Delivering sustainable design excellence: the potential role of holistic building performance evaluation

Abstract

The argument for building performance evaluation (BPE) has, to date, largely been made by actors focused upon ensuring the achievement of quantitative standards of performance, such as energy performance and carbon emissions. However, it can also be argued that the value of an understanding of quantitative and qualitative performance and its role in evidence-informed design is much broader. Indeed, that the potential provided by the embedding of learning cycles from BPE stretches across both architecturally and sustainability led design paradigms. Thus providing opportunities to inform the significant changes in architectural practice required to achieve architectural and sustainable holistic design excellence. This paper aims to explore the role that BPE might play in this transition through reporting of performance of Stirling Prize winners, as proxies for Architectural Design Excellence; framework evaluation of the language associated with current BPE practice and establishment of an expanded holistic scope for BPE.