93713 - Cost Analysis

Academic Year 2021/2022

  • Docente: Sara Torabi Moghadam
  • Credits: 4
  • SSD: ICAR/22
  • Language: English
  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
  • Campus: Bologna
  • Corso: Second cycle degree programme (LM) in Building Engineering -Architecture (cod. 5697)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student will be able to define the use of economic resources needed for the realization of the project choices.

Course contents

This course focuses on theoretical and practical tools and methods for the objective management of decision processes in the context of the sustainable built environment. The most significant evaluation methods to support decision-making processes are illustrated. Moreover, the course provides the main economic evaluation and resources which are needed for the realization of the project choices.

The program of the course is articulated according to the following three macro-themes:

  • Sustainability theories and applications (i.e., sustainable built environment/measuring urban resilience/circular economy/project cycle management);
  • Evaluation methods to support decision-making processes (i.e., multi-criteria evaluation/spatial decision support systems/cost-benefit analysis/environmental economic valuation);
  • Economic evaluation (i.e., analysis of buildings operation and maintenance costs/cost and sustainability of project/cost component and economic and financial feasibility).

Readings/Bibliography

The lectures will be supported by slides with all the relevant information for the students. Moreover, relevant links to online documents and references will be provided.

  • Brandon P.S., Lombardi P., Evaluating Sustainable Development in the Built Environment, II Edition, Wiley-Blackwell, Hoboken (USA) 2005, pp. 272, (II edition 2011)
  • COOP AFRICA, Project Design Manual. A Step-by-Step Tool to Support the Development of Cooperatives and Other Forms of Self-Help Organization, International Labour Organization, I.L.O., Genève, 2010, (web pdf)
  • Figueria J., Greco S., Ehrgott M. (eds), Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis. State of the Art, Springer, Berlin 2010
  • Dente B., Understanding Policy decisions, Editore: Springer Cham, Anno edizione: 2013
  • Fregonara E., “Evaluation, sustainability, project. Life Cycle Thinking and international orientations”, Milano, Franco Angeli, 2017 (English version: e_book available on-line
  • Becchio C., Ferrando D.G., Fregonara E., Milani N., Quercia C., Serra V. , The cost-optimal methodology for the energy retrofit of an ex-industrial building located in Northern Italy, in Energy and Buildings, 2016, 127, pp. 590-602
  • Roscelli R. (a cura di), 2014, Manuale di Estimo, Valutazioni Economiche ed Esercizio della professione, Utet, Torino
  • Torabi Moghadam S.; Lombardi P., An interactive multi-criteria spatial decision support system for energy retrofitting of building stocks using CommuntiyVIZ to support urban energy planning. Building and Environment. ISSN 0360-1323. 2019, vol. 163, pp. 1-25. doi: 10.1016/j.buildenv.2019.106233
  • Lombardi P, Abastante F., Torabi Moghadam S., Toniolo J., Multicriteria Spatial Decision Support Systems for Future Urban Energy Retrofitting Scenarios. Sustainability, 2017, vol. 9, n. 7. pp. 1-13. ISSN 2071. doi: 1050, 10.3390/su9071252.
  • Torabi Moghadam S., Delmastro C., Corgnati S.P., Lombardi, P. Urban energy planning procedure for sustainable development in the built environment: a review of available spatial approaches. Journal of cleaner production, 2017, vol. 165, pp. 811-827. doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.07.142.

Teaching methods

The course consists of theoretical and practical sessions. A number of interactive workshops, individual and/or group presentations and exercises will be held and the final assignment is required. The course will rhythmically alternate theoretical lectures from the teacher and interactive discussions with students and presentations. These workshops help to make better understand the approaches and theories. Moreover, different seminars will be held during the course by the guest speakers and experts.

Assessment methods

The final examination consists of two parts:

  • Oral test - the students are asked to answer the questions which are related to all the topics discussed and analyzed during the course. The oral exam constitutes 50% of the final vote.
  • Portfolio – The students are asked to prepare a portfolio that consists of workshops and exercise outputs which are held during the course. All the assignments provided along the course and conducted in groups of 2/3 students. The assignments are mandatory and constitute 50% of the final vote.

The assessment is expressed in 30/30 marks.

 

Teaching tools

Notebook, Projector, Google Docs

Links to further information

http://www.dist.polito.it/personale/scheda/(nominativo)/sara.torabi

Office hours

See the website of Sara Torabi Moghadam