Building-Volume Designs with Optimal Life-Cycle Costs

Abstract

This report provides a detailed overview of the building-volume optimization (BVO) model. It allows for insights into elements that comprise the BVO model, describes its setup as an optimization tool for design and tests its possibilities through exemplary runs. It includes the description of all life-cycle cost (LCC) members involved and explains the implemented optimization process approach. It also provides a perspective regarding the sensitivity and consequences of the BVO model. Serving as decision-support for designers the model qualifies as a practice-oriented application during the early design stage. Test results indicate that LCC considerations can significantly affect building-volume designs during this stage.Therefore, the introduction of cost objectives to the building-volume design represents a valuable approach. Enabling for their inclusion, design issues referring to estimated building performances, are capable of improvement before design finalization. Especially comparisons between initial and operational costs imply that, with increasing life-cycle periods, the impact of operational costs on shaping building-volume design is continuously growing.