for Gen.Y tech are identified

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4. Building analysed

by Gen.Y tech

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STEP 4 GENE.Y APP

We aspired to make the feedback loops between ourselves, the Google staff and John as easy and seamless as possible, filtering the jargon and ensuring the tech-accumulated datasets are accessible to all.

Equally important to accessibility of information however is the reliability of information: it has to tell the entire story of the building and not simply selected chapters. With this in mind, we encouraged the staff to provide feedback of

their experience of the building via the Gene.Y app. After all, what is the building without the people who use it? We consider this step imperative to designing good solutions as it is precisely this type of data that technologies can’t always detect; humans are intrinsically social, as such this latent and hard-to-measure data was not to be undervalued. We liaised with John and the staff, presented our findings and discussed our next steps.

2. Gen.Y tech Feedback

3. Managing client expectations

1. Building user Feedback

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4. All achieved through Gene.Y app

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STEP 5-6 DATA EVALUATION

Once this analysis was completed, our specialist data analysists were able to cross reference it with previous projects of similar typologies, sizes and briefs in order to identify variables, patterns and techniques that could aid our design. Unsurprisingly, we discovered an inefficient and underperforming building, running on high energy costs, high humidity and poor natural lighting within the deep plan, amongst other worrying statistics. Using this

information and our database of past projects, we were able to design a series of interventions, run it through a simulation, predict the results of our design moves and present John with a financial savings forecast as a result.

Unsurprisingly, the simulations surpassed expectations and when presented with the cost savings vs current outgoings, John confirmed the improvements without hesitation.

2. Specialists convey information to architect

3. Architects develop design improvements

1. Data analysed by Gen.Y specialists

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4. Architects meet with client to confirm improvements

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STEP 7-9

BUILDING IMPROVEMENTS

Renewable energy sources, water collection systems, smart building controls, internal wall re-shuffles, furniture layout changes and floorplate incisions were among the data-driven design interventions we incorporated into the building. We then undertook a building-wide analysis post-improvements using both our systems and user

feedback methods – all of which were exercised through the app. Two reports followed; a complete report and a user friendly report, both of which were presented to John in order to showcase the fruits of our joint labour. Gene.Y recommended, Gen.Y amended, Google implemented and the building was upgraded.

2. Gen.Y tech analyses building

3. Users give feedback

1. Building Improvements implemented

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4. Data sent to client showing the effect of improvements

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STEP 10

SUBSCRIPTION MODEL

As a building ages, the needs of those involved begin to change, cracks begin to reveal, materials start to wither and systems in place become dysfunctional; not too dissimilar to a marriage throughout the passage of time.

Our subscription guarantees that through sickness and

through health the needs of the client and the integrity of the building remains strong. Our relationship with Google is a testament to this. 10 years of love and passion later, we’re still in it for the long haul.

2. Client subscribes

3. Client and architect are comitted for the long haul

1. Client selects from three subscription options

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4. Client, building and Gen.Y grow old together

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GEN.Y TECH THE GENE.Y APP

FEATURES OF GEN.Y TECH

The Gene.Y app can be used by three types of users - the client, the building user or other architecture practices interested for prospective consultancy services.

Firstly, the practices can use the Gene.Y interface to download data which is specific to their project, by inputting a variety of filters in the search. This downloaded data is given out by Gen.Y on a rental basis of a minimum of 30 days and a maximum of 3 months. Secondly, any architectural practice can fill a preliminary survey, and the design and management teams at Gen.Y will then contact the practice for future consultancy subscriptions. The clients and practices can also extend their subsciptions through the app.

The Gene.Y app aids our practice with the three C’s: design Communication, live data Collection and team Collaboration App interface for client

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MEET GENE.Y

Gene.Y is an AI designed by the creative technologies and design teams at Gen.Y. The app is created using a complex generative algorithm which aids in design communication, live data collection and team collaboration throughout a project.

App interface for architect

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How are you finding the building control system?

Is it user friendly?

Are there issues faced with recent technologies?

Record feedback regularly on the application.

SYSTEM CONTROL EASE OF USE

Are all facilities operating smoothly?

Which parts of the system are difficult to control?

What would you like to be less or more in control of?

Record andy issues on our app vocally or as text.

AMENITIES MAINTENANCE OF PRIMARY FACILITIES

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How do you feel in this room?

Has it been too cold lately?

Is it stuffy? Airy?

TEMPERATURE & AIR QUALITY COMFORT LEVEL

Record your current comfort levels on our scale.

Is this space too crowded?

When is it most and least used?

How many people typically use this space?

Record your feedback on a calendar by using a rough headcount.

TIME OF USE DAILY, MONTHLY, SEASONALLY

Are you able to carry out your activity without noise disruption?

What are the causes of the noise?

How noisy is this space?

NOISE DECIBEL LEVELS

Record your feedback with types and levels of noise.

LIGHTING LUX LEVELS & LUMINANCE

Is this space visualy comfortable?

Record your feedback on our scale.

Project team analyses data and makes appropriate improvements

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DATA EVALUATION BUILDING PERFORMANCE

We believe that analytics is about the reconciliation between technology, architecture and people: we turn data into evidence-based insights in order to make informed decisions that improve the effectiveness of building procurement. Core to this is post occupancy evaluation (POE) and building performance evaluation (BPE); the means of collecting feedback throughout a building’s lifecycle from initial concept through to its occupation.

This is done by measuring and monitoring a buildings performance before, during and after its completion.

By exploiting the technological advancements of late, we are able to more effectively conduct these analytical methods and thus digitally quantify a building’s performance, whether it is on progress for delivery, the technical performance and how to enhance its users’ experience.

buildings do not perform as planned in terms of their running costs, client satisfaction, material health, user safety and user comfort.

Our evaluation methodology can be broken down into three main areas of evaluation: + Process Evaluation: The effectiveness of the procurement process itself. Through assembling the design team, contractor and client we are able to review a project’s delivery and outcomes by comparing design intention against the finished building.

We believe that by learning from the past, we can set vivid and realistic goals for the future

Key to this is our database which allows for the perpetual acquisition of knowledge. This unique ability to consolidate information from wider sources and past projects, drawing on it for decision making, substantiates our resolutions and provides us with useful benchmarking with which another project can be compared. We believe that by learning from the past, we can set vivid and realistic goals for the future. As more data is added to the engine; its wealth of resources grows and so too does its predictive accuracy. This improves our ability to realise environments that are designed around authentic insight into human behaviour and user needs. Our database is our cornerstone.

Why is this important? For repeat construction clients, learning from and correcting past mistakes in design and commissioning of buildings is extremely cost-effective and will greatly improve the efficiency in construction industry productivity. This is essential since many

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+ Functional Evaluation: The operational effectiveness of the building. This focuses on how the building is used and its occupants’ behaviours. + Technical Evaluation: The performance of the built fabric and construction details. This refers to the analysis of quantitative data regarding factors such as energy use, system behaviours and environmental performance.

Analytics provide us with the means to analyse the past, change the present and predict the future. What would normally be done manually and painstakingly over weeks, months and years, can now be done digitally. In doing so, it ensures we deliver the best experiential outcomes for users, the most economic and efficient solutions for our clients and shape a better built environment for us all.

PROJECT OUTCOMES

REVIEW OF PROJECT DELIVERY

Strategic Brief

Clients Experience

Business Case

Project Team

Performance Prediction Against Actual

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nc

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Occupants Use of Building & Systems

Intended Building Use Against Actual

Process

BUILDING USE/ OCUCPANT BEHAVIOUR

Fabric & Detailing

COMPARISONS

Client, FMs, Users

Project Team Experience

Sustainability Aspirations

Building Layout

REPORT

l

OCCUPANT FEEDBACK

Questionnaires/ Surveys/ Interviews

Te

SYSTEM BEHAVIOUR

ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE

Health & Safety

Light Levels

Meter Reading

Ventilation

Thermal Comfort

Equipment Survey

Heating & Cooling

Indoor Air Quality

ENERGY USE

Embodied Carbon

Lighting

Acoustics

Control

Air Tightness

Maintenance

Heat Loss

Occupation Patterns

Parameters used to measure building performance

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IMPROVEMENTS DATA DRIVEN DESIGN

There is a market for POE amongst clients who have a long-term stake in their buildings and are keen to understand how they perform and how they can be improved. Through our post occupancy and building performance evaluations we have specified three main areas where our clients can benefit from its various outcomes.

Short Term Benefits + Identify and find solutions to problems in existing buildings. + Respond to current user needs. + Improve existing space utilisation based on feedback from use. + Understand the implications of change whether it is budget cuts or a working context. + Inform decision making Medium Term Benefits + Built in capacity for building adaption to organisational change and growth. + Finding new uses for buildings. +Bringing accountability and scoping improvement for building performance.

Long Term Benefits +Long term improvements to building performance and upgrades. + Improvement in design quality. +Strategic review.

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Building improvements are capital events that materially extend the useful life of a building and increase the value of a building The ability to refine and apply information on any range of topics, from movement to sun paths to air quality, holds enormous potential to positively impact bulding design.

Not only can building improvements save money for the client in the long term, but they ultimately create buildings where the inhabitants are made more comfortable. We shape our buildings, thereafter they shape us.

Building improvements over time

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SUBSCRIPTION RECURRING MODEL

“Doing away with traditional fee-for-service models in favour of subscriptions to data analysis plans, where architects would embed sensors into buildings, and use data collected from these sensors to inform better, automated design processes.” (Aia.org, 2017) On one side you have a traditional architectural model that focuses on designing and completing as many buildings as possible. This is done by driving sales through as many distribution channels as possible. However, Gen.Y’s subscription model focuses on a recurring customer relationship rather than one-time product sales.

In other words, our subscription company adopts a ‘customer-first’ mind-set rather than a more static product-based business model.

By using our database, we are clearly demonstrating that we can significantly improve the ongoing profitability of a building. Our fees are worked out on a percentage fee in relation to how we are improving the building. Our value lies in saving the client money, upgrading the building performance and heightening their users’ experience.

We believe there is scope to change this with the ability to translate design into financial value or savings We understand that buildings, their usage and surrounding contexts are always changing and as such, should be continuously under scrutiny. The Gene.Y technology continually analyses the building’s performance for as long as the client’s subscription lasts. Each subscriber has their own home page, their own activity history and their own red flags.

Should the subscriber choose to cancel their subscription membership they would lose access to our database service and no longer benefit from the information or the technologies.

Gen.Y’s subscription model focuses on a recurring customer relationship rather than one-time product sales

The subscription-based fee has also been adopted in conjunction with a need to extend the RIBA plan of work with additional stages demonstrating our need to upgrade, maintain and update BIM models for the benefit of the clients’ facilities management and operational decisions.

We pride ourselves on providing value to our customers though ongoing services throughout the lifetime of their building.

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Product-first Model

Gen-Y Subscription Model

Service

Client

Subscriber Experience

% One-time product purchase Revenue tied to product sales Growth through unit margins

Product as-a-service Revenue tied to customer usage Growth over customer lifetime

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1

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YE

Experience

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YE

AR

Service

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5

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Subscription model benefits

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RISK MANAGEMENT The main source of revenue for this business is the fee paid for post occupancy evaluation, technology implementation, data analysis and response. While this process is a necessary step in the future, Gen Y may face financial challenges at the start or during rough economic times. Therefore, we decided to take our Big Data and exploit it for additional revenue.

FORWARD FEEDING Instead of just using Big Data to improve post occupancy, why not use it for designing new buildings that incorporate our improvements? This not only generates a new source of income for Gen Y, but it also saves design and construction costs. We are then completing the building cycle by learning from existing buildings and applying the appropriate changes to new ones.

CONSULTATIONS In addition, we trade parts of our Big Data via subscription to other architects, clients and contractors via consultations, opening up yet another source of income. This will enable them to make better decisions regarding their own projects by choosing better systems and saving projects’ time and cost.

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FORWARD FEEDING RISK MANAGEMENT

Forward feeding simply means to consolidate all the sources and processing results from our database and draw on it as reference for future projects. This enables us to propose objective solutions stripped of personal biases from the design team.

STAGE 0 When meeting a client, forward feeding enables us to gather information about previous designs of a similar nature, examining past timeframes, decisions and client preferences.

STAGE 1 As the brief develops, previous precedents from our database are extracted to inform the design team of information and concepts regarding the site, a client’s constraints and budgets.

STAGE 2 During stage 2, we use our database to inform us of a project’s framework in terms of the logistics of its design, construction, maintenance and operation. This will be more accurate than typical practice as it is based on machine learning and avoidance of lag and unexpected obstacles.

STAGE 3 Design development is informed by our database. We are able to draw on the resources from previously completed works regarding the likes of optimal spatial standards, environmental design moves, and cost exercises. This is based on statistics rather than estimations, thus aiding our planning applications and allowing for minimal changes after submission.

STAGE 4 At stage 4, details such as technical systems and specifications are taken from the database to facilitate our

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Forward feeding reduces biases in decision making, offering data-based, objective solutions. design process; this reduces time, effort and cost, as we would have a large scope of information readily available to utilise.

STAGE 5 At construction stage, while works are taken up by the contractor, we use our app interface to communicate and help monitor the building progress.

STAGE 6 At handover stage, our database will help us to minimise issues in the rectification period, limiting potential problems faced by the user upon occupation. This ensures a quality soft-landing based on previous user experience. Any new issues are also be logged into our database for future reference.

STAGE 7 Stage 7 explores building-user interaction, for example, comfort levels and ease of use. Using the Gene.Y app, any feedback from the users is received and used to make improvements. The overall database is updated.

STAGE GEN.Y As users spend more time in the building, Gene.Y collects data on matters such as room popularity, energy needs, thermal comfort and security to name but a few, automatically updating our database and feeding it back into future projects.

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RIBA PLAN OF WORK

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2 4

7

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Previous Scopes of Work

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4

5

4

2

5

4

Smooth Softlanding

3

STAGE 6

2

2

5

4

Users’ Initial Feedback

3

STAGE 7

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Site Monitoring

4

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3

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5

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6

2

3

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Accurate Longterm Plan

STAGE 2

STAGE 4

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5

Technical Design Advice

1

4

1

4

STAGE 3

6

5

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6

3

7

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Planning Requirements

Relevant Precedents

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6

STAGE 1

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1

5

STAGE 0

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3

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5 4

GEN. Y Data Collection

2

3

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CONSULTATION RISK MANAGEMENT

Our second strategy to accumulate more revenue is to share specific data from our post occupancy evaluations with other architects, building owners and contractors.

The data will be available via subscription that allows external designers to view anonymised data from the Gen.Y database. This will help us generate additional revenue by using our data as a protected product that is officially copyrighted. Additionally, it will help others in the construction industry make better decisions by learning from previous projects.

BUILDING OWNERS & DEVELOPERS Building owners can subscribe to view our database in order to evaluate how their building is performing.

Owners and developers can either decide to use this information for their own purposes, or further engage with Gen.Y either at the beginning of the design process or after Stage 7 has been completed. This turns initial consultancy into potential lasting employment.

ARCHITECTS The data accessed by the architect will mainly include behavioural patterns, useful precedent research and space optimisation techniques. Consulting Gen.Y’s existing database will help other architects design buildings which learn from the mistakes identified in previous post occupancy evaluations. Sharing data in this way allows architects on separate jobs to achieve a high level of building efficiency, advancing the field of sustainable design.

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Sharing data in this way allows architects on separate jobs to achieve a high level of building efficiency, advancing the field of sustainable design CONTRACTORS Contractors can subscribe to our database in order to understand how to save construction costs, specify better systems and improve resourcing on their projects.

Construction costs are reduced by looking at previous construction programs. A report is produced that shows opportunities where activities can be better integrated in a shorter time frame, thus lowering costs. In addition, M&E and specialist systems could be tested and reported from similar projects. By examining their effectiveness and user satisfaction we can use this data to make better specification decisions. Finally, our database will identify where best to employ resources for a certain project, taking transport and energy costs into account, improving the general procurement method.

WITHOUT

Without Gen.Y GEN. Y WITH

With Gen.Y GEN. Y DESIGN

Design COST Cost

CONSTRUCTION Construction COST

Cost

OPERATION Operation COST

Cost

Big Data SHARED WITH CLIENTS

DEVELOPERS

OTHER ARCHITECTS

CONTRACTORS

Design Opportunities

Behavioural patterns

Cost Saving Construction Methods

Reduction of Bias

Useful, Specific Precedents

Cost Saving Systems

Space Optimization

Energy Saving Systems

Better Resourcing 57

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CONCLUSION Gen.Y is an architecture practice for the new millennium: we acknowledge the challenges of our time and provide contemporary solutions for contemporary issues. In the face of climate change and financial instability, the traditional modes of practicing architecture seem highly unsuitable going forward.

The architectural profession must change in order to respond to a variety of constantly shifting conditions. At Gen.Y we believe that the focus on a building’s post occupancy phase, the collection and analysis of data to drive subsequent designs and long term partnerships with clients as exemplified through our subscription model are the way forward. We see buildings as a process, not a product – and we act accordingly. Our operations are cyclical, producing knowledge through analysing data related to our buildings during and after construction, and using this information to constantly improve our designs – which then generates new data to analyse. This forward feeding data loop is a systematic approach to optimising building performance and efficiency through our design work. Gen.Y’s clients are integral to the process, as their subscription grants them continuous access to our services and the expertise we have gathered through time, while it is the projects they commissioned that enabled our knowledge production in the first place. We use technology to face the challenges of our time. We challenge the traditional approaches to architecture.

We establish long term, mutually beneficial partnerships with our clients. We are Gen.Y – til death do us part.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY Arslan, G., Kivrak, S., Birgonul, M. T., & Dikmen, I. (2008). Improving sub-contractor selection process in construction projects: Web-based sub-contractor evaluation system (WEBSES). Automation in Construction,17(4), 480-488. doi:10.1016/j.autcon.2007.08.004 Baker, M., Coaffee, J., & Sherriff, G. (2007). Achieving successful participation in the new UK spatial planning system.

Planning, Practice & Research,22(1), 79-93.)

Bock, T., & Langenberg, S. (2014). Changing Building Sites: Industrialisation and Automation of the Building ProcesS. Architectural Design,84(3), 88-99. doi:10.1002/ad.1762 Bryant, C., Rodgers, C., & Alma-Nac, T. W. (2018). The Changing Forms and Values of Architectural Practice Architectural Design, 88 (5), 6-13. doi:10.1002/ad.2336 Bordass, B., & Leaman, A. (2005). Making feedback and post-occupancy evaluation routine 1: A portfolio of feedback techniques. Building Research & Information, 33, pp. 347–352.

Clements-Croome, D. (2013). Introduction. In Intelligent Buildings: An Introduction (pp. 17-21). Routledge.

Collins, J. F., & Moren, P. (2009). Good Practice Guide: Negotiating the Planning Maze. RIBA Publishing.

El-Omari, S., & Moselhi, O. (2009). Integrating Automated Data Acquisition Technologies for Progress Reporting of Construction Projects. Proceedings of the 2009 International Symposium on Automation and Robotics in Construction (ISARC 2009). doi:10.22260/isarc2009/0048 Gramazio, F., Kohler, M., & Willmann, J. (2014). Authoring Robotic Processes. Architectural Design,84(3), 14-21. doi:10.1002/ad.1751 Helm, V. (2014). In-Situ Fabrication: Mobile Robotic Units on Construction Sites. Architectural Design,84(3), 100-107. doi:10.1002/ad.1763 Leaman, A., (2010). Building evaluation: practice and principles, pp.564-577, Retrieved from: https://www.tandfonline. com/doi/ Li, H., Huang, T., Kong, C., Guo, H., Baldwin, A., Chan, N., & Wong, J. (2008). Integrating design and construction through virtual prototyping. Automation in Construction,17(8), 915-922. doi:10.1016/j.autcon.2008.02.016 Morel, P. (2014). Computation or Revolution. Architectural Design,84(3), 76-87. doi:10.1002/ad.1761 Obrien, J. (1996). Holistic-Automation of Construction Projects. Proceedings of the 13th International Symposium on Automation and Robotics in Construction. doi:10.22260/isarc1996/0023 Oxman, N., Duro-Royo, J., Keating, S., Peters, B., & Tsai, E. (2014). Towards Robotic Swarm Printing. Architectural Design,84(3), 108-115. doi:10.1002/ ad.1764 Rand, A. (2017). The fountainhead. New York: New American Library. Verebes, T. (2014). Crisis! What Crisis? Retooling for Mass Markets in the 21st Century. Architectural Design,84(3), 126-133. doi:10.1002/ad.1766 Wolfgang F.E. Preiser, (1995) “Post occupancy evaluation: how to make buildings work better”, Facilities, Vol. 13 Issue: 11, pp.19-28, 62

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