Use of a Multimethodology Research Approach to Improve Building Operating Decisions

Buildings generally have four phases: design, construction, operation (occupancy) and deconstruction. The design and the construction phases are fairly well researched by architectural engineering researchers, who research the topics of mechanical, electrical, lighting, structural systems and construction management. In general, the operational phase of buildings and facility management has received less attention by the research community. Although energy management has received attention from researchers (Claridge, Liu et al. 1996; Michaels 2003; Mathew, Sartor et al. 2004; ASHRAE 2007), other operational topics, such as maintenance management and skills needed by building control technicians are two topics that are under researched (Ehrlich et al 2010; Arditi and Nawakorawit 1999). This paper will explore why the operational phase of buildings has historically received less attention by the research community, followed by a discussion of why research about the operational phase of existing buildings is needed and appropriate research methods to use, with an emphasis on the use of multimethodology. The paper will conclude with a discussion of how multimethodology is being used for a current facility management research project: the development of a decision support system tool to improve building operating decisions.