Lifecycle planning guide promotes diverse lifecycle goals of Tampereen Tilapalvelut
Lifecycle planning guide promotes diverse lifecycle goals of Tampereen Tilapalvelut
As a public developer, Tampereen Tilapalvelut has many obligations and objectives that involve several fields of design. The lifecycle planning guide created by Sweco’s specialists promotes the design of lifecycle-sustainable buildings that will retain their maintainability.
Lifecycle planning involves various fields of design and directs lifecycle-sustainable construction as a whole. The shared direction of travel must be particularly clear when dealing with the extensive building stock of an entire city. ‘As a public developer, we have many obligations and objectives set for our operations, and we must take them into account comprehensively,’ says HVAC specialist Pekka Paterno from Tampereen Tilapalvelut.
Things to consider include the City of Tampere’s environmental and carbon-neutrality goals, energy efficiency requirements, circular economy, costs and other criteria. ‘We also want to construct buildings that are guaranteed to work as intended and will be easy to maintain in the future as well.’
The faster than anticipated changes in the climate have introduced significant added challenges to the lifecycle planning and indoor-climate goals of buildings. Therefore, Paterno feels that it is important to use the indoor-climate conditions as one of the variables in the energy simulations and cost optimisation in lifecycle planning. ‘Alongside the technical solutions, we must also think about the size, direction, U values and passive sun protection of windows.’
Lifecycle planning guide helps with employee induction
As an objective expert, Sweco has created a lifecycle planning guide for Tilapalvelut, describing the basics of a lifecycle planner’s duties and a client’s objectives. For example, a lifecycle planner will direct the investment decisions from the requirement assessments and project planning stage onwards, comment on the plans and rule out risky solutions. Paterno emphasises that all solutions must be based on objective reasoning. ‘We want to lead our projects with knowledge and utilise the simulation and calculation skills available in the field.’
With the guide, the framework partners of Tilapalvelut lifecycle planning will be able to direct the entire project team to operate in a uniform manner. ‘The guide will save us a lot time in advising and inducting the designers, as the basics have already been spelled out,’ says Paterno.
Comparable lifecycle calculations
Tilapalvelut requested a guide that was clear, concise and easy to update, and that would describe the entire lifecycle planning process and the responsibilities of different parties. Paterno also appreciates the fixed values included in the guide. ‘Thanks to them, the calculations of all the lifecycle planners are comparable. The list includes e.g. the client’s background information, the methods to be used and the precision level.’
In other words, the lifecycle guide harmonises the carbon footprint and handprint calculations, lifecycle comparisons and lifecycle cost calculations. ‘Otherwise, variation tends to occur, because energy efficiency regulations, decrees and guidelines still have plenty of room left for interpretation,’ Mäkitalo says. A memo of the arguments was also created for the client to explain why the planning guide had been made the way it was, which will help with updating the guide.
Shared commitment and dialogue
Paterno feels that creating the planning guide was a positive and instructive experience. Plenty of open discussions took place, and it was mutually decided which elements had to be resolved in the guide and which would be left for the lifecycle planner. ‘Sweco brought a lifecycle planner’s perspective into the project and we provided our own goals. The guide is a combination of both!’
Mäkitalo also feels that the planning guide is, first and foremost, a result of good cooperation that clearly shows the active participation of the client. The client explained its goals during the brainstorming sessions of the tendering stage, and a wide range of representatives from various design fields took part in later workshops as well. ‘Tilapalvelut was highly committed to the whole process!’
The publication of the planning guide and active communications about it are important steps towards making lifecycle planning an established practice. ‘When introducing this to the grassroots level, we want to honour methods that have been found to be good while also learning something new,’ Paterno explains. The guide will be used at least by the various parties of the lifecycle specialist framework agreement of Tilapalvelut.
Learn more about the lifecycle planning guide of Tampereen Tilapalvelut (link in Finnish)!