How does usage affect the sustainability and environmental footprint of an office building?

Abstract

This thesis looks at how usage affects the sustainability and environmental footprint of an office building. The findings are based on interviews with expert witnesses who work for organisations that are directly linked to sustainability and green issues. The interviews reflect on how usage affects sustainability, and then address the challenges in terms of how this is addressed. The findings include: definition difficulties, control and education, technology, common currency and international regulations, and motivation. As well as the statements from interview subjects, I also offer my own position on their arguments. These findings represent a road map for further research into how building usage affects sustainability, by presenting the issues and how they are currently being dealt with. This thesis could have an impact on how research into sustainable usage is studied in the future, and to what degree usage is considered to be of importance in the larger sustainability debate.