Demonstration projects as an arena for implementation and development or sustainable building

Other conference contribution, 2005

This project aims at mainstreaming sustainable building through demonstration projects. Demonstration projects are important but, at present, successful examples tend to be isolated from the "normal" practice. The approach is to develop the demonstration project as an arena for implementation of sustainable building through mutual learning between actors in the building sector and between researchers and practitioners. The core is six Swedish cases representing housing, offices and small industrial buildings. They cover both new building and renewal and the whole process, from programming to occupancy. A group of practitioners meet in workshops in order to exchange experience. A network of experts is available for support and evaluation. The dissemination will be carried out via “change agencies” in different networks. The project is in its initial phase. The tendencies so far are that demonstration projects about sustainable building needs: 1) A vision. 2) Commitment. 3) Common goals accepted by all participators in the design and building team. 4) Tools for continuous evaluation. 5) Time for learning, in which an environmental program is a useful tool. 6) Incentives, both “hard” and “soft”. 7) “Demand-pull” structures. 8) Continuous evaluations. 9) Investments. Finally, experience and knowledge are found to be primary prerequisites.