Design Economics for the Built Environment

The drive towards environmentally friendly buildings and infrastructure has led to a growing interest in providing design solutions underpinned by the core principles of sustainability to balance economic, social and environmental factors.

Design Economics for the Built Environment: Impact of sustainability on project evaluation presents new directions, reflecting the need to recognise the impact of climate change and the importance of sustainability in project evaluation. The aim is to provide a new approach to understanding design economics in the context of the changing policy environment, legislative and regulatory framework, and increasing economic, environmental and social pressure as result of the sustainability agenda.

The book follows a structured approach from theories and principles in the earlier chapters, to the practical applications and emerging techniques focusing on value and social, economic and environmental considerations in making design decisions. It starts with the policy context, building on various theories and principles such as, capital cost, value of design and resource-based theories, the new rules of measurement (NRM) to explore cost planning, the relationship between height and costs, key socio-economic and environmental variables for design appraisal, eco-cost/value ratio (EVR), whole life theory and the treatment of carbon emission as external costs, productivity and efficiency, fiscal drivers and legal framework for carbon reduction, procurement and allocation of risks in contracts.

Case studies, practical examples and frameworks throughout reinforce theories and principles and relate them to current practice. The book is essential reading for postgraduate students in architecture, building and quantity surveying and is also a valuable resource for academics, consultants and policy-makers in the built environment.

The Editors

Professor Herbert Robinson, is currently a Regional Adviser and Head of Training Division at the United Nations African Institute for Economic Development and Planning (IDEP), part of United Nations Regional Economic Commission for Africa. He was Professor of Construction Economics at London South Bank University and a Senior Research Associate at Loughborough University, UK.

Barry Symonds, Senator h.c. Biberach an der Riss, Managing Director of Symonds Konsult International  and Associate Director for Rapid5D (BIM Solutions UK). He was the Head of Property, Surveying and Construction at London South Bank University, UK. As a chartered quantity surveyor, he worked as a partner and consultant for practices in the UK and New Zealand. He held academic advisory roles and has been visiting professor, and external examiner in the UK and abroad.

Professor Barry Gilbertson is a Visiting Professor at the University of Northumbria in Newcastle and was a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers for 15 years. Barry was the first chartered surveyor to become a partner in a firm of chartered accountants, anywhere in the world, and the 123rd President of RICS in 2004/5. Barry was a member of the United Nations Real Estate Advisory Group and a member of the Bank of England's Property Forum.

Professor Benedict D. Ilozor teaches construction management, architecture, facilities planning, design & management at the School of Engineering Technology, Eastern Michigan University, where he is Research & Graduate Assistants Coordinator. He previously taught in Australian universities, and was head of Facilities Management for the Built Environment Research Group at the School of Architecture & Building, Deakin University.