Integrate BIM and Life Cycle Cost Analysis and Assessment to Design Sustainable Elderly-Friendly Buildings at the Initial Stage

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The vision of this research program is to evaluate, identify and fill many of the gaps that exist in the development of an integrated platform, which is used to assess and analyze the design of sustainable elderly-friendly buildings (SEFBs) for Canadians at the initial stage within the concept of Building Information Modeling (BIM). The notion of elderly friendly buildings is relevant to the construction industry because it takes into consideration a variety of factors related to human needs. This is of high importance given the increased aging population in Canada, which is expected to account for 25% of Canada's population by 2051. The aim of sustainable design is to create homes that are livable, comfortable and energy efficient. Sustainable design requires reducing depletion of critical resources and preventing environmental degradation caused by facilities throughout their life cycle. The challenge facing the Architect/Engineering/Construction (A/E/C) industry in relation to sustainability is to meet the demands of new and renovated facilities that are secure and healthy while minimizing their impact on the environment, society and economy. To improve energy performance, we use materials with minimal life-cycle environmental impacts (EIs), which are part of the fundamental principles for sustainable design. BIM technology enables engineers to design and create virtual models while visualizing and evaluating various design alternatives before construction begins. Designers use BIM tools to create 3D models wherein associated components are selected from a built-in database. However, information related to sustainable design is not yet incorporated into these models. Predicting energy consumption and expenditures of SEFBs at the initial design stage will contribute to reducing energy and resource costs. Yet, it is beneficial to apply an initial method at the feasibility stage to identify the components needed to design and construct SEFBs, to assess their EIs, and to analyze their costs within BIM environment. Critical decisions about the continuation or dismissal of projects are made during the initial design stage, in which the available information is limited. However, these decisions are based on feasibility studies that evaluate the cost, benefit and profitability of projects without entailing detailed data and design expertise or experience. Decision makers are in need of dependable techniques and tools that they can use when deciding on the status of building projects. Therefore, it is vital to establish an initial design strategy to better understand the components needed to do SEFBs, and to evaluate and classify their related costs and benefits. To apply such a strategy, it is essential to develop a fully integrated platform that integrates BIM and sustainability requirements at the initial design stage of building construction.