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An Assessment Tool for Residential Construction Planning

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"Developing a Calculator for Evaluating Physical Design
Characteristics and Whole House Performance: A
Preliminary Method" is a newly released Partnership for
Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH) report. This
document outlines the first step for the development of a
"whole house calculator" that quantitatively assesses the
choices available in terms of processes, materials,
components, and systems deployed in residential
construction. The calculator is adapted for use in
residential construction from the Environmental
Evaluation System developed by Battelle Laboratories for
systematically evaluating the impact of alternative
project strategies.

The calculator provides a means of calculating a "whole
house score." Each characteristic of a house and each
design and construction process receives a performance
score. These scores are then modified by values of the
prospective homebuyer or builder and further modified by
the way in which construction materials and processes
interact with one another to produce the "whole house
score." Two sample applications of the calculator are
included with this report as Microsoft Excel files.

The calculator will make it possible to do "what if"
comparisons before a single building product or system is
purchased, and to strategically plan residential
construction using a "whole house systems" approach.
Although this report presents the preliminary development
of the calculator, it's a promising tool for prospective
builders, buyers, and other stakeholders that can
conceivably be made available online in the future.

Five supplemental data reports accompany this report.
Each contains background research completed in
preparation for developing and testing the whole house
calculator.

The report is now available as a free download at
https://www.huduser.gov/portal/publications/destech/housecalc.html.

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