Managing Sustainability Value in Design: a Systems Approach
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Managing Sustainability Value in Design: A Systems Approach Vera M. Novak Dissertation submitted to the faculty of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Environmental Design and Planning Christine M. Fiori, Co-Chair Michael J. Garvin, Co-Chair Gregory A. Howell C. Theodore Koebel Georg Reichard 12-12-2012 Blacksburg, Virginia Keywords: Sustainability values, design management, whole systems thinking Copyright © 2012 VM Novak Managing Sustainability Value in Design: A Systems Approach Vera M. Novak ABSTRACT The aim of the research is to identify core conditions that support increased delivery of sustainability in the built environment. The selected methodology is constructive research, which is distinguished by the dual focus on practical industry perspectives and theoretical knowledge. The first research question examines how Target Value Design (TVD), an integrated design management process, can elicit better delivery of sustainability values. This is developed through case study research of an exemplary design team and project. The findings identify a gap in the capability of the team to adopt a whole systems approach in order to make explicit the values of sustainable prosperity and develop a unified vision. This provides the basis for the second research question - how can design teams gain an understanding of the systemic nature of sustainability, and how can this understanding impact the design process? The research proposes an intervention method that aligns learning models from the disciplines of experiential learning cycles, design thinking, behavior modeling, systems thinking and unified vision. This integrated approach leverages creative design activities to capture the learning potential for individual skills and team building. While the research acknowledges the limitations from the testing of a single workshop experiment, post-workshop data suggests the intervention framework is sufficiently robust and versatile enough to adapt to individual workshop circumstances. The key research outcome is the importance of the people in the process of collaborative design, in their ability to envision a future state of sustainable prosperity and articulate explicit actionable values. VERA NOVAK MANAGING SUSTAINABILITY VALUE IN DESIGN: A SYSTEMS APPROACH PREFACE Preface “Reading maketh a full man, conference a ready man, and writing an exact man.” Sir Francis Bacon Never did the words of Sir Francis Bacon ring truer than in the work of a dissertation. I soon discovered that immersing myself in reading, conferences and lectures was only the first step, albeit a very important one. The final step was the writing, but the most critical aspect of shaping thought was the “conferencing,” or the dialogues with colleagues who provided a critical audience, sometimes a sparring partner, and often a source of inspiration. I would like to thank my partners in this process. The students who helped shape the nascent concepts: Chris Strock, Chris Henry, Brendon Johnston. My friends who fielded frenzied phone calls when I needed help articulating the germs of ideas, or obsessing with exacting vocabulary: Janet Embry, Amber Dalley, Dr. Toni Thiriot and Judy Hopkins. My good friend Julie Easton and her son Dylan provided the initial concept of Dragonfly Pond, an eco-system workshop, which eventually metamorphosed into the intervention method that is the key outcome of this research. A special thanks to my mother, who listened patiently as I gained understanding through the explaining of my latest, greatest break-through idea. She has suffered through many a vacation looking at vernacular building materials or designs, and has served as my primary workforce on more than one remodel project. It is thanks to her unconditional support and belief in me that I had the courage to return to academia and undertake this venture. My early academic progress was supported by several of the professors at Virginia Tech. Dr. Yvan Beliveau was a fellow believer in integrated design practice, and sponsored my first meeting with the International Group for Lean Construction. Dr. Andrew McCoy proved to be a man of wide ranging talents, as he initially provided me with the tools to organize my research and later stretched the limits of my pragmatic thinking to more esoteric thoughts. Dr. Annie Pearce provided the early guidance in the research of sustainability topics and served on my Masters Committee. Dr. Robert Schumann extended an open door to my initial foray into the understanding of A/E/C collaboration, and served as an early committee member. Work on the First Year Experience freshman program with Professor Mills presented an opportunity for research and the means of travelling to England to meet with colleagues in lean construction. The academic community of lean construction authored has much of the literature that formed my background research, and they have continued to inspire me through their unique approach to iii VERA NOVAK MANAGING SUSTAINABILITY VALUE IN DESIGN: A SYSTEMS APPROACH PREFACE distributed self-governance. I would like to give special thanks to Dr. Lauri Koskela and Dr. Carlos T. Formosa for hosting the IGLC20 summer session on design science, the “Women of Lean” for creating a personal and academic community, and the European “lean” academics for welcoming me as one of their own. As the work progressed, I have been fortunate enough to rely on the considerable academic prowess of Dr. Felix Schmid for honest critique, and Professor Christopher Monson for training in design thinking and countless hours of spirited discussion. None of this work is accomplished without a great support system. Many thanks to our department librarian Patrick Tomlin, who was willing to augment the library as appropriate and the team at the Interlibrary Loan, who have been a lifeline in tracking down endless requests in all languages. This was an invaluable service for my research, which took on an increasingly international flavor. I also met on several occasions with Jonathan Stalling at LISA, who advised me through the several iterations of my research approach, and coach me through the statistical significance of the final data. Within our department, a warm thanks for the friendship and support of our team: Stephanie Randel and Amanda Lucas, Lisa Cash, and Renee Ryan, who helped to navigate the bureaucratic quagmire of the degree paperwork. And finally, I wish to express my appreciation for the committee members who have been through this journey with me. Dr. Georg Reichard, who guided the committee through the Master’s degree, and supported the academic and funding process as my initial advisor. Dr. Michael Garvin, co-chair, who provided guidance through the case study methodology, and along with Dr. Ted Koebel, helped to shape the final document. Greg Howell, from the Lean Construction Institute, who has provided guidance since December of 2009, when I tracked him down to learn about this new idea of “lean” construction. Conversations with Greg are generally followed by an e-mail with reading lists that keep me busy for weeks. I’ve reserved the greatest heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Christine Fiori, who was the first to welcome me to the department and assumed the committee leadership to guide this process to its conclusion. She has directed the final writing process clearly and efficiently. But most of all, Dr. Fiori has offered the most critical component of Francis Bacon’s axiom. She has offered her time in dialogue, to help me shape my ideas and personal aspirations. For this, I am most grateful. My hope with this dissertation is that all readers, both practitioners and academics, will find some nugget of inspiration for their own work. I also hope that this research will make a contribution to improvements, both continuous and radical, which promote sustainability in the built environment. Blacksburg, December 12, 2012 Vera M. Novak Invent the Future iv VERA NOVAK MANAGING SUSTAINABILITY VALUE IN DESIGN: A SYSTEMS APPROACH TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents 1 Introduction 1 1.1 Preliminary Problem Identification ....................................................................... 2 1.2 Research Methodology ...................................................................................... 3 1.3 Working Definitions ............................................................................................ 9 1.4 Dissertation Structure and Manuscript Option ......................................................... 12 1.5 References ................................................................................................. 15 2 Theoretical Foundations 19 2.1 Sustainability from Waste Management to Value Generation ................................ 21 2.2 Construction Productivity and Value Engineering ................................................. 26 2.3 Integrating Project Delivery ............................................................................... 36 2.4 Lean in Construction ........................................................................................ 42 2.5 From Waste Management to Value Creation ........................................................ 51 2.6 Conclusions and Research Gaps ............................................................................ 71 2.7 References ................................................................................................. 72 3 Empirical Foundations