Strategic Design for Competitive Advantage - Report Example

Leading header: Strategic Design for Competitive Advantage (prefabs) Your name Course name Professors’ name Date Contents Introduction 4 Present Housing Demand in UK 4 Concept of Prefabricated construction 5 Utilization of LEGO Design in Prefab Buildings 6 Different Choices for Customers. 7 Efficient Use of Land Resources 7 Prefab Building Power Planning 7 Areas of power consumption 8 Power Management and Administration 8 i.Current practice 8 i.Proposed Action 8 Lighting Optimization Opportunities in Prefab Buildings 9 Walls 9 Windows 9 Sliding Windows 9 Double Glazed Windows 10 Partial Day-lighting 10 Alternative Solutions that could be incorporated in our prefab Design 10 LED Office Lighting 10 Advantages of LED Lighting 11 Disadvantages of LED Lighting 12 Conclusion 12 Greening roadmap 12 Solar 13 Day lighting 13 Introduction As the world’s views, work processes and frameworks on various sectors of the society changes due to the impacts of technological, political, environmental, social, and economical shifts, more and more people are concerned with creating affordable but quality sustainable development tools and functions in order to fit in the new world order (N.A.O. 2007). Sustainable construction is one way of creating sustainable developments. Sustainable construction involves a range of priorities and restrictions under which to produce good design and well constructed, usable buildings (Kibert, 2008). Although it is hindered by time and costing on the achievement of buildings of architectural merit, Prefab construction entails constructing using best methods and processes. These factors do not only reduces the negative effects to the environment that surrounds the construction and increases the economic viability of the project, but improves the safety, comfort, security and quality of livelihood for those who dwell in (DEFRA, 2008). This report shall highlight in depth the concept of sustainable constructions through construction of prefab houses and buildings. We will also analyze available methods of assessing current construction designs and give analysis and recommendations for prefabricated construction in the United Kingdom. Present Housing Demand in UK With the future hosting of the Olympic Games, Some constructions companies have reported difficulties in procure constructions materials and building tools. At the moment in East London the demand for new housing is extremely high as a result of these games; with this effect of demand for new housing is the cause of these artificial demands in building materials. The building of this new housing is having more impact, when we compare to the preparations for Olympic Games. This is actually a blessing in disgust to the constructions industries in this area, it has boost business in these areas and we see more companies both multinationals and local companies setting up shops in these areas. These inflated prices for housing will have a positive effect on East London. This calls for the need for better and efficient construction techniques; this will ensure that housing is available for everyone. Concept of Prefabricated construction By minimizing the amount of resources like water, energy, raw materials and space used, prefabricated construction stresses on the need for creating quality, affordable and efficient buildings (DEFRA, 2008). Construction flows from designing for the project, constructing the project, running of the project upon completion, works of repairing, and maintaining to renovating in order to increase the efficiency and quality of the project in order to use current innovated technological products. Apart from technological conditions but also simply to fit into new consumer needs, tastes and preferences based on maintaining and conserving the environment as practiced in the United Kingdom (Mithraratne, et al., 2007). Prefab construction allows sustenance environmentally, sustenance economically and sustenance socially (DEFRA, 2008). Sustenance environmentally can be realized by improving the type and the efficiency levels of the energy used, preferring to use natural energies like solar, thermal and wind energies instead of over reliance on electrical energy and use of oil-based energies (N.A.O. 2007). Moreover, the contractor can insist on use of raw materials that are renewable, recyclable and putting in place environmentally friendly products like trees and plants planting, non toxic materials and improvise ways in which water is not wasted (Babalis, 2005). It goes without saying, the implementation of waste disposal strategies, and reduction of air, water, land pollution, reduced carbon emission and eradicating elements that degrade and destroy the environment, is fundamental in establishing Prefab construction. The design of the houses has to take in mind that Sustenance socially on the other hand entails putting into consideration what the project or the building will be used for, and making it easily adaptable to any changes and eventualities that the occupants might need (DEFRA, 2008). Additionally, offering maximum comfort, productivity, security, quality health and safety for the occupants. Sustenance economically however, entails using resources that will not only produce quality and effective buildings, but will have reduced costs (Babalis, 2005). This entails use of materials that are economically viable and make economic sense when designing, installing, and eventual maintenance of the building. This includes use of locally available materials to eliminate transport, breakages and storage costs. In the United Kingdom, the construction industry prefers to use locally available resources than to import by ships and air cargos from overseas. Utilization of LEGO Design in Prefab Buildings The use of Lego design in our prefabricated house will ensure that different styles can be conceptualized and that the customer r home owner is able to envision their own designs. This Lego concept thus enables creativity and different home designs that have not been thought of. The Lego concept will also enable smart use of space. A good example of this would be, the addition of extra rooms when extra guests come in. This arrangement can also be broken down when the guests leave. This ensures that space is efficiently used. Different Choices for Customers. The combination of Lego designs and choice of prefab material ensures that the customer can have an infinite number of choices on how to create and design their own homes. This leaves the end customer happy as they are able to live in houses that they want to be in. The material for our prefabricated house is based on friendly corrugated board. This means that the type and size of boards to be used can vary as long as the house is able to withstand natural forces. Efficient Use of Land Resources Prefabricated buildings save on land as they can be engineered and constructed as that s per the size and terrain of the land. This is coupled with the Lego concept which ensures that additional units can be added. Prefab Building Power Planning During the construction of any prefab building, apart from the structure of the building we have to take into consideration, the power consumption in the building. In order to do this you will have to contemplate on factors such as: 1 Expected number of people and consumption per individual 1. Expected equipment and consumption of power per equipment 2. Purpose and criticality of the building. (What function will the building be used for? For example, House, Data center for computers, Refrigeration house etc.) Areas of power consumption 1 Facilities equipment e.g. Lighting, air conditioners, Extractors, Sprinklers, TVs and radios, proximity card reader, water pumps, Dryers, Cleaning equipment 3. Secondary use of computers, mobile phone charging. 4. Security e.g. Flood lights, perimeter fence, control room, CCTV cameras, UVSS 5. Kitchenettes e.g. Fridges, Microwaves, Tea Urns, Food Warmers, electric fryers, deep freezer, light freezer Power Management and Administration i. Current practice 6. At present there exists no documented procedure for power planning in regards to Prefab house equipment. Installation of high power consuming equipment is done without any prior Information to members of the house. In fact house members just procure and issue/install the equipment. There is no reference to the maximum power load that a certain floor is set to hold. i. Proposed Action 7. A template can be designed through which requests for powering equipment are raised within a given time (probably months) before the actual installation of the equipment is done. This would allow house members time to make any necessary arrangements. Decommissioning of any power equipment will also be necessary to report so as to allow optimal powering and thus prevent over powering of the facilities. For adequately managing power usage and requirements, there is a need to have the following: PLCs on the power control panels to check on usage per power category, in order to determine which equipment have greater demand. User education: This can be done for the house members as an awareness workshop and for new employees during induction. 8. Power Optimization 9. There is need to optimally utilize available energy with little or no wastage. Lighting Optimization Opportunities in Prefab Buildings Walls 10. Bright and reflective colors should be used on walls to increase the spread of the light in the rooms. Dark colored walls absorb the light while bright colored walls reflect the light out spreading it through the room. Windows Sliding Windows 11. Sliding windows allow more natural light into the building, allowing use of fewer bulbs to light up the rooms. Sliding windows also have the advantage of allowing for installation of different shades of tint on the different sliding panes that can be used during different times of the day or during different seasons of the year. They also allow for greater natural ventilation of the rooms hence reducing the load on the air cons. Sliding windows however could have the negative effect of increasing the room temperature if the window is directly facing the sun and hence would require increased energy to cool the room. 12. Double Glazed Windows 13. Some windows, especially those that face the afternoon sun, could be double glazed to reduce the amount of heat that enters the buildings. This would also allow for use of lighter tint shades on these windows thus allowing greater light into the building while at the same time reducing the energy requirement for cooling by reducing the heat transfer into the building. Partial Day-lighting 14. Some areas in our prefab Facilities, for example the areas near windows, could do without electrical lighting. Such lights should be switched off and allow for natural light to illuminate these areas. Below is a savings analysis for lights that could be switched off in our house. Our house has an average of 30 bulbs. Alternative Solutions that could be incorporated in our prefab Design LED Office Lighting Light Emitting Diode bulbs have increased efficiency when compared to incandescent and fluorescent lights. They therefore have less heat emitted, which in turn translates to less energy required to cool the building. A light-heat ratio comparison of the three different types of bulbs is as shown below: Light % Heat % Incandescent 5 95 Fluorescent 25 75 LED 50 50 LED’s produce more light per watt when compared with the above other options. To get a light output of 800 Lumens (the value produced by a 60 Watt incandescent bulb) an LED bulb will require 6-8 Watts of power while CFL (Compact Fluorescent Lights) will require 13-15 Watts. LIGHT OUTPUT LED INCADESCENT CFL Lumens Watts 800 6-8 60 13-15 1,100 9-13 75 18-25 Advantages of LED Lighting 1. LED bulbs consume 2-10 Watts of electricity. This is extremely low especially when compared to CFL and incandescent lights. 2. Due to their low power consumption they can be easily used with solar power. 3. They don’t emit UV light. 4. LED’s have a long life span, of up to 50,000 hours - 50,000 hours  A duration of 5.5 years at 24/7/365 5. They are not affected by numerous on-off cycles. Can suitably be used with controlled lighting, e.g. time, photo/motion-sensor controlled systems. 6. LED’s are dimmable. 7. Disposal – Unlike CFL, LED bulbs do not contain mercury 8. LED’s fail by dimming over time as opposed to abrupt burn-outs. 9. They are physically durable. They have a high shock and vibration resistance. 10. They, unlike fluorescent lights, don’t require reflectors to direct the light into a suitable and usable manner. Disadvantages of LED Lighting 1. They are significantly far much more expensive per bulb to purchase than CFL or incandescent lights. 2. They are directional lights. They are thus highly suitable for task lighting. 3. May require more bulbs to cover the same area if they are not used to task light. 4. Some LED’s are run on DC power. These types may require additional power supply equipment. Cost Saving Analysis Incandescent light CFL L.E.D Life Span (Hrs.) 1500 10,000 50,000 Watts 40 18 6 KWh over 50,000 Hrs. 3,750 900 300 Bulbs for 50k Hrs. 34 5 1 Maintenance & Replacement High Medium Low Conclusion Greening roadmap The rate of energy sources getting exhausted is quicker than them being built. The world is looking for alternative source of energy that is environmentally friendly and renewable. The major sources of renewable energy include solar energy, wind and bio fuel/gas. Solar Day lighting Day lighting is the controlled admission of natural light into a space through windows to reduce or eliminate electric lighting. By providing a direct link to the dynamic and perpetually evolving patterns of outdoor illumination, day lighting helps create a visually stimulating and productive environment for building occupants, while reducing as much as one-third of total building energy costs. It involves:- i. careful balancing of heat gain and loss, ii. glare control, e.g. the use of shading devices to reduce glare and excess contrast in the workspace iii. Variations in daylight availability. iv. Evaluation of window size and spacing, glass selection, the reflectance of interior finishes and the location of any interior partitions. More windows do not automatically result in more lighting. Benefits:- i. Improves life cycle costs ii. Increases user productivity due to the visual comfort it provides iii. Reduced emissions especially greenhouse gases iv. Reduced operating costs Costs:- Has a heavy capital cost though operating costs are low. The costs include:- i. More windows are required ii. Anti-glare and over-heating controls iii. Integration with lighting controls 15. 16. 17. 18. Read More

Moreover, the contractor can insist on use of raw materials that are renewable, recyclable and putting in place environmentally friendly products like trees and plants planting, non toxic materials and improvise ways in which water is not wasted (Babalis, 2005). It goes without saying, the implementation of waste disposal strategies, and reduction of air, water, land pollution, reduced carbon emission and eradicating elements that degrade and destroy the environment, is fundamental in establishing Prefab construction.

The design of the houses has to take in mind that Sustenance socially on the other hand entails putting into consideration what the project or the building will be used for, and making it easily adaptable to any changes and eventualities that the occupants might need (DEFRA, 2008). Additionally, offering maximum comfort, productivity, security, quality health and safety for the occupants. Sustenance economically however, entails using resources that will not only produce quality and effective buildings, but will have reduced costs (Babalis, 2005).

This entails use of materials that are economically viable and make economic sense when designing, installing, and eventual maintenance of the building. This includes use of locally available materials to eliminate transport, breakages and storage costs. In the United Kingdom, the construction industry prefers to use locally available resources than to import by ships and air cargos from overseas. Utilization of LEGO Design in Prefab Buildings The use of Lego design in our prefabricated house will ensure that different styles can be conceptualized and that the customer r home owner is able to envision their own designs.

This Lego concept thus enables creativity and different home designs that have not been thought of. The Lego concept will also enable smart use of space. A good example of this would be, the addition of extra rooms when extra guests come in. This arrangement can also be broken down when the guests leave. This ensures that space is efficiently used. Different Choices for Customers. The combination of Lego designs and choice of prefab material ensures that the customer can have an infinite number of choices on how to create and design their own homes.

This leaves the end customer happy as they are able to live in houses that they want to be in. The material for our prefabricated house is based on friendly corrugated board. This means that the type and size of boards to be used can vary as long as the house is able to withstand natural forces. Efficient Use of Land Resources Prefabricated buildings save on land as they can be engineered and constructed as that s per the size and terrain of the land. This is coupled with the Lego concept which ensures that additional units can be added.

Prefab Building Power Planning During the construction of any prefab building, apart from the structure of the building we have to take into consideration, the power consumption in the building. In order to do this you will have to contemplate on factors such as: 1 Expected number of people and consumption per individual 1. Expected equipment and consumption of power per equipment 2. Purpose and criticality of the building. (What function will the building be used for? For example, House, Data center for computers, Refrigeration house etc.) Areas of power consumption 1 Facilities equipment e.g. Lighting, air conditioners, Extractors, Sprinklers, TVs and radios, proximity card reader, water pumps, Dryers, Cleaning equipment 3.

Secondary use of computers, mobile phone charging. 4. Security e.g. Flood lights, perimeter fence, control room, CCTV cameras, UVSS 5. Kitchenettes e.g. Fridges, Microwaves, Tea Urns, Food Warmers, electric fryers, deep freezer, light freezer Power Management and Administration i. Current practice 6. At present there exists no documented procedure for power planning in regards to Prefab house equipment. Installation of high power consuming equipment is done without any prior Information to members of the house.

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