Building Better Less Different

Sustainability has advanced to become an overarching concern of daily life. At the same time, its ways and means are far from clear. As a holistic praxis, sustainability must combine technical and material as well as social, economic and ecological strategies that all too often have competing aims and priorities and complex interactions. In no other field can these factors and interactions be better observed, addressed and influenced than in architecture and building. Organising, planning and designing the built environment uniquely reflects the spectrum of sustainable action as a synthesis of gained experience, problem-solving and forward-looking strategies. Each volume of "Building Better - Less - Different" examines two fundamental areas of sustainability and explores their specific dynamics and interactions. After an introductory overview, innovative methods and current developments are described and analysed in in-depth essays, international case studies and pointed commentaries. The sustainability criteria of efficiency ("better"), sufficiency ("less") and consistency ("different") form the framework for each book. Together, the five planned volumes provide a systematic and up-to-date compendium of sustainable building. The first volume presents concepts, methods and examples of circularity in construction and the economy. Urban mining and circular construction are two approaches to the challenges facing architecture and urban design, using techniques such as reversible details and design for disassembly and tools such as material passports and databases. The circular economy is not solely about recycling but encompasses a wide range of strategies from local community projects to new ownership and service models and steering mechanisms such as carbon pricing schemes with climate premiums. Forthcoming volumes will cover the topics "Energy and Digitization", "Housing and Participation", "Land and Production" and "Health and Materiality".

Sustainability Sustainability is to become the guiding principle of social action and economic activity. At the same time, its ways and means are far from clear. As a holistic praxis, sustainability must combine technical and material as well as social, economic, ecological and also ethical strategies, which have multiple complex interactions and all too often also conflicting goals and priorities. In no other field can these be better observed, addressed and influenced than in architecture and building. "Building Better – Less – Different" Each volume of "Building Better – Less – Different" details two fundamental areas of sustainability and explores their specific dynamics and interactions. After introductory overviews, innovative methods and current developments are described and analysed in in-depth essays, international case studies and pointed commentaries. The sustainability criteria of efficiency ("better"), sufficiency ("less") and consistency ("different") form the framework for each book. What the press say about the first volume "Circular Construction and Circular Economy" "The articles, case studies and commentaries in this book make a major contribution to advancing the current discourse on implementing circular-based economic models in the building sector." Hessian Chamber of Architects, book reviews "To think of tomorrow when building today is the core message that Dirk E. Hebel and Felix Heisel want to convey to their readers. ... And they also show us how: with the help of relevant examples, grouped under the headings ‘better’, ‘less’ and ‘different’, they demonstrate concrete applications and argue that circular construction can also benefit the construction industry..." architektur aktuell Clean energy transition It has long been common knowledge that energy and sustainability are closely interlinked. And yet we are witnessing a profound shift in the sector. While the earlier focus was on improving energy efficiency and increasing the proportion of renewable energy in buildings, current energy conservation policies are supporting a broader, more holistic view. This encompasses integral approaches in which building design and construction measures form part of the energy concept from the outset, as well as accounting for grey energy in building materials and a holistic evaluation of buildings over their entire life cycle. For the energy-intensive and emission-producing building sector, climate change presents an even greater challenge than conserving resources. How can we contribute to a shift in heating strategies and employ new technologies to achieve climate-neutral heating? How can we respond to rising temperatures and the risk of increased energy consumption for cooling? Can low-tech concepts help to reduce the environmental impact of buildings over their life cycle? Shouldn’t we take greater account of the users of buildings, and do we need completely different energy supply strategies? Digital Transformation At a time of natural ubiquity of digital tools, widely adopted to streamline project delivery in architecture, the foundations have been laid for a profound transformation of the construction industry to address the climate crisis. Digital architectural design and construction methods can be used as enabling technologies for a fundamental change towards a circular construction approach with significantly reduced ecological and climate impact. This approach comprises a digital reinterpretation of natural building materials through digital construction technologies. Digital deconstruction and reuse strategies can transform the existing building stock into resources for the future. Mass customization of tailor-made building components minimizes resource consumption. Architects, in their emerging role as interdisciplinary interface and digital master builders, reunite design and making through digital craft. Finally, the book provides a glimpse into the potential future of construction, which might be characterized by fundamentally different concepts of design and materialization of our built environment, challenging current paradigms within our discipline.

This open access book offers a comprehensive exploration of the digital innovations that have emerged in recent years for the circular built environment. Each chapter is meticulously crafted to ensure that both academic readers and industry practitioners can grasp the inner workings of each digital technology, understand its relevance to the circular built environment, examine real-life implementations, and appreciate the intriguing business models behind them. Our primary objective is to blend scholarly knowledge with practical inspiration by providing real-life case studies for each innovation. The authors, who possess extensive expertise in their respective fields, have contributed chapters dedicated to digital technologies within their areas of specialization. The book is organized into three distinct parts. The first part focuses on data-driven digital technologies and delves into how their capabilities can facilitate the transition to a circular built environment. Essential aspects such as building information modeling (BIM), digital twins, geographical information systems (GIS), scanning technologies, artificial intelligence (AI), data templates, and material passports are explored as vital tools for data collection, integration, and analysis in the context of circular construction. In the second part, various digital technologies for design and fabrication are introduced. Topics covered include computational design algorithms, additive and subtractive manufacturing, robotic manufacturing, and extended reality. These discussions shed light on how these technologies can be leveraged to enhance design and fabrication processes within the circular built environment. Finally, the last part of the book presents emerging digital concepts related to business and governance. It explores the role of deconstruction and reverse logistics, blockchain technology, digital building logbooks, and innovative business models as enablers of circularity in the built environment. The book concludes with a chapter dedicated to digital transformation and its potential to propel the built environment towards a regenerative future. In addition to the substantive content, the book features forewords and perspectives from esteemed experts, providing valuable economic and creative insights to complement its comprehensive approach.

Monitoring and Evaluation Systems are a critical component of evidence-based policymaking. This book aims to help governments and civil society organizations design, implement and use M and E information drawing from best practice experiences.

The report brings together evidence, international experience and policy insights for the design of housing policies. Emphasis is placed on three broad aspects: inclusiveness, efficiency and sustainability. Inclusive access to housing has become increasingly challenging in many OECD countries due to a large extent to rising housing costs, which reflects the failure of housing supply to meet demand, particularly in jobs-rich urban areas.

Over the past 10 years in the field of human and organizational development, the approach to team building has moved from problem solving and conflict management to helping work groups and organizations build a foundation of trust, cooperation, and mutual support. Focusing on collaboration rather than resolving conflict, Building Better Teams: 70 Tools and Techniques for Strengthening Performance Within and Across Teams offers a fresh approach to team building. It provides proven tools for the most common needs of teams, including establishing trust, building consensus, managing change, working virtually and across boundaries, and dealing with setbacks.

At the turn of the 21st century, a significant boom in the construction of cultural buildings took saw the creation of hundreds of performing arts centers, theaters, and museums. After these buildings were completed, however, many of these cultural organizations struggled to survive, or, alternatively, drifted off mission as the construction project forced monetary or other considerations to be prioritized. Building Better Arts Facilities: Lessons from a U.S. National Study examines the ways in which organizations planned and managed building projects during this boom, and investigates organizational operations after projects were completed. By integrating quantitative data with case-study evidence, the authors identify the differences between the ways some organizations were able to successfully meet the challenges of a large construction project and others that were not. With empirical evidence and analysis, this book highlights better practices for managing and leading cultural building ventures. Readers of this book – be they arts managers, politicians, board members, city planners, foundation executives, or philanthropists – will find that book provides valuable perspective and insight about building cultural facilities, and that reading it will serve to make building projects go more smoothly in the future.

This manual provides guidance on proven disease prevention strategies and practical behavioral science principles for health workers involved in all levels of planning and operating local and regional health programmes. Issues discussed include: basic disease prevention principles; community health intervention strategies; improving health throughout the life cycle; leading forms of death and disability including brain and behavioural disorders, cardiovascular diseases, strokes and cancers; and successful strategies for behavioural change.