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Opinion of tools
Name of the case study
Sustainable design of DR City
Name of tool
MEMPD (Manual on Environmental Management in Project Design (in Danish: ´Miljørigtig projektering´).
Opinion of tool - argumentation for choosing the tool
The tool was voluntarily chosen and a part of the green profile for the DR City. The environmental consultant for DR, Mrs. Marianne Fox, comes from the consultant company COWI who played an active role in developing MEMPD about 10 years ago. She has experiences using the MEMPD, but is rather critical towards the tool, or parts of it. For instance, the handbook recommends environmental screening, but describes little about how to carry it out in practice, or gives any examples on screenings. Her general experience is that tools, to work in practice, have to be simple and manageable.
This tool was chosen, according to the environmental consultant for DR, because MEMPD was the only tool available for the purpose and the consultant was familiar with this tool (interview). It was also planned also to use the LCA-tool BEAT 2000, for the environmental screening of building materials and components. This was however dropped, as it would require a lot of data collection, and also it was uncertain how much new knowledge the tool would provide.
Opinion of tool - barriers for the tool implementation
There are different problems related to using MEMPD. For instance, the handbook recommends environmental screening, but describes little about how to carry it out in practice, or gives any examples on screenings. MEMPD is very comprehensive in its full version. Therefore it was used in a ?flexible? way that corresponded to the specific case. In general, MEMPD does not guarantee any environmental improvements. It only suggests the user which steps to follow, including setting of environmental goals. Therefore the results on using MEMPD depend on the client?s ability and ambitions on defining and pursuing such goals.
Opinion of tool - assessment by tool users
According to the environmental consultant it is very difficult to assess the influence on using MEMPD; many initiatives are just a matter of common sense. The user involvement, that was a matter of using MEMPD, meant that the issues of indoor climate probably got a higher priority than if the users had not bee asked. There have been no recorded spin-off´s.
Lessons learned:
• Using the MEMPD in the DR City has served as a learning project for the involved actors (owners, consultants and contractors). The actors will most likely take the experiences from this project with them to other projects.
• Use of benchmarks has been limited. A large part of the sustainable measures have been defined by choosing ´green´ technologies, and to choose the most sustainable solutions along the way.
• The problem that many have experienced using MEMPD is one reason for the limited use of the tool. This case illustrates that once the actors get familiar with the ideas, processes and methodologies, it becomes easier to use. Participating in a project like this will probably make it easier for the actors to use the methodology of MEMPD in other projects, and to and to recommend it to others.
• The client have put many resources into the project, and wanted it to be a state-of-the-art project for sustainable building. For most clients and designers, this is not a realistic model to apply on buildings in general.
• One decisive factor for using the tools has been that sustainable concerns were prioritized right from the beginning, and was clearly defined in the building program. Another factor is that the chairman of the building committee as a person was strongly committed to sustainability.
By testing, measuring and demonstrating the energy-saving devices it is, according to the consultants, an ambition that such technologies will become better known and spread to other projects. However, this will probably be versions adapted to the specific case, as in DR City. Some consultants have made their own versions of the MEMPD, which they will use in the future. Also, a new version of MEMPD has been developed: ABC Planner, which is a web-based tool, making the procedures and choices described in MEMPD easier to use. Special adapted editions of the ABC Planner can be made for customers, which different municipalities and designers already have shown interest in.
Using the MEMPD in the DR City has served as a learning project for the involved actors (owners, consultants and contractors). The actors will most likely take the experiences from this project with them to other projects.
Opinion of tool - reviewer\'s assessment
The tool MEMPD has proved to be useful, but not necessarily applied in its full version. The case illustrates that once the actors get familiar with the ideas, processes and methodologies, it becomes easier to use. Participating in a project like this will probably make it easier for the actors to use the methodology of MEMPD in other projects, and to and to recommend it to others.
A new version of MEMPD has been developed: ABC Planner, which is a web-based tool, making the procedures and choices described in MEMPD easier to use. Special adapted editions of the ABC Planner can be made for customers, which different municipalities and designers already have shown interest in.
What tools were used to assess sustainability?
MEMPD (Manual on Environmental Management in Project Design (in Danish: ´Miljørigtig projektering´).
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