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Author
Lippiatt, B. C. | Weber, S. F.
Title
Productivity Impacts in Building Life-Cycle Cost Analysis.
Coporate
National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD
Sponsor
General Services Administration, Washington, DC
Report
NISTIR 4762, February 1992, 29 p.
Distribution
Available from National Technical Information Service
Keywords
life cycle cost analysis | building design | building economics | building environment | building performance | multi-attribute decision analysis | decision analysis | net benefits method | productivity measurement | white-collar productivity
Abstract
Since employee salaries far exceed building costs, higher-priced office designs that enhance productivity may make economic sense. A method for including productivity benefits in building economic analysis could account for productivity differences among design alternatives. Two suitable economic methods are the net benefits method and the multi-attribute decision analysis method. The methods and their data requirements are described. Each is illustrated with a hypothetical case application. The methods are compared with respect to a set of evaluation criteria, including compatibility with life-cycle cost analysis, ease of use, data requirements, and form of results. Based on this evaluation, the net benefits method is recommended as most appropriate for including employee productivity in building economic analysis.