YILDIZ TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY
FACULTY OF ARCHITECTURE E-JOURNAL
| Megaron. 2020; 15(3): 441-455 | DOI: 10.14744/megaron.2020.70370 | |||
Comparative Assessment of Architects and Manufacturers Behaviors for Obtaining and Presenting Environmental Information of Building Products in TurkeyNurşah Serter1, Gökçe Tuna Taygun21Department of Architecture, Gebze Technical University, Kocaeli, Turkey2Department of Architecture, Yıldız Technical University, Istanbul, Turkey The construction sector, and therefore also the vast majority of building products, consume finite resources and affect the environment throughout their life cycle. As part of the effort to address environmental problems that originate from building products, manufacturers are now expected to declare the environmental impact of their products and architects who make product decisions should take the responsibility of choosing those products that have the least impact on the environment. Preliminary studies of a system to collect information about building products have been ongoing in Turkey since the early 2000s. However, these studies include mostly technical information and cost-oriented details. There is still a need for an information system that provides information about the environmental impact of these products to help guide responsible decision-making. The objective of this study was to examine the methods used to choose building materials and compare the environmental characteristics of the products using a comprehensive examination and prepared surveys. The results will provide data for the design of the Environmental Information System for Building Products (EISBP), a single source of detailed information about these products. The environmental impact characteristics of the materials that architects and building product manufacturers valued, and the preference and activity trends of these two stakeholders of the Turkish construction industry were evaluated using surveys of independently selected respondents to determine the environmental features of the products, the ways in which that information was obtained and presented, and the product decision criteria. One survey was sent by e-mail to architects who have an office registered with the Chamber of Architects in the Marmara Region. A second survey was conducted in face-to-face interviews with construction product representatives at a building and construction trade show. The responses of the two samples to the same questions were examined. A t-test was used to analyze the study data. The preferences and priorities of the two stakeholder groups with regard to the environmental characteristics of building products, the importance given to that information, and other environmental decisions and comparisons were analyzed and evaluated. The decision-makers surveyed were architects registered with the Chamber of Architects in the Marmara Region and manufacturers of paint, joinery, wall, flooring and roofing materials participating in a building fair. The results revealed that both the representatives of the manufacturers and the architects primarily relied on manufacturer websites as sources of information for product decisions and promotion. Architects next turned to online catalogs where they can view and compare products. The manufacturers’ representatives indicated that they tended to use printed brochures as a secondary source of product promotion. It is noteworthy that the most important feature for architects was a product guarantee. Naturally, both groups cared most about the performance characteristics of a product. When the responses of the two groups regarding the decision criteria for environmentally friendly building products were examined, it was observed that information about the life cycle of the products was considered important. It would appear that the environmental awareness of both groups of stakeholders working in the Turkish construction sector has increased in recent years. The demand for environmental information about building products reinforces the necessity for the EISBP. The study also provides suggestions for environmentally friendly product decision criteria to be used in the design of the EISBP as well as suggestions for a web-based EISBP interface. Easily accessible information can assist with better product decision-making, which will help to decrease environmental problems originating from construction and building products.using surveys of independently selected respondents to determine the environmental features of the products, the ways in which that information was obtained and presented, and the product decision criteria. One survey was sent by e-mail to architects who have an office registered with the Chamber of Architects in the Marmara Region. A second survey was conducted in face-to-face interviews with construction product representatives at a building and construction trade show. The responses of the two samples to the same questions were examined. A t-test was used to analyze the study data. The preferences and priorities of the two stakeholder groups with regard to the environmental characteristics of building products, the importance given to that information, and other environmental decisions and comparisons were analyzed and evaluated. The decision-makers surveyed were architects registered with the Chamber of Architects in the Marmara Region and manufacturers of paint, joinery, wall, flooring and roofing materials participating in a building fair. The results revealed that both the representatives of the manufacturers and the architects primarily relied on manufacturer websites as sources of information for product decisions and promotion. Architects next turned to online catalogs where they can view and compare products. The manufacturers’ representatives indicated that they tended to use printed brochures as a secondary source of product promotion. It is noteworthy that the most important feature for architects was a product guarantee. Naturally, both groups cared most about the performance characteristics of a product. When the responses of the two groups regarding the decision criteria for environmentally friendly building products were examined, it was observed that information about the life cycle of the products was considered important. It would appear that the environmental awareness of both groups of stakeholders working in the Turkish construction sector has increased in recent years. The demand for environmental information about building products reinforces the necessity for the EISBP. The study also provides suggestions for environmentally friendly product decision criteria to be used in the design of the EISBP as well as suggestions for a web-based EISBP interface. Easily accessible information can assist with better product decision-making, which will help to decrease environmental problems originating from construction and building products. Keywords: Building product, environmental characteristics in product decision; environmental impact details of building products; product information system; product life cycle.Türkiye’de Mimarlar ve Üreticilerin Yapı Ürünlerinin Çevresel Bilgilerini Elde Etme ve Sunma Davranışlarının Karşılaştırmalı Olarak DeğerlendirilmesiNurşah Serter1, Gökçe Tuna Taygun21Gebze Teknik Üniversitesi Mimarlık Fakültesi, Mimarlık Bölümü, Kocaeli2Yıldız Teknik Üniversitesi Mimarlık Fakültesi, Mimarlık Bölümü, İstanbul Yapı sektörü dolayısıyla yapı ürünleri dünyanın sonlu kaynaklarını tüketmekte, yaşam döngüleri boyunca çevreye etki etmektedir. Yapı ürünü kaynaklı çevre sorunlarının çözümünde üreticilerin, ürünlerinin çevreye olan etkisini beyan etmesi, ürün kararı veren mimarların da çevreye en az etkisi olan yapı ürününü seçme sorumluluğunu üstlenmesi beklenmektedir. Ürün kararı verecek kişilerin doğru ürün kararı vermesine yardımcı olacak, üreticilerin de ürünlerinin çevresel bilgilerini paylaşabileceği, çevresel hassasiyete sahip bir ürün bilgi sistemine gereksinim duyulmaktadır. Çalışmanın amacı; yapı ürünü karar verme sürecinde tarafların bilgi edinme ve sunma eğilimlerini irdelemek ve bu doğrultuda “Yapı Ürünlerine Yönelik Çevresel Bilgi Sistemi” tasarımına veri oluşturmaktır. Çalışmada; yapı ürünü kararı verme sürecinde mimarların ve yapı ürünü üreticilerinin odaklandığı/önem verdiği ürünlerin çevresel özellikleri/bilgileri bağlamında kapsamlı bir “inceleme” yapılmış ve Türk inşaat sektöründe çalışan bu iki paydaşın eğilimleri değerlendirilmiştir. Öncelikle karar verme sürecinde ürünlerin çevresel özellikleri ve bilgilerinin edinilme/sunulma biçimleri, karar ölçütlerine yönelik seçenekler belirlenmiştir. Veriler, mimarlar ve yapı ürünü üreticilerine hazırlanan iki ayrı anket çalışması aracılığıyla toplanmıştır. İki ayrı örneklem bağımsız olarak seçilmiş ve aynı sorular karşısındaki tutumları incelenmiştir. Ayrıca çalışmada veri analizi için iki grup arasındaki ortalamaların farkını gösteren t-testi kullanılmıştır. Veri analizi ve bulguların değerlendirilmesi sonucunda iki paydaşın, yapı ürünlerinin çevresel özellikleri ve bilgilerini edinme/sunma biçimi, önem sıralaması ve diğer çevresel karar ve karşılaştırmalara yönelik eğilim ve istekleri belirlenmiştir. Ayrıca yapı ürünlerine yönelik çevresel bilgi sistemi oluşturmak için çevre dostu ürün karar ölçütlerine yönelik öneriler ve internet tabanlı bir “Yapı Ürünlerine Yönelik Çevresel Bilgi Sistemi” oluşturulması ve özellikleri doğrultusunda öneriler de sunulmuştur. Bu bağlamda doğru ürün kararı ile yapı ve yapı ürünü kaynaklı çevresel sorunların azalacağı düşünülmektedir. Anahtar Kelimeler: Ürü, n bilgi sistemi; ürün kararında çevresel özellikler; ürün yaşam döngüsü; yapı ürünü; yapı ürününün çevresel bilgileri.Nurşah Serter, Gökçe Tuna Taygun. Comparative Assessment of Architects and Manufacturers Behaviors for Obtaining and Presenting Environmental Information of Building Products in Turkey. Megaron. 2020; 15(3): 441-455 Corresponding Author: Nurşah Serter, Ireland |
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