Quality as Driver for Sustainable Construction—Holistic Quality Model and Assessment

Li Zhang, Laura Balangé, Kathrin Braun, Roberta Di Bari, Rafael Horn, Deniz Hos, Cordula Kropp, Philip Leistner and Volker Schwieger
Additional contact information
Li Zhang: Institute of Engineering Geodesy (IIGS), University of Stuttgart, D-70174 Stuttgart, Germany
Laura Balangé: Institute of Engineering Geodesy (IIGS), University of Stuttgart, D-70174 Stuttgart, Germany
Kathrin Braun: Institute for Social Sciences (SOWI), University of Stuttgart, D-70174 Stuttgart, Germany
Roberta Di Bari: Institute for Acoustics and Building Physics (IABP), University of Stuttgart, D-70563 Stuttgart, Germany
Rafael Horn: Institute for Acoustics and Building Physics (IABP), University of Stuttgart, D-70563 Stuttgart, Germany
Deniz Hos: Institute for Social Sciences (SOWI), University of Stuttgart, D-70174 Stuttgart, Germany
Cordula Kropp: Institute for Social Sciences (SOWI), University of Stuttgart, D-70174 Stuttgart, Germany
Philip Leistner: Institute for Acoustics and Building Physics (IABP), University of Stuttgart, D-70563 Stuttgart, Germany
Volker Schwieger: Institute of Engineering Geodesy (IIGS), University of Stuttgart, D-70174 Stuttgart, Germany

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 19, 1-23

Abstract: Facing rising building demands due to a fast-growing world population and significant environmental challenges at the same time, the building sector urgently requires innovation. The Cluster of Excellence Integrative Computational Design and Construction for Architecture at the University of Stuttgart tackles these challenges through a Co-Design approach for integrating computational design and engineering and robotic construction. Within this research framework, a Holistic Quality Model is developed to ensure the technical, environmental, and social quality of Co-Design processes and products. Up to now, quality models that consider and integrate all these three aspects throughout the life cycle of buildings are still missing. The article outlines the concept of holistic quality assessment based on a Holistic Quality Model for sustainable construction. A key mechanism for sustainable quality assessment in the Holistic Quality Model is the definition of control and decision points in the construction process where critical decisions are made that will affect the quality of the building throughout its entire life-cycle. Firstly, subject-specific quality concepts are defined and their interrelations are conceptualized. Subsequently, these interrelations and their effects on the overall Co-Design construction processes and products are explained using the example of the semi-robotic production of concrete slabs. Examples for control and decision points are given as well. The outline presented here serves as a basis for further advancing and concretizing the Holistic Quality Model and its applications in Co-Design for a functioning, liveable, and sustainable high-quality construction and building culture.

Keywords: co-design; quality characteristics; quality parameters; computational design; computational construction; predictive quality assessment; control points; decision points (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/19/7847/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/19/7847/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:19:p:7847-:d:417726

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().