Buildings are major consumers of energy and material resources and can be vulnerable to natural and man-made hazards. Poor performance of a building in a number of areas, like structural integrity and energy use, can result in disruption to the regular functionality of the building and even communities. Bringing buildings back to full operation after a disruptive event can result in additional resource consumption and life cycle impacts. Making building more material, energy, and water efficient can, in turn, make them more resilient, and on-site energy generation, water collection, and water treatment may ensure continuous functionality during disruptions to the grid. This research area focuses on evaluating the sustainability and resilience of buildings during the design phase but also analyzes impacts of existing buildings and rating systems.
This project was funded by the National Science Foundation: Collaborative Research RSB: A Sequential Decision Framework to Support Trade Space Exploration of Multi-Hazard Resilient and Sustainable Building Designs
