Learning in demonstration projects for sustainable building

Paper in proceeding, 2007

The process by which novel technology is implemented within project-teams is explored. The interest of the investigation is focused on how energy-efficiency goals in building affect the current practice of a project-team. The study adopts a cognitive approach and looks at the project-team as a social setting and as the fundamental organization of construction enterprises. It is assumed to be the core of individual, firm and organizational learning, but also as the link where the possibilities for the introduction of innovations in buildings are tested, proposed or discarded. It is a dynamic system where learning continuously goes on, individually and collectively. But how and what do professionals learn within projects? Where are these goals more appropriately introduced in the design process? Simultaneously many efforts are under way and the process is split among practitioners and projects. Some are based on earlier attempts others start from scratch. If there were any evident solutions, standard technology would supply.