Sustainable Facilities Management (SFM)

SFM is an integrated strategy for the sustainability improvement of an organisations primary processes and supporting facilities and services (SFM model). It involves the sustainable development of buildings management, leadership and service to improve the sustainability of the built environment. It aims to maintain and develop high quality in terms of energy and resource efficient jobs and increased job satisfaction, productivity and efficiency for the building users, owners and facilities managers in daily operations and activities.

Since 2011, Sustainable Facilities Management (SFM) has been an important focus and learning objective for research projects, and it is established as a Master course in SFM at the Faculty of Architecture and Fine Art.

Research in SFM - Minder (ongoing)

Minder - Methodologies for Improvement of Non-residential Buildings' Daily Energy Efficiency Reliability

This research project is funded by the Norwegian Research Council for the period 2013-2016. The project leader at NTNU is the Faculty of Humanities (HF). Faculty of Architecture and Fine Art is collaborating with ZEB (Research Centre for Zero Emission Buildings).

The multidisciplinary research group in MINDER study’s energy-efficient buildings and requirements for how energy could be managed in buildings. One of the critical points is whether the buildings actual energy performance can be kept close to its original target. The overall objective is to contribute to the creation of positive circles between buildings and its use and operation in everyday life, which is able to stabilize or increase the energy efficiency of buildings.
Read more about research at MINDER's website

Usability

Usability or fitness for buildings in use. The term usability puts the user perspective in focus and looks at how building operation, organisation and technology can support.
NTNU is cooperating with Statoil, Hydro, Public Construction and Sør Trøndelag County on various usability projects. NTNU have also collaborated in an international project called "EraBuild project", with partners in Sweden and Finland. The usability project has resulted in methods of evaluation and usability in buildings (USE - TOOL); See publications / books.

Usability in the workplace

A primary goal of the Centre for Real Estate and Facilities Management is to put the user back into focus in the construction industry. Buildings are built for a purpose; as a workplace, housing, leisure, entertainment or education - to mention a few. The main question is whether buildings supports user organisation and contributes to value creation or not.

Our use of the term "usability" is based on an international organisation for standardization (ISO), which relates to standards of ergonomics of human interaction. We define buildings as efficient and powerful products that will contribute to user satisfaction. Upon seeing buildings as a tool that supports the activities that take place in them - and by understanding relationship building must have with its users by planning and design stage, organisations potential to maximize building efficiency and increasing user satisfaction. A building usability never just depends on the building itself, but must be understood through its relationship with users. The context depends on several factors, such as location, market, technology, time, culture and values, and further user history, experiences and perceptions. This means it can be considered applicable in one situation, and not necessarily in another.

One of the main objectives of our work is to understand the concept , underlying factors and mechanisms, and to develop theories and methods to evaluate the usability of buildings. Usetool has been designed to gain insight into user experiences of a building - and to see the building's ability to support the core business. Usetool methodology is developed in close cooperation with three Norwegian partners in a research project. All partners have large building portfolios they manage and develop on behalf of its user organization. The goal was to develop a set of tools that were easy to use and that provide both an overview and more detailed knowledge when facilities managers evaluate the usability of their buildings. Each partner fielded a case that was used for testing and development of these methodologies and tools. Usetool has subsequently been used in several projects as a strategic tool in the development of existing facilities and programming for new buildings, as well as in several other projects and student assignments to assess usability in office buildings, schools, colleges, nurseries and even for public, outdoor spaces. Our studies and tests indicate that the described methods and tools have failed to consider within a given context, with special focus on the efficiency of the plants and their ability to support value creation for an organisation. An important question has been whether our usability evaluations have improved practices and driven innovation, new solutions and new contexts for use. One study showed that innovation is possible if usability evaluations are part of a larger development. Such assessments can be drivers of innovation where there is great need for change - and where key stakeholders have a good understanding of the project and their requirements.

The value of evaluations of usability rests in the ability to understand consumer experiences to divert to the right products and solutions.

SYMBIOSE. Centre for Research-based Innovation for the real estate industry in Norway (SFI).

Symbiosis, is to be a leading national and international centre for multidisciplinary and research-based innovation in building processes. It’s primary purpose is to: - Reinvent building processes and make it possible for players in the construction industry to create innovation through long-term research.

• Using the industry as a living lab, and promote the development of industry-oriented research clusters at the forefront of national and international research, and as an integral part of dynamic, international research networks.
• Facilitate active cooperation between innovative companies in construction industry value chain and strong research groups at NTNU, NTNU Social Research, SINTEF and Management.
• Stimulating research training in areas that are important to end users and the construction sector, and encourage the transfer of research-based knowledge and technology.
• To identify and facilitate the development of organisational and project opportunities to increase value creation and delivery.

The Symbiosis proposal was prepared by 12 companies representing different parts of the value chain for property (clients, architects, engineers and contractors), five related associations and networks, governments at construction site and Bygg21, along with research partners. If accepted, this centre will obtain eight years of funding, representing approximately 216 million or 26 million Euro’s.

R & municipal property

Government and Regional Development from 2008 supported a five-year research program on municipal and county property.

Research at NTNU has lead to the development and management of public buildings in a life cycle perspective and as the Property Commission's report said "Well-maintained buildings to give more to everyone."

The program has funded two PhD candidates; Nora Klungseth and Arnt Ove Hopland. Read more about their work under PhD students. It's released report titled "IKS in municipal property management. One possibility in a myriad of municipal and inter-municipal organization solutions?", can be found under Reports. The program has also funded a survey on municipal wokplace, in cooperation with SINTEF.