Capitalizing on Early Project Opportunities to Improve Facility Life-Cycle Performance

This paper presents the findings from the design and construction of the Helsinki University of Technology Auditorium Hall 600 (HUT-600) in Finland. Running simultaneously with the construction project, an international research partnership extensively documented and analyzed the use of product modeling and interoperability standards for information exchange. The project team improved design cycle times and minimized data re-entry through an array of design, visualization, simulation, and analysis tools. Building on the resulting efficiency and time-savings during the early conceptual phase, the project team conducted a variety of in-depth life-cycle studies and alternative comparisons on thermal performance, operation costs, energy consumption, and environmental impact. Such unconventional practices empowered the building owners to better align the long-term facility values with their strategic plans.