total building performance (TBP)

Definition
Total Building Performance (TBP) or sometimes known as whole-building approach is a system approach and process, to unlock values in your buildings. It is a concept that originated from the United States of America.

Considerations in TBP
The broad categories of variables suggested, both quantifiable and subjective, are:

1. Building performance mandates, namely, indoor air quality, acoustical quality, visual quality, thermal comfort quality, spatial quality, energy and building integrity.

2. Functional requirements- fitness for use in terms of supportiveness, responsiveness and effectiveness.

3. Aesthetics - the impression of building and interior space considerations.

4. Maintainability - ease of maintenance and the associated cost

5. Cost consideration - cost density, social cost (i.e. relationship between building and immediate environment), revenue and market value.

Building performance mandates
The performance mandates cannot be understood in isolation from each other. They are related through the multiple effects of building component choice and building systems integration.

Interrelationship
TBP mandates are related by physiological (e.g. comfort), psychological (e.g. privacy), sociological (e.g. beauty) and economic limits of acceptability. The method shown here for setting priorities and integrating multiple performance requirements was developed by a committee of the Conseil International du Batiment.

Levels of integration
In the resolution of integrations for each performance area, building designers have a rich set of alternatives. On a physical level, the systems may be remote, touching, connected, meshed or unified.

1. Remote
2. Touching
3. Connected
4. Meshed
5. Unified

Formal/Apparent Levels of Integration
In visual terms, physical integration can be clearly visible, visible with a surface change (colour, texture, pattern, and accentuation), visible with a size or shape change, visible with a placement change (dislocation), or completely hidden.

1. Hidden
2. Clearly Visible
3. Surface Change only
4. Size or Shape Change
5. Placement Change (Dislocation)

A building does not perform if the building services, facilities and amenities do not support and respond effectively to the needs of building occupants. This is an area where the mandate of private occupiers is significant and that they dictate their requirements, in terms of (level of) comfort, security, amenities, interior accessibility and configuration, and ease of use of building facilities.

Future Proofing
The above TBP requirement in term places heavy pressure on the team of designers to deliver what the market demands to get value for money in the envisaged window of time. At best, developer, with the advice of designers, tries to place as many technical options (flexibility) as possible for future clients (today). This is future proofing.

Aesthetics
This is an important consideration. Aesthetic is not just about beauty of building exterior. It touches on the language of space, and the possible psychological and sociological comforts attached to it. To a layman user, aesthetic is best seen in the followings:

1. Green architecture (i.e. correct use of indoor plants, landscape, etc)
2. Choice of material (i.e. type, texture, colour, etc)
3. Natural amenities value (i.e. openness, windows, etc)
4. Spatial performance of interior (i.e. light, ventilation, noise level, ambience, etc)

Interior planner, architect, M & E engineer and user group are suggested for this decision making process. The involvement of M & E engineer is simple, because he has to integrate building services with the desired design features.

Maintainability
This is the final stage of a completed building product and it is usually more than 20 years in the first life cycle of the building per se. This period sees different tenants, probable different uses of space, and refurbishment/retrofitting of building services at certain stage(s) of the economic life span of building.

Least to say, this is the period where building revenue is generated and facility should not be allowed to dilapidate. The misfortunate matter however is the dissociation of decision-making in the design stage from credible maintenance knowledge gained.

It is not difficult to pinpoint that the maintainability aspect of building is not usually, and carefully considered at the design stage that could help to save financial resources in the life cycle of commercial building.

Maintenance engineers and property managers should be offered an opportunity to contribute their inputs in this process along with the building specialists.

Cost Consideration
This is a question of economics and social responsibility. The cost density, in terms of $/sq m for construction cost is usually obtainable. Correlation between economic value and construction cost can be extrapolated fairly easily by building economists. However, the social cost that is examining the relationship between building and immediate environment is aptly ignored. Social cost includes public amenities, environmental impact and outgassing of building leading to heat island effect (climate).

Developer, planner, building economists (includes Quantity Surveyor) and environmental assessor should address this aspect.

Further Information
To find out more about the local developments in Total Building Performance, please visit http://www.ctbp.bdg.nus.edu.sg/