Scholarly Works, Myers-Lawson School of Construction

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3D Model-Based Collaboration in Design Development and Construction of Complex Shaped Buildings
Ku, Kihong; Pollalis, Spiro N.; Fischer, Martin A.; Shelden, Dennis R. (2008)
The successful implementation of complex-shaped buildings within feasible time and budget limits, has brought attention to the potential of computer-aided design and manufacturing technologies (CAD/CAM), Building Information Modeling (BIM), and the need for integrated practice. At the core of an integrated practice vision lies the intimate collaboration between the design team and construction team and a digital three-dimensional model, often with parametric and intelligent characteristics. With the shift from two-dimensional (2D) paper-based representations to threedimensional (3D) geometric representations in building information models (BIM), architects and engineers have streamlined 'inner' design team communication and collaboration. However, practice conventions have posed significant challenges when attempting to collaborate on the designer's 3D model with the 'external' design team-involving the architect (or engineer)-of-record, and contractor, construction manager or fabricator, etc. Focusing on the execution of complex-shaped buildings, the objective of this paper is to illustrate varying collaborative approaches to understand how design teams use 3D models to control geometry. The authors attempt to provide specific responses to the following questions: What are the issues when collaborating on 3D models? What are the mechanisms that design teams adopt to surpass practice conventions? The findings from three case studies suggest that collaboration methodologies on 3D models differ with the architects' approaches to geometry control. The authors will demonstrate that successful model-based collaboration occurs either on a contractual or non-contractual model issued by the architect.
A 6-Step Systematic Process for Model-Based Facility Data Delivery
Thabet, Walid; Lucas, Jason D. (2017)
The use of BIM for FM by owners is growing, yet there are challenges that exist because of the need for customized data standards to fit each owner's need. This research examines the development of a model-based approach for capturing and handing over facility data. Previously completed research consists of a spread-sheet based documentation method for capturing identified facility-related information to support an owner's operation and maintenance of educational facilities. An approach was developed and piloted to validate a process that utilized milestone information submissions for documenting appropriate information throughout the design and construction of a facility using a spreadsheet based approach with direct input into the Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS). Using a pilot project approach, this paper builds on the spreadsheet based approach by identifying how the facility information could be captured throughout the project using a model based approach. A six-step systematic process is defined for BIM-FM integration to capture facility data and integrate the information into a CMMS. Various challenges and considerations to capture and deliver facility data are discussed. The paper also discusses the need for further validation of the proposed process and summarises ongoing study to test the proposed approaches using a second pilot project.
Adoption of High-Performance Housing Technologies Among U.S. Homebuilding Firms, 2000 Through 2010
McCoy, Andrew P.; Koebel, C. Theodore; Sanderford, Andrew R.; Franck, Christopher T.; Keefe, Matthew J. (HUD, 2015)
This article describes foundational processes of a larger project examining U.S. home builders’ choices to adopt innovative housing technologies that improve the environmental performance of new single-family homes. Home builders sit at a critical juncture in the housing creation decision chain and can influence how new housing units change related to energy consumption, and the units they produce can also reflect shifting technology, demography, and policy landscapes. With some exceptions, U.S. home builders have been characterized as being slow to adopt or resistant to the adoption of product and process innovations, largely because of path-dependent and risk-averse behavior. This article focuses on home builder choices by analyzing a summary of innovation adoption literature and that literature’s relationship to homebuilding. Researchers then describe analytical approaches for studying home builders’ choices and markets at a Core Based Statistical Area level, the data and statistical methodologies used in the study, and the policy implications for promoting energy efficiency in housing. Future work will draw on the foundation presented in this article to specify versions of this generic model and report results using improved quantitative analyses.
Automated Machine Learning Pipeline for Traffic Count Prediction
Mahdavian, Amirsaman; Shojaei, Alireza; Salem, Milad; Laman, Haluk; Yuan, Jiann-Shiun; Oloufa, Amr (MDPI, 2021-10-12)
Research indicates that the projection of traffic volumes is a valuable tool for traffic management. However, few studies have examined the application of a universal automated framework for car traffic volume prediction. Within this limited literature, studies using broad data sets and inclusive predictors have been inadequate; such works have not incorporated a comprehensive set of linear and nonlinear algorithms utilizing a robust cross-validation approach. The proposed model pipeline introduced in this study automatically identifies the most appropriate feature-selection method and modeling approach to reduce the mean absolute percentage error. We utilized hyperparameter optimization to generate a universal automated framework, distinct from model optimization techniques that rely on a single case study. The resulting model can be independently customized to any respective project. Automating much of this process minimizes the work and expertise required for traffic count forecasting. To test the applicability of our models, we used Florida historical traffic data from between 2001 and 2017. The results confirmed that nonlinear models outperformed linear models in predicting passenger vehicles’ monthly traffic volumes in this specific case study. By employing the framework developed in this study, transportation planners could identify the critical links on US roads that incur overcapacity issues.
Building Interactive Modeling for Construction Education in Virtual Worlds
Ku, Kihong; Mahabaleshwarkar, Pushkar S. (2011)
The number of design and construction professionals who are using Building Information Modeling (BIM) is rapidly growing and simultaneously the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) community is faced with the challenge of remote collaboration as offshore outsourcing continues to grow. While BIM facilitates information sharing between AEC professionals via purpose-built three-dimensional (3D), 4D design, analysis, evaluation, and documentation models, the communication of such 3D data-rich models if often fragmented and typically limits real-time communication and interaction of users who may be geographically dispersed and/or lack the modeling and analyses skills to interact with these models. AEC education needs to expose students to these emerging practice changes while finding new ways to more effectively address the fundamentals of design and construction. Virtual worlds - in this research the Second Life platform - have the potential to address the communication issues and effectively complement traditional teaching approaches and furthermore integrate with BIM to enhance construction education. Nevertheless, despite the potential benefits of virtual worlds, various obstacles exist. This paper presents the concept of Building interactive Modeling (BiM) which complements the capabilities of BIM with social interaction to enhance collaborative information and knowledge sharing. Role-playing scenarios developed in Second Life demonstrate specific opportunities of BiM.
A Case Study Towards Transferring Relevant Safety Information for Facilities Maintenance Using BIM
Wetzel, Eric M.; Thabet, Walid (2018)
Facilities maintenance (FM) personnel in the U.S. experience a much higher rate of injury and illness than the national average when compared to all other fields of employment. In order to aid in the mitigation of these incidences, a Safety for Facilities Maintenance Framework is being developed. This framework delivers safety relevant information to FM personnel through the use of a data processing and rule based system that processes safety relevant information stored within a comprehensive BIM model. One major issue associated with utilizing a comprehensive BIM model as a repository for FM data is the transfer of relevant information from the design and construction phases to the facilities management phase. This paper reviews the detailed issues surrounding data transfer, identifies current market solutions by others, and presents a case study in order to transfer data utilizing existing data exchange tools. Finally, utilizing an existing transfer mechanisms within Autodesk Navisworks, coupled with a newly developed framework, a method to get asset-specific safety information to FM staff prior to initiating an FM task is proposed. Although this method of data transfer may not be the most efficient, it utilizes existing functionality within Navisworks software. Using Navisworks minimizes the learning curve and execution in comparison to similar proprietary transfer mechanisms.
Cavity Tightness Preferences of Overwintering Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae)
Chambers, Benjamin D.; Leskey, Tracy C.; Cullum, John P.; Pearce, Annie R.; Kuhar, Thomas P. (2020-06)
Brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys) (Stal) is a household nuisance pest that seeks shelter in buildings during the winter months. It has been found in a variety of cavities and spaces between building elements, as well as in the objects stored within buildings. This experiment examined the cavity tightness preferences for these insects as they settled in winter refugia. Adult overwintering H. halys were placed in two types of simulated refugia made from rigid material. Each type had a cavity of constant width, while one had a flat lid and constant tightness, and the other had a sloped lid that became tighter as insects moved inside. Adults were allowed to enter and settle, then their locations were recorded. In sloped lid cavities, H. halys tended to settle where the cavity tightness was between 4.5 and 5.5 mm. In the flat lid cavity boxes, H. halys tended to move all the way back. In both configurations, H. halys had a significant tendency to orient their heads towards the cavity entrance. A field comparison of cavity tightness in refugia with less rigid cardboard substrates was also performed, with spacers consisting of one or two layers of 3-mm cardboard. This comparison found differences in cavity selection by sex, with males more likely to pick single-spaced layers, and females more likely to select double-spaced layers. Understanding these preferences could be useful for collection, pest management, trap design, and study of impacts on structures.
Construction inspection & monitoring with quadruped robots in future human-robot teaming: A preliminary study
Halder, Srijeet; Afsari, Kereshmeh; Chiou, Erin; Patrick, Rafael; Hamed, Kaveh Akbari (Elsevier, 2023-04-15)
Construction inspection and monitoring are key activities in construction projects. Automation of inspection tasks can address existing limitations and inefficiencies of the manual process to enable systematic and consistent construction inspection. However, there is a lack of an in-depth understanding of the process of construction inspection and monitoring and the tasks and sequences involved to provide the basis for task delegation in a human-technology partnership. The purpose of this research is to study the conventional process of inspection and monitoring of construction work currently implemented in construction projects and to develop an alternative process using a quadruped robot as an inspector assistant to overcome the limitations of the conventional process. This paper explores the use of quadruped robots for construction inspection and monitoring with an emphasis on a human-robot teaming approach. Technical development and testing of the robotic technology are not in the scope of this study. The results indicate how inspector assistant quadruped robots can enable a human-technology partnership in future construction inspection and monitoring tasks. The research was conducted through on-site experiments and observations of inspectors during construction inspection and monitoring followed by a semi-structured interview to develop a process map of the conventional construction inspection and monitoring process. The study also includes on-site robot training and experiments with the inspectors to develop an alternative process map to depict future construction inspection and monitoring work with the use of an inspector assistant quadruped robot. Both the conventional and alternative process maps were validated through interview surveys with industry experts against four criteria including, completeness, accuracy, generalizability, and comprehensibility. The findings suggest that the developed process maps reflect existing and future construction inspection and monitoring work.
Contractual Standards for Enhanced Geometry Control in Model-Based Collaboration
Ku, Kihong; Pollalis, Spiro N. (2009)
This paper discusses the definition of contractual standards for ICT-enabled business models and value-driven business models, focusing on model-based collaboration for enhanced geometry control. While a growing number of highly publicized international complex-shaped buildings have demonstrated the usage of three-dimensional (3D) modeling as the primary means for geometric representation, the authors have observed a lack of contractual standards around the 3D model. Process complexities that are deeply embedded in practice conventions, along with legal constraints and risk allocation, pose challenges to the establishment of standard agreements. As a result, individual project teams often struggle to define and find adequate design agreements to facilitate effective control of geometry around the 3D model. Ineffective geometry control may result in schedule delays when project participants disagree on the representation of the 3D model, or even change the original design intent, eroding the integrity of the design. Thus, the proliferation of 3D tools and owner demand for complex-shaped buildings creates a great need for standard design agreements over the control of the architect's geometric 3D model, in order to define control and authority, as well as a mechanism to access and verify the validity of the 3D geometry. The study presents an in-depth review and analysis of (1) the existing body of literature on effective geometry control; (2) case study examples of geometry control as a project metric; (3) an analysis of sample contract terms and the effect on geometry control approaches; and (4) recommendations for effective geometry control contract terms, processes, and strategies for owner-architect and owner-designer standard agreements. The paper's principal value lies in (1) its definition of geometry control as a performance metric and (2) its guideline for standard contract terms to facilitate effective geometry control via design agreements. The results will complement existing industry efforts by owner organizations such as the Construction Users Roundtable and design organizations such as the American Institute of Architects.
A Cost-Effective, Scalable, and Portable IoT Data Infrastructure for Indoor Environment Sensing
Anik, Sheik; Gao, Xinghua; Meng, Na; Agee, Philip; McCoy, Andrew P. (2022-05-15)
The vast number of facility management systems, home automation systems, and the ever-increasing number of Internet of Things (IoT) devices are in constant need of environmental monitoring. Indoor environment data can be utilized to improve indoor facilities and better occupants’ working and living experience, however, such data are scarce because many existing facility monitoring technologies are expensive and proprietary for certain building systems. With the aim of addressing the indoor environment data availability issue, the authors designed and prototyped a cost-effective, distributed, scalable, and portable indoor environmental data collection system, Building Data Lite (BDL). BDL is based on Raspberry Pi computers and multiple changeable arrays of sensors, such as sensors of temperature, humidity, light, motion, sound, vibration, and multiple types of gases. The system includes a distributed sensing network and a centralized server. The server provides a web-based graphical user interface that enables users to access the collected data over the Internet. To evaluate the BDL system’s functionality, cost effectiveness, scalability, and portability, the research team conducted a case study in an affordable housing community where the system prototype is deployed to 12 households. The results indicate that the system is functioning as designed, costs $73 per zone and provides 12 types of indoor environment data, is easy to scale up, and is fully portable. This research contributes to the body of knowledge by proposing an innovative way for establishing a distributed wireless IoT data infrastructure for indoor environment sensing in new or existing buildings.
Developing Supplemental Instructional Videos for Construction Management Education
Barnes, Andrew F.; McCoy, Andrew P.; Warnick, Quinn (MDPI, 2023-09-28)
Technological advancements and lower production costs since the mid-1990s have dramatically improved opportunities for instructors to tailor self-made instructional videos for their students. However, video production technology has outpaced the development of educational theory, causing instructional videos to consistently fall short of their pedagogical potential. Responding to these shortcomings, scholars from various backgrounds have started publishing guidelines to help practitioners as they develop instructional videos for their respective fields. Using a rapid literature review, this article contributes to this ongoing effort by synthesizing theory-based, best-practice guidelines for a specific subcategory of educational videos called supplemental instructional videos (SIVs). SIVs are different from other types of instructional videos in that they are used to support and magnify other learning methods, mediums, and materials rather than substitute for them. Bringing the best-practice guidelines synthesized in this paper immediately into application, they were used to inform the production of SIVs for an undergraduate course that was held in the Building Construction Department of a major public university in the United States during the Spring 2020 semester. The methods used in the production of the SIV guidelines were systematically documented during the course for future researchers and practitioners to learn and build from.
Disciplinary Influences on the Professional Identity of Civil Engineering Students: Starting the Conversation
Groen, Cassandra J.; Simmons, Denise Rutledge; McNair, Elizabeth D. (2016-06)
As the discipline of civil engineering has evolved from an apprentice-based trade to a socially-engaged profession, the role of the civil engineer has responded to shifts within the ever-changing culture of society. These shifts and historical events have directly influenced what is considered to be valued civil engineering knowledge, behaviors, and practices that we teach to students during their undergraduate careers. As part of a larger grounded theory study that is currently being conducted by the authors, the purpose of this paper is two-fold. First, we present the topic of professional identity formation as heavily influenced by unique historical events that shape the civil engineering discipline. . To establish the connection between identity formation and the history of civil engineering, we interpret historical events as constituents that create a disciplinary identity that is communicated to and subjectively applied by students during their undergraduate careers. Second, we hope to promote and invoke conversations surrounding the relevancy of civil engineering professional identity formation in engineering education among our colleagues within the technical disciplines. Through this paper, we add to ongoing research exploring the professional formation of engineering identities and promote discussions surround this topic at the disciplinary level. While most research conducted on identity formation has been generalized to include all or most engineering disciplines, we focus our discussion solely on professional identity formation within the civil engineering discipline. To reinforce the relationship between the history of the civil engineering profession and students’ professional identity formation, we review the literature on these two areas of inquiry. In particular, we will frame our paper using the following key discussion points: 1) providing a brief overview of key historical events of civil engineering in the United States; 2) discussing the influence of this history on instructor pedagogies and student learning within civil engineering education; and 3) conceptualizing this learning process as a means of professional identity formation. From this work, we will begin to understand how major historical shifts within our discipline maintain the potential to impact its future as we educate the next generation of civil engineering students. To conclude this paper, we will introduce current research that is being conducted by the authors to further understand the nuances of professional identity formation in undergraduate civil engineering students and how instructors may help or hinder that development.
An Empirical Study on the Energy Consumption in Residential Buildings after Adopting Green Building Standards
Zhao, Dong; McCoy, Andrew P.; Du, Jing (Elsevier, 2016)
In the past decades, a tremendous effort has been put into research and development of improved building systems and technologies to reduce the building energy consumption and advance energy efficiency. However, there is little to no published quantifiable evidence that assesses the energy consumption and efficiency for residential buildings with a context of green building standards. To fill this gap of information, this paper reports an empirical study that investigates the green home energy efficiency and its interaction with resident behaviors. This work uses an integrated approach of energy simulation and multivariate regression modeling. The data are from a sample of more than 300 residential units which meet the green building standards. Findings identify 43% of the annual reduction in energy usage and energy expenditures for a typical American home. Findings also identify four energy-consumption-related resident behaviors depending on which the actual energy efficiency performance of green building technology may differ.
Energy and exergy simulation analysis and comparative study of solar ejector cooling system using TRNSYS for two climates of Iran
Jadidi, Hossein; Keyanpour-Rad, Mansoor; Haghgou, Hamidreza; Chodani, Behdad; Rad, Simin Kianpour; Hasheminejad, Seyed Mahmoud (Elsevier, 2022-08)
This paper addresses hourly simulation of 3.5 kW Solar Ejector Cooling System (SECS) using R600a and R290 hydrocarbon refrigerants for application in two office buildings in semi-arid and hot-humid climates of Iran. During the period of the study, thermodynamics energy and exergy of the cooling systems when charged with the two refrigerants are fully assessed by simulation at the two study sites. The simulation studies of the entire cooling system indicate that the most irreversible process and hence the prime exergy destruction is related to the solar collector system followed by the ejector component in the cooling cycle. The ejector is a constant-area mixing (CAM) type which is mathematically modeled in Engineering Equation Solver (EES) software. Generator of the cooling cycle is modeled in EES using epsilon - NTU method and a simulation program is developed on TRNSYS-EES co-simulator for dynamic study of the cooling cycle. For comparison of efficiency of the two refrigerants, working conditions are set to be the same. The systems are equipped with auxiliary heaters to provide constant inlet temperature of 85 ?C for the generator when solar radiation is partially in phase with the building sites. The hourly and monthly simulation of both SECS in June, July, August and September 2019 demonstrate that R290 is more efficient for increasing the overall COP(= 0.2844) of the system than R600a (COP = 0.2797) of the building office in the semi-arid region where the generator receives most of its thermal energy from solar radiation in July 17, 2019. Although, the same refrigerant is also more efficient than R600a in the hot-humid region system in the same day, but the system compensates shortage of its necessary solar thermal energy mostly from the auxiliary heater.
Energy Efficient Technology Diffusion Factors: A Systematic Review
Bhattacharjee, Suchismita; McCoy, Andrew P. (IJSER Publications, 2012-11)
Due to the escalating population and the resulting increase in energy use, the world is faced with the challenge of energy crisis. To mitigate the rise in energy crisis, innovation, adoption, and diffusion of energy efficient technologies is imperative. Review of available literatures indicates that expected improvement in energy consumption has not been achieved in spite of the innovation and improvement in energy efficient technologies. This imbalance points towards the lack of proper adoption and diffusion of these technologies. This paper has looked into prior arts to determine the factors responsible for this diffusion process. Upon identifying the factors, it is evident that some factors can be improved to act as accelerators to the diffusion process. The other set of factors tend to remain as hindrances which can be reduced to an extent, but not removed completely. The paper further investigates the reasons behind these factors and categorizes them under three groups – financial, informational, and behavioral. Findings prove that most of the factors can be attached to a financial cause. Thus research and development alone is not the answer to the rising energy demand, but effective economic motivation is necessary to curb the demand. Future research will look into the present energy policies and group them based on their targeted sector. This will enable to locate the gaps in the policies already implemented and subsequently help in the creation of new policies.
An Evaluation Approach of Socio Economic Factors Affecting Household Energy Consumption
Bhattacharjee, Suchismita; Reichard, Georg (2011)
Residential energy consumption in the United States has been marked by a steady growth over the past decades, in spite of the implementation of various energy efficiency policies. To frame effective energy policies for the residential sector it is important to understand the cause and impact of factors affecting residential energy consumption. A vast majority of earlier research has explored the role of individual human factors that are responsible for the increase of household energy usage, whereas, a few studies have discussed the effect of standard-of-living and income on overall household energy consumption. However, there is a dearth of literature and research on plausible ways to modify and manipulate factors that influence household energy consumption. This paper builds on previous research by the authors that identified a list of factors affecting residential energy consumption and grouped them under five major categories, i.e. demographics, consumer attitude, economic variables, climate, and technology. The here presented investigation analyzes the root causes for each of the identified consumption factors such as household size, dwelling characteristics, etc. through Cause & Effect diagrams. Finally, all energy efficiency control elements under each of the energy consumption factors are generated and sorted using the Affinity Diagram method. Our research shows how the identified control elements govern energy consumption factors to a great extent. Ultimately these control elements will assist policy makers in ameliorating and targeting the most critical factors that will help to curb the increasing household energy consumption in the United States.
Exploring the Role of Cultural Boundary Spanners at Complex Boundaries in Global Virtual AEC Networks
Zelkowicz, Andres; Iorio, Josh; Taylor, John E. (2015)
As the architecture, engineering and construction industry continues to globalize, project work is more often executed by geographically distributed, technologically mediated teams of knowledge specialists organized into global virtual project networks. These networks are characterized by a number of boundaries that must be spanned in order to develop effective project outcomes. Prior research has examined the efficacy of cultural boundary spanners and technical boundary spanners in these types of networks, but we lack an understanding of how spanners perform in complex boundary environments where boundaries co-occur. Our research aims to explore the efficacy of cultural boundary spanners who are positioned at technical and knowledge domain boundaries. The results of our preliminary research suggest that cultural boundary spanners may only be effective at facilitating efficient information transfer when they are positioned at a knowledge domain boundary in which they have specialization. We found that the interactional norms that develop within the network based on the efficacy of boundary spanners can also position them at inappropriate knowledge domain boundaries, which can lead to decreased efficiency of information transfer. Our research provides an initial contribution to our understanding of boundary complexity in global virtual projects networks with implications for improving network performance.
Fifty Shades of Building Science
Reichard, Georg (Virginia Tech, 2020)
The role of building science education examined in the context of past DOE student competitions. A presentation part of panel discussion at the 5th RBDCC. This paper presents findings from a meta analysis of DOE Student Competition Guidelines and competition winners in terms of Building Science keywords and requirements. The Race to Zero was an annual competition from 2014-2018, which got merged into the broader DOE Solar Decathlon competition framework in 2019. In its outset, this design competition was created to engage and challenge students and faculty to apply sound building science principles to create cost-effective, market-ready designs. While the standard, quality, and extent of winning submission has dramatically increased over the years, some concerns have emerged that the teams have lost sight of the original goals and that building science criteria may not have been met by a majority of submissions anymore. This paper will examine and synthesize past competition guidelines as they relate to building science topics and assess available project submissions of winning teams on those criteria only. The goal of this paper is to facilitate a discussion on how building science criteria could be sharpened and possibly expanded in future competition guidelines.
flEECe, an energy use and occupant behavior dataset for net-zero energy affordable senior residential buildings
Paige, Frederick; Agee, Philip; Jazizadeh, Farrokh (Nature, 2019-11-26)
The behaviors of building occupants have continued to perplex scholars for years in our attempts to develop models for energy efficient housing. Building simulations, project delivery approaches, policies, and more have fell short of their optimistic goals due to the complexity of human behavior. As a part of a multiphase longitudinal affordable housing study, this dataset represents energy and occupant behavior attributes for 6 affordable housing units over nine months in Virginia, USA which are not performing to the net-zero energy standard they were designed for. This dataset provides researchers the ability to analyze the following variables: energy performance, occupant behaviors, energy literacy, and ecological perceptions. Energy data is provided at a 1 Hz sampling rate for four circuits: main, hot water heater, dryer, and HVAC. Building specifications, occupancy, weather data, and neighboring building energy use data are provided to add depth to the dataset. This dataset can be used to update building energy use models, predictive maintenance, policy frameworks, construction risk models, economic models, and more.
Green Affordable Housing: Cost-Benefit Analysis for Zoning Incentives
Jeddi Yeganeh, Armin; McCoy, Andrew P.; Hankey, Steven C. (MDPI, 2019-11-08)
In the year 2017, about 89% of the total energy consumed in the US was produced using non-renewable energy sources, and about 43% of tenant households were cost burdened. Local governments are in a unique position to facilitate green affordable housing, that could reduce cost burdens, environmental degradation, and environmental injustice. Nonetheless, limited studies have made progress on the costs and benefits of green affordable housing, to guide decision-making, particularly in small communities. This study investigates density bonus options for green affordable housing by analyzing construction costs, transaction prices, and spillover effects of green certifications and affordable housing units. The authors employ pooled cross-sectional construction cost and price data from 422 Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) projects and 11,016 Multiple Listing Service (MLS) transactions in Virginia. Using hedonic regression analyses controlling for mediating factors, the study finds that the new construction of market-rate green certified houses is associated with small upfront costs, but large and statistically significant price premiums. In addition, the construction of market-rate green certified houses has large and statistically significant spillover effects on existing non-certified houses. Existing non-certified affordable housing units show small and often insignificant negative price impacts on the transaction prices of surrounding properties. The study concludes that the magnitude of social benefits associated with green building justifies the local provision of voluntary programs for green affordable housing, where housing is expensive relative to its basic cost of production.

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