Developing a green maintainability framework for green walls in Singapore

2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (4/5) ◽  
pp. 379-406 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Y.L. Chew ◽  
Sheila Conejos
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Green Buildings ◽  
Design Stage ◽  
Significant Information ◽  
Green Wall ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Tropical Regions ◽  
Tropical Areas ◽  
Green Walls

Purpose The use of green wall technology in green buildings is a growing trend; however, more research is required about their maintainability, taking into account that maintainability at the design stage is a valuable strategy in achieving building efficiency and sustainability. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to determine the issues in operating and maintaining green walls, particularly in tropical areas like Singapore, leading to the development of a green maintainability framework. Design/methodology/approach This research uses a qualitative method that combines a thorough and systematic literature review, multiple case studies, field observation surveys and selected instrumental case studies with building plan appraisal and interviews to investigate the potential issues associated with the maintainability of green walls in tropical areas like Singapore. Findings The findings show that technical and environmental issues/defects are prevalent in the operation and maintainability of green wall technologies applied in green buildings located in tropical regions. Proper considerations of these findings will encourage green building designers and facilities managers to collaborate in the effective implementation of operations and maintenance of green building technologies. Originality/value This research gives new and significant information while identifying a clear knowledge gap. The paper recommends the formulation of a green maintainability framework with a set of design criteria that will serve as a benchmark in the future design of green walls. The green maintainability framework would be a valuable addition to green facilities management in ensuring the long-term maintainability and sustainability of existing and new green walls in tropical areas specifically in Singapore.

Site planning and design of green residential building projects: case studies in China

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 525-543
Author(s):  
Xiaosen Huo ◽  
Ann Tit Wan Yu ◽  
Wu Zezhou ◽  
Wadu Mesthrige Jayantha
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Questionnaire Survey ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Green Buildings ◽  
Building Projects ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Planning And Design ◽  
Site Planning

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present site planning and design (SPD) relevant variables and items in practice for practitioners to better understand and implement SPD in green building projects. Design/methodology/approach The research methods include questionnaire survey and case studies in the context of China. A questionnaire survey was adopted to identify the importance of 13 variables and the corresponding 38 items in SPD of green residential buildings. Three green residential projects including one in Hong Kong and two in Mainland China were selected to investigate the SPD considerations in practice and to discuss the necessary improvement. Findings The results show that 12 out of the 13 variables of SPD in green buildings are involved in the three case projects to some extent, thereby underscore the importance of these variables. The potential improvement in real-life SPD of green buildings is also discussed such as adopting design-build and integrated project delivery methods and preserving and protecting cultural characteristics on site. Originality/value The research findings may serve as a reference for practitioners to better conduct SPD in green building projects.

Developing a research framework for the green maintainability of buildings

Facilities ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (1/2) ◽  
pp. 39-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.Y.L. Chew ◽  
Sheila Conejos ◽  
Ashan Senel Asmone
Keyword(s):  
Health And Safety ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Green Buildings ◽  
Design Stage ◽  
Facilities Management ◽  
Knowledge Gap ◽  
Safety Hazards ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Research Framework ◽  
Novel Concept

Purpose The aim of this paper is to present a research framework for the green maintainability of buildings. This study makes the case for the development of a new concept called “green maintainability”. The paper also identifies and discusses the knowledge gap concerning green facilities management (FM). As an integral part of green FM, the economic, environmental and social impacts and opportunities of green maintainability throughout the total life cycle of the facility are also highlighted. Design/methodology/approach The little attention paid to the maintainability of green buildings has resulted in losses of lives due to occupational health and safety hazards as well as high operation and maintenance costs. To address this issue, this study has conducted a literature review to determine the relevant background knowledge and provides a conceptual framework that will aid in conceptualizing the green maintainability of buildings and the development of a research framework for the furtherance of this concept. Findings This paper finds that there is little research on the maintainability of green buildings, and the studies about the maintainability of green features are nonexistent in current research. This study confirms the knowledge gap of this little-researched area and draws from it the formulation of a research framework for the green maintainability of buildings to ensure green FM. Emerging literature on green practices and methods is currently receiving attention from academia, as well as building and construction practitioners, and can valuably contribute to the existing theories, practices and methods concerning building maintainability and facilities management. Originality/value This study develops the novel concept of green maintainability, which integrates maintainability and green FM at the planning/design stage. The proposed research framework is the first attempt to investigate the green maintainability of different typologies of buildings and especially green building technologies.

Green maintainability assessment of building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) applications: lessons learnt

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheila Conejos ◽  
Michael Y.L. Chew ◽  
Karlyn Tay ◽  
Stephen Tay ◽  
Sufiana Safiena
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Qualitative Method ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Design Stage ◽  
Facilities Management ◽  
Field Surveys ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Building Integrated Photovoltaic ◽  
Tropical Areas

PurposeThe maintenance of green building technologies such as building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) is a challenge due to the non-existence of maintainability considerations during the design stage. This led to building defects which accounts to high expenditures throughout the building's lifecycle. The use of BIPV in buildings is an emergent trend, and further research is requisite for their maintainability. This paper assesses the performance and maintainability of BIPV façade applications based on the green maintainability design considerations.Design/methodology/approachQualitative method is undertaken in this study, which includes field surveys, instrumental case studies and stakeholder interviews to probe the issues linked with the BIPV's maintainability.FindingsFindings have shown some technical defects discovered in BIPV applications in tropical areas, as well as issues on cost, aesthetics and implementation are the main causes for the low adoption of BIPV in Singapore.Originality/valueUnderstanding the research outcomes will embolden designers and allied professionals to team up in ensuring the long-term maintainability and sustainability of green building technologies. This research gives recent and important information in the design, installation and maintainability of BIPV, as well as good practices that would add value to facilities management and to the design of green building technologies.

Examining barriers and measures to promote the adoption of green building practices in Pakistan

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 86-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sana Azeem ◽  
Malik Asghar Naeem ◽  
Abdul Waheed ◽  
Muhammad Jamaluddin Thaheem
Keyword(s):  
Financial Incentives ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Green Buildings ◽  
Building Codes ◽  
Common People ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Common ◽  
Green Building Codes

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the barriers inhibiting the adoption of green building and measures to promote this approach in Pakistan. Design/methodology/approach Barriers and measures were identified and examined by using a combination of research methods, including literature review, questionnaire survey, and in-depth interviews with the construction industry-related practitioners working in Pakistan. Ranking technique and factor analysis were used to identify the significant issues associated with the adoption of green building practices. Findings As per the survey results, the most critical barrier is “lack of awareness among people about the importance and advantages of adopting green building practices,” followed by “lack of incentives from government” and “lack of green building codes and regulations,” respectively. The results also indicate that most important measure to promote the adoption of green buildings is “creation of public awareness toward green initiatives through seminars, workshops, and discussions,” followed by “availability of green building codes and regulations (mandatory to apply)” and “financial incentives and penalties by the government (e.g. soft loan, tax) for promoting green building practices,” respectively. Research limitations/implications Research limitation is that its findings, other than Pakistan, cannot be generalized to other developing countries. Practical implications Findings of the research will be helpful in sensitizing the regulatory agencies, the policy makers, and the building construction practitioners about the barriers to adoption of green building practices. The suggested measures will help in devising policies and economic measures to promote the construction of green and environment-friendly buildings. Social implications This research will help the common people to know about the importance of green buildings that may lead to a deviation from the practice of traditional buildings to a widespread trend of building green buildings. This will lead to drastic reduction in demand for energy and considerable monetary savings for the common people. Originality/value The findings of this study are expected to contribute valuable information to decision makers for the better understanding of key issues that call for more attention in the promotion of efforts of green building practices in Pakistan. The results are based on the perception of local stakeholders, but might also be helpful for policy makers in other countries.

scholarly journals Key drivers for green building project financing in Ghana

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kofi Agyekum ◽  
Chris Goodier ◽  
James Anthony Oppon
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Green Buildings ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Project Financing ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Comparative Review ◽  
Key Drivers ◽  
Building Project

PurposeThe majority of the literature on green buildings in Ghana focuses on environmental benefits, innovative designs, construction technologies and project management techniques. However, little is known about how such facilities are financed. This issue creates potential knowledge gaps, one of which this study aims to address. This study examines the key drivers for green building project financing in Ghana.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses an explanatory sequential design with an initial quantitative instrument phase, followed by a qualitative data collection phase. An extensive critical comparative review of the literature resulted in the identification of eight potential drivers. One hundred and twenty-seven questionnaire responses based upon these drivers from the Ghanaian construction industry were received. Data were coded with SPSS v22, analysed descriptively (mean, standard deviation and standard error) and via inferential analysis (One Way ANOVA and One-Sample t-Test). These data were then validated through semi-structured interviews with ten industry professionals within the Ghana Green Building Council. Data obtained from the semi-structured validation interviews were analysed through the side-by-side comparison of the qualitative data with the quantitative data.FindingsThough all eight drivers are important, the five key drivers for the Ghanian construction industry were identified as, in order of importance, “high return on investment”, “emerging business opportunity”, “ethical investment”, “conservation of resources” and “mandatory regulations, standards, and policies”. The interviewees agreed to and confirmed the importance of these identified drivers for green building project financing from validating the survey's key findings.Research limitations/implicationsKey limitations of this study are the restrictions regarding the geographical location of the collected data (i.e. Kumasi and Accra); timing of the study and sample size (i.e. the COVID-19 pandemic making it difficult to obtain adequate data).Practical implicationsThough this study was conducted in Ghana, its implications could be useful to researchers, policymakers, stakeholders and practitioners in wider sub-Saharan Africa. For instance, financial institutions can invest in green buildings to expand their green construction and mortgage finance products to build higher value and lower risk portfolios. The findings from this study can provide investors with the enhanced certainty needed to help guide and inform their investment decisions, i.e. what to invest in, and when, by how much and how a scheme being “green” may influence their rate of return. Also, for building developers, it will give them a clearer understanding of the business case for green buildings and how to differentiate themselves in the market to grow their businesses.Originality/valueThis study's findings provide insights into an under-investigated topic in Ghana and offer new and additional information and insights to the current state-of-the-art on the factors that drive green building project financing.

Transferring Biophilic and Universal Design Theory to Practice With Learning From Green Buildings

2022 ◽  
pp. 225-252
Author(s):  
Gülşah Doğan Karaman ◽  
Semra Arslan Selçuk
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Assisted Living ◽  
Design Patterns ◽  
Design Theory ◽  
Universal Design ◽  
Design Method ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Green Buildings ◽  
Biophilic Design ◽  
Theory To Practice

The study aims to guide the assisted living facility (ALF) design, in which biophilic design, which is observed to have positive physiological, psychological, and sociological effects on humans, is observed, and the principle of universal design is accessible and designed for everyone. Since there is no place called a biophilic ALF, the study is supported by a nature-oriented design method called Green Building Rating Tools. Green building certificate systems are explored in terms of biophilic and universal design, and three of the certifications show credits linked to the theories researched. With these certificates, green building certified ALFs located in the same region are selected. With the methodology applied on the case studies of three ALFs that received these certificates, how and where biophilic and universal design patterns can be transferred from theory to practice has been examined. The study observed the extent of 14 biophilic design patterns in ALFs and tabulated how to find each pattern in these facilities according to the methods and places.

Users’ preference for green features in office properties

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 374-388 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Oluwole Oyewole ◽  
Markson Opeyemi Komolafe
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Green Buildings ◽  
Building Industry ◽  
Point Scale ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Preference Index ◽  
Building Practice ◽  
Self Administered Questionnaire ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the preference of office property users for green features in Lagos, Nigeria. This is with a view to determining the degree of users’ aspiration for green buildings in the country. Design/methodology/approach The study purposively sampled two office properties from the management portfolio of 88 registered estate firms in Lagos. Data were collected using self-administered questionnaire on two users purposively selected from each of the properties. The data were analyzed with the use of frequency distribution, percentages and measures of the users’ preference index. Findings The results revealed that the preference for green features by office property users in the study area was above average (2.5 on a five-point scale). Feature relating to “building ecology, waste and recycling” is the most preferred feature with UPI of 3.970 while those relating to “owner and occupant education” with UPI of 3.558 were least in preference. Practical implications The paper concludes that with the preference of users for green features in the study area, it may be necessary for government to strengthen the existing framework for sustainable development. Also, increased sensitization of investors, users, professionals and other stakeholders in the building industry is pertinent to the success of green building practice in the country. Originality/value This is one of the few studies on users’ preference for green features in emerging economy, particularly in the Nigerian context.

Research on Assessment Method of Green Buildings in China

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bing Wei ◽  
Bin Zhang ◽  
Wen Luo
Keyword(s):  
Index System ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Green Buildings ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
Assessment System ◽  
Outdoor Environment ◽  
Design Stage ◽  
Assessment Index ◽  
Building Assessment ◽  
Assessment Index System

Presently the sustainable development stratagem has made the green buildings to be a trend of building industry in China, and the assessment to the green buildings is becoming more and more important in developing the green buildings. In this paper the meaning of the green building assessment is explained, several main domestic and foreign green building assessment systems are analyzed and compared, and the common ground and limitations of these assessment methods are presented. Then a novel assessment index system which is more comprehensive, scientific and suitable for green buildings in China is developed by using the life cycle assessment method. This system contains six categories including land saving and outdoor environment, energy saving and utilization, material saving and utilization, water saving and utilization, indoor environment quality and economy. According to the decision-making stage, design stage, construction stage, operation and maintenance stage, each category is divided into more concrete indexes. At last the established assessment system is used to evaluate a typical building in Xi’an, China. The final novel assessment index system is of theoretical and practical significance for the assessment and development of green buildings in China.

scholarly journals A System to Pre-Evaluate the Suitability of Energy-Saving Technology for Green Buildings

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 3777 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shilei Lu ◽  
Minchao Fan ◽  
Yiqun Zhao
Keyword(s):  
Energy Saving ◽  
Evaluation System ◽  
Simulated Annealing Algorithm ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Building Energy ◽  
Green Buildings ◽  
Design Stage ◽  
Rating Systems ◽  
Pile Up ◽  
Building Energy Saving

Rating systems for green buildings often give assessments from the perspective of the overall performance of a single building or architecture complex but rarely target specific green building technologies. As some of the rating systems are scored according to whether the technologies are used or not, some developers tend to pile up energy-saving technologies blindly just for the sake of certifications without considering their suitability for the application. Such behavior may lead to the failure of achieving the energy goals for green buildings. To solve this problem, a system that pre-evaluates the suitability of green building energy-saving technologies is devised based on modified TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution) method, SA (simulated annealing) algorithm and unascertained theory-based data analysis method. By setting indices from technology performance, economy, human satisfaction aspects and by using the building prior information and measured database of technology usage, this system can make a quantifiable and multi-dimensional grading assessment for the target green building energy-saving technologies in the design stage. The system aims at helping the designer choose technologies in the design phase that best enhance the performance of the finished green building. It also helps prevent the sub-optimal performance of unsuitable technologies caused by the “pile up” behavior mentioned earlier. To verify this evaluation system, two building designs which use energy-recovery technology are evaluated, and the predicted performance for both designs matched the actual operation of the technology in the buildings themselves well.

The characteristics and evolution of business model for green buildings: a bibliometric approach

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaojing Zhao ◽  
Wei Pan
Keyword(s):  
Core Collection ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Web Of Science ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Green Buildings ◽  
Business Strategies ◽  
Market Demand ◽  
Building Projects ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Web

PurposeThe wide uptake of green building is hindered by factors such as limited market demand and high up-front cost despite substantial policy incentives. Successful business models (BMs) help facilitate the diffusion of sustainable innovation and have attracted increasing attention. However, little attention has been paid to examining the adoption of green building from the perspective of BM. This paper aims to identify the characteristics of BM that companies adopted to deliver green building projects and examine the evolution path of BM for green buildings.Design/methodology/approachA total of 744 interdisciplinary bibliographic records related to BM and green buildings from the Web of Science Core Collection database have been identified from the Web of Science Core Collection and analyzed through co-author analysis, co-word analysis and co-citation analysis.FindingsBM research mainly focuses on five subjects, namely, environmental science, engineering, business, economics, science and technology. Keywords “strategy”, “capability”, “perspective” and “design” receive the highest centrality index, which suggests that the strategy design and corporate capability are indispensable elements when designing or innovating a company's BM. “BM canvas” and “resource based view” received the burst citations in the recent decade. Twelve research clusters are identified, including performance evaluation, waste management, energy efficiency, BM, project business, professional capital, leadership and product innovation. These topics highlight three evolution direction for green building projects, i.e. life cycle-oriented value proposition, collaborative value delivery and innovative cost and revenue structure.Originality/valueThe findings contribute to a systematic understanding of the underlying mechanisms of BM for green buildings and illuminate the development trend of business strategies for sustainability.

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