openVALUE - Quality and Weight of Open Spaces of Urban Building Projects

The goals of the project are * the demonstration of the role of open space responsible for an increase of value of building projects * the development of application-oriented measures of open space related quality-management in the process of realisation * to elaborate a basis for a strategic object-related management of open space. Open space, related to housing and business estates is an important site-factor. It has to be incorporated into the conceptual design, the presentation and marketing of building projects. Within this research project four case-studies are analysed to investigate the role of open space in the process of realisation of building projects. Research focuses on the role of open space to increase the value of the site. It is essential to understand the term “increase of value”, not only in its economic dimension, but also considering aspects like ecological diversity, contentment of the users, adaptability of open space etc. The project consists of five work packages: I Identification of criteria for qualitative and quantitative values of open space II Process-analysis Investigation of the role of open space in the process of realisation of building projects. The different stages of a realisation of a building project are considered: acquisition, conceptual design, planning, building. A process-analysis is undertaken to illustrate the role of open space within the process of realisation and it is evaluated with SWOT-analysis. III Post-Occupancy-Evaluation Comprehensive investigation of the built open space and its value-increasing aspects: The case-studies are analysed considering spatial, design, social and economic aspects. A Post-Occupancy-Evaluation will show open space related qualities from the view of users and experts. IV Combination of the results and comparison of processes Based on the case-studies and spanning over the case-studies a catalogue of criteria is elaborated. These criteria are essential for quality assurance and are made applicable by modelling of the process. The interrelations between the single criteria are visualized and structured along the process’ time line. V Dissemination of project results to economic, administrative and political decision makers and planners. The expected results contribute to an enhanced consideration of open space in building projects. The value-increasing aspects of open space are illustrated and made applicable for a realisation process. This will result in open space with high quality, improved contentment of users and an improved sustainability of building projects.