GBTool

An international assessment method for the environmental and sustainability performance of buildings, implemented by the national teams participating (IFC) in the Green Building Challenge (GBC) program of the “International Initiative for a Sustainable Built Environment, iiSBE,  www.iisbe.org.

The International Framework Committee, IFC,  of iiSBE it is formed by the representatives of national teams, that guide its follow up and up-grading, the selection of case studies, and projects and the development of specifications for their respective countries..

 

For the use in Chile, the intellectual wrights of the GBTool method is registered and GBTool & iiSBE-Chile are trade marks.

METHODOLOGY

A characteristic of the GBTool that distinguishes from other assessment systems, is that the method it is designed from the beginning to allow the users to reflect their priorities, technologies, building traditions, including cultural values existing in diverse regions and countries.

This system is split into two parts.

> Module A includes Benchmarks and Weights, and is intended to be adjusted by third parties to suit local conditions.

> Module B is designed to be used by designers to carry out self-assessments within the terms established in Module A. Settings that have been established in Module A cannot be changed by users of Module B.

Performance by Phase

1- The Pre-Design phase assessment is intended to indicate the future potential sustainable performance of the project, base don the information available for the site and its surroundings.

2- The Design phase assessment is intended to indicate the future potential sustainable performance of the project, based on the information available at the end of the Design phase.

3- The Construction phase assessment is intended to provide a relatively factual assessment based on performance indicators available at the end of the construction and commissioning phase, but before occupancy. However, relatively few indicators are available in this phase.

4- Assessment during the Operations phase is intended to provide an objective and factual indication of the Actual performance of the project, and the results may be useful for certification purposes.

General structure of the method:

A SITE SELECTION, PROJECT PLANNING AND DEVLEOPMENT.
B ENERGY AND RESOURCE CONSUMPTION.
C ENVIRONMENTAL LOADINGS.
D INDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY.
E FUNCIONALITY AND CONTROL OF BUILDING SYSTEMS.
G ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL ASPECTS.

For more detailed information go to:
http://www.iisbe.org/iisbe/gbc2k5/gbc2k5-start.htm