In this edition, Josefina Lindblom interviews Licinio Alfaro of the Catalonia Institute of Construction Technology (ITeC), a non-profit foundation which has been very active in supporting the mainstream adoption of Level(s) in Spain.

Earlier this year I learned about the great work you are doing to support Level(s) users and I was really impressed. It is a great pleasure to get the opportunity to bring this to our readers today. To start with, could you please introduce yourself and ITeC, focusing especially on your organisation’s work in the field of sustainable buildings?

I am Head of the Department of Sustainable Construction at ITeC, which is a private foundation specialised in the digitalisation of the construction sector. We create software and databases for the improvement of the sector. Regarding the field of sustainable buildings, we are specialised in working with digital models using sustainability information to support decision making. It is essential that sustainability information is compatible with other types of building information and our digital models allow for the calculation of life cycle analysis, and life cycle costing. This equips us to address most of the Level(s) requirements.

What sparked ITeC’s interest in Level(s) and how does Level(s) contribute to your organisation’s objectives?

We understood the need to apply Level(s) from the beginning. It helps users address sustainability at the building level and to make the right decisions. People and organisations need guides to help them take decisions. They need a clear concept of what sustainability is and Level(s) helps define this. In addition, all the information is accessible and public, in different languages. That is basic, but not enough. ITeC is working on the incorporation of sustainability criteria in the construction of buildings in a digital way. Level(s) provides the necessary push for public administrations to see that incorporating sustainability criteria in construction works is real, serious and coherent, and not just a trend.

You have produced a lot of information materials, eLearning and tools to support your network of building professionals to use Level(s). What are these and how can people access them?

Our main goal is to see Level(s) macro-objectives and indicators integrated into the tendering criteria for public buildings. That is why we have held many conferences about Level(s). Here I must thank you for your participation in one of them, Josefina. We decided to create special courses for public administrations so that they understand how to apply Level(s) and they have been very well received. The Basque-Navarrese Government and the Catalan Government have been the first in Spain, but there are already other interested Governments. In our conferences we always explain that all the information is in the public domain and is free of charge. We also recommend people access the Level(s) eLearning Programme on the European Commission website. The key here is that if you want to apply Level(s) in a public tender, legal issues must first be resolved to ensure equal opportunities, and you must do so in a country-specific manner. There are many technicians who need help in understanding the main concepts surrounding sustainability and they need personalised support to prepare a public contract. All our courses are published on our website and accessible to anyone. We believe they complement the information already available on the Level(s) website well.

ITeC has been especially proactive in embracing Level(s) and in promoting mainstream adoption of the Level(s) common language framework in Spain. What advice can you give to those working in similar national or regional sectoral organisations throughout Europe who want to follow in your footsteps?

The success of our application is grounded in our understanding that the application of sustainability requires an important base of digitalisation. We spend a lot of time teaching how to properly digitalise buildings. That’s essential when collecting the data to calculate sustainability. Since Level(s) follows recognised impact calculation methodologies, it is possible to verify compliance with Level(s) indicators using digital models. My advice to those who want to apply Level(s) is to work on the digitalisation of the project first. Then it will be easier to calculate the sustainability of the building and to address the Level(s) macro-objectives. The manual application of the Level(s) macro-objectives requires an extra effort that not all technicians have the capacity to perform.

On the point of digitalisation, the Level(s) Calculation and Assessment Tool (CAT) is very interesting and has high potential. We need to understand in depth how this tool can be useful for European countries. It is the future of EU services and we need to use it in the most powerful way.

Is there anything you would like to add, mention or promote in relation to sustainable buildings?

The need for each country to customise targets according to Level(s) is very important, not only concerning the Level(s) macro-objectives, but also for understanding the tools available in each country for applying Level(s). For example, ITeC has 40 years’ experience making public construction works databases, and this is essential when creating a complex environmental digital model. This is how we apply Level(s), and it requires a specific work methodology.  Architects, engineers, promoters and construction companies must change their way of working. They must be aware that, while it takes effort, this new way of working will help you take sustainability into account at an early stage. It is also important to understand the need to think about sustainability as a normal parameter when we are designing our buildings and completing the full life cycle analysis.

When I talk about digitalisation, it is not a question of working in Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) format, or in 3D models (in a normal situation it does not have environmental information). The most important thing is to have information about all the components of a building (in a budget, for example) and to have all the environmental information.

We want to thank the European Commission Joint Research Centre for its work and to thank you specifically Josefina, at DG Environment, for your promotion of Level(s).