Background
Buildings that are being plannedand constructed today will
most likely still be in use in 50-100 years time. The principal
commitment of sustainability is to the long term and, in respecting the
needs of future generations, it is important to consider maintenance and
management objectives at the outset of a project. In general, the care
taken at the design stage, not only with materials for a building’s
fabric and skin but also with the accessibility and complexity of its
services and the choice of monitoring systems (especially for water and
energy), will be crucial in determining how efficiently it will operate.
For larger schemes it is desirable that maintenance responsibilities
should be clearly defined, particularly between occupants, utility
companies, local authorities and specialist (e.g. landscaping)
contractors. There is an onus on repairing rather than replacement where
changes are being planned for older buildings -since some types of
modernisation may trigger a decline that could threaten their survival.
Finally, owners and occupiers need high quality information about how
to use a new or refurbished building, which should improve their
capability and motivation to realise its ‘green’ potential.
