Inferences about Built Form,Construction,and Fabric in the Nondomestic Building Stock of England and Wales

Methods are described for making inferences as regards the geometrical and physical characteristics of all nondomestic buildings in England and Wales. Estimates are made of the floor areas in built forms with framed and load-bearing structures, respectively, and of the typical numbers of floors in built forms of different types. Calculations are made of the total areas of exposed walls, roof surfaces, and glazing, and of the breakdown of the wall and roof areas by material. The results are being used by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions to gain a better understanding of the patterns of energy use associated with nondomestic buildings. The “inference model” described here has been installed at the Building Research Establishment, where it forms one component of the National Non-Domestic Energy and Emissions Model (N-DEEM), whose purpose is to monitor the use of fossil fuels, estimate the emission of greenhouse gases, and evaluate fuel conservation measures (Pout, 2000). The paper is concluded with a discussion of possible refinements and tests of the inference methodology, and potential future extensions.