Cost-in-use as a tool in the design process : aggregation and distillation of cost information

In the early phase of the design process cost information does play a marginal role. In case cost information is used, it concerns most of the time just construction expenditures based e.g. on square meters. Only in later stages the cost information is detailed enough and may concern the use of the building in such a way that consequences of design decisions become clear. However it will be too late to adjust the design in a proper way to minimize costs of building use. This paper describes in which way cost-in-use information may be aggregated in such a way that it is useful as a tooi in early design stages. Therefore the building bas to be split in parts to be recognized by the designer on the one hand and useful for cost allocation on the other hand. Available data concern existing buildings and are detailed on the level of CI/SfB (table 1) elements. These data have to be aggregated in such a way that it is possible to use them in early design stages. Therefore this cast-information is translated into two other classification schemes: the CI/SfB table 0 for use in outline proposals and the NEPROM measurement metbod for use in the briefing stage.