Identifying Key Decisions for Net-Zero Energy Building Early Design Process Through Process Mapping Techniques

Abstract

The lack of a structured approach to help the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry in making informed decisions (Korkmaz et al. 2007) for the Net-Zero Energy Building (NZEB) context establishes the need to evaluate the argumentation of the NZEB design decision process (Author, 2014). This research qualitatively analyzes the early design process of NZEB case studies that informs decision-making in the early design phase. The four components that were studied in the early design phases included key stakeholders involved (roles played), phases of assessments (design approach), processes (key processes, sub-processes, and design activities affecting performance) and technology (knowledge type and flow).