TY - JOUR TI - Leveraging organizational dynamics in buildings to change behavior DO - https://doi.org/doi:10.7282/T3BG2QZ1 PY - 2015 AB - Buildings may be stationary, but they are not static; they are dynamic and active collectives of agents and actors, and play an important cultural and social role in shaping norms and influencing outcomes in the built environment. This research develops and applies a unique framework that conceptualizes the urban multifamily residential building as an organization, and seeks to use this lens to better understand the role of organizational characteristics in influencing energy efficiency in buildings. This work finds that an organizational analogy is a fruitful approach for understanding buildings, and that buildings in many ways can and do function successfully as organizations. In particular, eight organizational characteristics are explored here that extend well to buildings. These eight organizational characteristics are also explored more deeply to support an argument that some buildings have an organizational advantage that well positions them to undertake energy efficiency initiatives. One organizational characteristic – the ownership type of the building – is determined to be particularly important in driving energy outcomes in multifamily buildings in New York City. In particular, it was found that cooperative buildings in the New York City housing market consume less energy citywide than other types of multifamily properties, holding all else equal. Conversely, it was also found that rental buildings tend to consume more energy citywide. Subsequent qualitative case study work in a small Brooklyn cooperative building offers a deeper understanding of organizational decentralization and its role in driving decision-making and outcomes in the building. Additional comparative work in two rental properties – one high-income and one low-income – adds additional context and understanding to economic considerations such as the influence of income in overriding centralized efforts to operate the building efficiently. Ultimately, this research develops an analogy of buildings-as-organizations – a conceptual framework – to better understand tangible built space. It posits that all buildings can function as organizations, and extends this framework to the urban multifamily building to advance knowledge of energy efficiency. KW - Planning and Public Policy KW - Associations, institutions, etc KW - Business enterprises KW - Buildings LA - eng ER -