The relation between cost, performance and comfort conditions in 58 office buildings in Sydney

This thesis examines the significance of the relationships which exist between cost, performance and comfort in office buildings in Sydney. By means of these relationships, the possible reductions in component and total costs of office buildings, without adversely affecting working comfort and performance standards, can be determined. A historical survey of the development of high-rise office buildings and of their services is traced under three periods: Pre 1914, 1919-1939 and Post 1945. Architectural developments, cost, comfort and performance of office buildings and their services are summarized at the conclusion of each of the first two sections. The summary of the third period is the general conclusion of the thesis. Relationships are established between various areas and volumes of office buildings and between the various building components. Similar relationships are established between the component areas of the typical floor. The method of using the questionnaire for compiling the required data is discussed and the individual items of the questionnaire explained. The methods employed in the preparation of results and in the calculation of the correlation coefficients and the 95% confidence limits of the regression line representing a relationship are enunciated. The results are analysed by means of the application of the graphical relationships to buildings of varying sizes and heights. Relationships are established between capital, Operation and maintenance costs of building and building service components, annual outgoings, and gross and net revenues of the buildings. Inter-component relationships between various component costs and relationships between such costs and building areas are also established. The method of using the questionnaire for compiling the required data is discussed and the individual items of the questionnaire explained. The methods employed in the preparation and weighing of results are described and the analysis carried out resulted in the establishment of a method of classification of buildings according to their performance standards. Ranges of limits for working comfort in office buildings are determined and a system of comfort limits which can be used for the measurement of overall working comfort is devised. The scope of research and the method of using questionnaires for compiling the required data are discussed and the individual items of the questionnaire, including a system of seven-point comfort scales, are explained. The technique of interview adopted, and the instruments used in the measurement of environmental conditions are described. The analysis establishes the preferred working condition and the limits for each point of the seven-point comfort scale. Cost-Comfort, Cost-Performance and Performance-Comfort relationships of office buildings and building components are established, and Cost-Comfort relationships are established for each level of Performance. The possible reductions in component and total costs of office building, without adversely affecting working comfort and performance standards, are determined, and the need and scope for future research in this field are discussed. All results, conversion and summary tables are presented in the Appendices.