The alignment of sustainability and constructability: A continuous value enhancement process

The demand for sustainable buildings is a rapidly emerging trend in the building industry. Often achieving significant gains in operating performance and enhancing facility health, the benefits of these buildings are substantial. However, the process of delivering (procuring, designing and constructing) these facilities is more difficult than for traditional projects and controlled using project management techniques. As such, existing project management techniques on sustainable building projects struggle to handle the high levels of complexity present. In many projects, environmental objectives are viewed as "tack ons" to normal project management requirements. This often leads to inefficiencies in the delivery process that inhibit many cost-saving opportunities from being realized, and that can lead to increased capital costs. However, a number of exemplary or "high performance" projects have overcome the first cost hurdle by identifying a series of sustainable solutions that also improved project performance in terms of schedule, cost and quality.; A process-based model, called the Continuous Value Enhancement Process (CVEP), is developed to systematically generate and evaluate project alternatives leading to high performance solutions that improve project performance and increase levels of sustainability. Developed specifically to address the challenges facing the Pentagon Renovation---which will become the world's largest green office renovation---CVEP is experimentally implemented and tested to research its ability to support project management decision making in ways that elevate sustainability and project performance.; Results of the detailed case study investigation show CVEP produced first cost and life cycle cost savings. The results also demonstrate CVEP has the following capabilities: (1) provides a systematic evaluation process, (2) is capable of collecting high performance building solutions, (3) produces significant project decisions and identifies their appropriate timing for use on future projects, (4) produces new and innovative solutions, and (5) is applicable to projects outside the Pentagon. The results of the research show that it is possible to develop targeted project management techniques, like CVEP, to improve the cost-effectiveness provision of sustainable buildings.