Project Management Lifecycle (PMLG) for Green Building

In Vietnam, recently, there are some PMLG/PMLES projects which show a perspective of responsibility in protecting the environment both from Government Agencies and Non-Profit Organizations. However, there are also problems that affecting the projects.

1.            The market

2.            Commercial

3.            Dependence on Local Government’s Policies system

4.            The resource

5.            The techniques and technologies systems

6.            The real-life experience

The Project Management Lifecycle for Green building (PMLG) is the expectation of the 2^nd Green building generation, while the Project Management Lifecycle for Energy Saving Green building (PMLES) is the objective of the 5^th energy generation. PMLES is large representation sample of PMLG in which they can maximize the energy saving and minimize the cost for design and construction by using less energy & water in their own lifecycle. There is a difference between PMLG and PMLES in which PMLG is long-term strategy vision, while PMLES is short-term tactics of situation solution in Vietnam. But in reality, PMLES is a part of the PMLG’ spectrum. 

As a result, all stakeholders of the project need to understand thoroughly how the Green issues must be implemented during the PMLG – especially that the Green concept is created in the plan and design stages, and that will strongly affect the next stages as tender, construction, maintain and renovation stages.

Furthermore, a building can only be called PMLG/PMLES once it is certificated by an independent third party such as VGBC and/or ECC-HCMC (Energy Conservation Center of Ho Chi Minh City or Ministry of Industry and Trade of Vietnam) in which the Rating System depends on the 2^nd   Green building generation’s standard and codes (refer to Post-New York Zoning Law).

Mr. Nguyễn Anh Tuấn made a case study aimed to :

          1. identify what drives Green projects

          2. identify the PMLG development.

          3. find out the problems and benefits of the PMLG/PMLES in Vietnam; and to propose analysis and solutions for the problems/issues.

          4. propose a framework to implement the PMLG/PMLES in Vietnam.

  

Conclusions

During the past ten years, the energy saving criterion and energy using efficiency of Vietnam has been becoming the national aim program through Agreement No: 21/2011/NĐ-CP issued on 29 March 2011.

In this report, the author wanted to show the world trend to assess the green building based on the PMLG process. From that, there are efficiency methods to examine and evaluate the long-term project for the design or urban through its impact with environment in whole lifecycle of green building, since PMLG is expected to meet the requirements of owner, and PMLG is the result of the enhancement of PMLES process which is large representation sample of the PMLG process. Moreover, the scope of PMLG may be narrow, for example, it’s not only the maintenance policies of building energy saving but also the expansion in purchasing, cleaning, recycling of office waste and equipment.   

The PMLES is one of the criteria terms of Lotus tools. Therefore, PMLES’ solution is usually based on Eco-charrette process and Building Performance Simulation (BPS) to exactly assess and respond to the selected solution of PMLG, because PMLES are qualitative from the design stage to achieve aims as per as the following objectives:  

1^st Objective: In reality, there are three main factors to drive green project such as following:

(i)                The countenance and incentive from Government is the most motivation factor to rapidly expand the green industry. However, Vietnam has the higher cost which is the serious barriers and obstacle to attract developers and others. So, how can these problems/issues be solved? In order to encourage the developers and others, the most efficient solution supported by the government and community in each term of the payment is that they can promulgate the good tax policies and deliver the special permission with a short time approval.

(ii)    Green building perception in community: the Eco-charrette model is recognized in comparing the investment of new buildings to the conventional buildings and existing buildings in which they have been creating a long-term financial saving for green building and returning more effectively in investment initial capital to increase the lifecycle efficiency of new buildings.    

(iii)        To reduce energy consumption through operation stage and maintenance: The green buildings require a higher capital cost to design and build. On the other hand, in long term plan, the sustainable building experts assign that the potential green buildings reduce operational and maintenance costs which are equal or has lower capital cost through building’s lifecycle. Moreover, the financial motivation in building energy efficient buildings is recognizing the difference between latent energy use and consumption.  

2^nd Objective: the site for green building is one of the ten criteria which is of first importance of Lotus tools. Thus, in order to identify PMLG project for green building project development, the project must be connected with environment. Moreover, when we apply to Eco-charrette model which has critical situation in both pre and post-construction, we have to know for sure that the objective of both building and organization is met as well.

(i)          The project team may consider the use of appropriate environmental management systems for new green buildings and refer it to International environment standard ISO.14001 and Lotus tools.

(ii)            Many other criteria which can be also applied to existing buildings as ISO. 50001.

3^rd Objective: Landmark building brought the perceived benefits in reducing running cost and energy cost generally, particularly and dramatically; increasing health and reducing safety risks to occupants by improving internal/external environment, etc.; improving productivity and enhancing trade name for the organizations which involved in projects. It’s easier to lead the higher rents because of market distinction and a more attractable building, especially reduce the capital cost of construction. However, Vietnam has the problems/issues that need to have appropriate solutions for pre-design stage, design and post-design stage.  

(i)    In the Pre-Design stage:

          As the prerequisite for successful green building that is trend of the age, we should have to:

a.) Using Design goals about Green building to affect the PMLG process.

b.) Performing criteria effectively as solution tools.

c.) Budgeting

d.) Scheduling

e.) using successful criteria

f.) other supporting information (as BIM)

The project team should apply Green criteria efficiently. In this stage, the team should access, review and develop object of the OPRs. At the same time, all consultants (including green consultant) must perform completely.

(ii)          In the Design stage: Steps of concept design and design development must be applied by Green criteria as follows:

a.) Using the concept of Integrated Design Process (IDP) and Commissioning Process to manage and control the project.

b.) Using the design checklist.

Next steps are:

a.) MEP (election: water, envelope, ventilation, etc.)

b.) Architecture (façade, material, etc.)

c.) Structural Building

d.) Interior

e.) Landscaping systems

(iii)      In the Post-Design stage: Project environmental control plan

a.) Waste management

b.) Air pollution control

c.) Noise control

d.) Vector control

e.) Conservation of natural resource

f.) Emergency preparedness for environmental accidents

g.) Environmental records

At the same time, developing the system test, O&M and manual Building users’ guide system are facilities of the building.

In that case study, The Landmark Building was built for very long time, so it was innovated to implement the green building assessment system. Through the proposed framework and case study, we can see that the whole team was assigned and green building assessment system is also selected at the pre-design stage. Therefore, the green criteria will be developed by Green Consultant. To meet the OPRs, the green criteria becomes the key or norm for all team in order to operate the PMLES successfully.

4^th Objective: In order to operate PMLG/PMLES in Vietnam, we are supposed to adjust extra framework from PMLES process (Figure 1) to PMLG process (Figure 2) when we applied to Eco-charrette model (Figure 3.3). Thus,

 (i)  Eco-charrette is a jargon group that talks about a model of organization. They agree in corporation to change from old process to new process which has 26 prerequisite conditions and criteria. From a negotiation meeting with stakeholder, we can identify a route clearly and which new process will be belong to from the beginning to the end. Moreover, this project team has to collect database in design stage. 

(ii)  It’s obviously; the key of this study report framework is new Eco-charrette concept. Especially, when we apply to Eco-charrette model for new project or existing building in which we need to have been understood and implemented thoroughly. It means that the whole Green Consultants Experts should be participated in the beginning and early.

Recommendations

1. For the PMLG in this report

In order to implement the PMLG in Vietnam, we must study the theories and the recommendation on the efficiency of Green building such as follows:

  (i)  In the Developing Country like Vietnam, the PMLG is a new knowledge for all and at the same time, they are also short of the technique and technologies because of no previous Green building like this. Besides, the Government should promulgate or approach the climate data for using Building performance simulation tools.

 (ii) The Law of Vietnamese Construction should have the basic requirement to catch up with the environment problems/issues as trend of the Green issues.

(iii) The Government and community should have to find out how to supply the PMLG’s information for all residence to basically understand it.

(iv) Because Vietnam is at the tropical region, architecture must depend on weather and climate in this area. Moreover, PMLG’s solutions include advantage and disadvantage such as:

a.) There are tropical forests: bamboo, coconut

b.) There are lots of natural materials: sand, refined brick

c.)  There are lots of natural energy: solar, wind, tide, geothermal

This is the favor of the natural resource with very cheap cost which they can be reused to avoid environment degradation.

On the other hands:

a.) In Vietnam, thermal outdoor is always higher than the comfortable temperature area which base on the Webb Chart or Psychometric Chart.

b.)  Because it’s in the tropical region, monsoon/windy season has high humidity.

c.) It is inadequate both modern technology and forecast on environment depletion.

As the results:

1. Needing to integrate the concept of Eco-charrette, it means that the aspects of architectural design applied to technique and technologies to carry out efficiency perfectly and understand throughout about concept of mechanical aspect. It will make the PMLG more effective.

2. In PMLG, the Green experience and Local condition should be selected by the developer for the good project team that will affect the project in order to reducing and eliminating the risk for the project.

3. The PMLG brings the long-term benefits. So, when the PMLG start with involved parties, they should think about the Green because this is key issues of the developers. The investors need to know what they will invest directly into the project with their money.

4. Finally, in response to demand for a high quality, the PMLG requires the project team to have transparency, concise organization, role, duties and responsibilities in order to avoid the confusion and conflicts. Moreover, the time and cost overrun will not happen. 

For further study

Now, the big picture of Green Building in Vietnam is only portrait during the period of national industrialization and modernization. This report has just explored the general issues in implementation of the PMLG because of limitation of the scope and time of this study.

In order to build many green building project in the construction industry, investment in Green Building practices may be a leap of faith. Further research and successful examples of sustainable building will have a challenge for the developing technology and provide direct proof of its economic and health-related benefits, and encourage its greater adoption. Moreover, they have more analysis on the specific of the PMLG to prove the efficiency of this strategy which should be managed. In addition, the higher rate of the Green Building’s project should be also studied in comparison with the normal project. They have more confidential factors in encouraging the one who wants to involve in the PMLG.

To sum up, more studies on PMLG have to be conducted in order to compare more than the convention building, so that we will have enough spectrum for sustainable developments of PMLG.

His thesis abstract is copied and posted below.

Abstract

In the first decade of the 21^st Century, the Human face to challenges which demand them to support more their own responsibility. As we have to face not only too many opportunities which we have been living in, the fourth modern age of the technology revolution, but also too many challenges such as the resource depletions, greenhouse, pollution environment, climate change and so on. But there are some disasters coming from ourselves. Therefore, obviously, we choose this topic to response for the question of the Project management Life cycle for the Green building is really truth. The report focuses on the two problems suffered: minimizing or reducing impact on nature and requiring to adapt with changes, since the natural resource cannot restore its original source.

Nowadays, we usually talk about concept of the sustainable development which is willing to do something without damaging to environment. This concept is very large and complex which has Green building and tradition as well as a part of concept above. So, this report is awared to explore the main issues. Because of the short-time and narrow scope, we have only approached to foundation which based on the main issues in the implementation of Green building assessment system such as: LEED, BREEAM, CASBEE, BCA Green Mark, and especially the Lotus tools of VGBC, ECC-HCMC which have been operated in construction environment in Vietnam.

From that case, we learned some helpful lessons and use them as the historical data and references for other green buildings.