RESILIENCE COVERAGE OF GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORKS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 23-53
Author(s):  
Samira Roostaie ◽  
Maryam Kouhirostami ◽  
Mahya Sam ◽  
Charles J Kibert
Keyword(s):  
Natural Hazards ◽  
Environmental Performance ◽  
Sustainability Assessment ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Current Level ◽  
Rating Systems ◽  
Effective Response ◽  
Global Sustainability ◽  
Resilience Indicators ◽  
Brundtland Report

ABSTRACT Sustainable development has been a popular concept since 1987 and the issuance of the Brundtland report. A diverse number of sustainability assessment frameworks are available to examine the environmental performance of buildings and communities. With the current pace of climate change and the increasing threat of stronger, more frequent natural hazards, however, there are doubts that sustainability alone is an effective response. Sustainability assessment frameworks in recent years have been criticized for not incorporating hazard resilience. To better understand the current level of emphasis put on resilience to natural hazards in green building rating systems, this study aims to assess the level of resilience integration in existing sustainability assessment frameworks. The results demonstrate an overall lack of resilience coverage in the frameworks with only four frameworks, CASBEE, LEED, Green Globes, and DGNB having resilience coverage of 27.5%, 15%, 2.6%, and 1.1% respectively. This confirms a need for more systematic integration of resilience indicators into sustainability rating systems to create combined frameworks for sustainability and resilience.

Oregon design professionals views on structural building products in green buildings: implications for wood

2011 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 390-400 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Knowles ◽  
Christine Theodoropoulos ◽  
Corey Griffin ◽  
Jennifer Allen
Keyword(s):  
Structural Material ◽  
Environmental Performance ◽  
Building Materials ◽  
Material Selection ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Wood Products ◽  
Forest Stewardship Council ◽  
Rating Systems ◽  
Forest Stewardship ◽  
Group Interviews

Buildings have been shown to have impacts on the environment. Consequently, green building rating systems have become a tool to help reduce these impacts. The objectives of this study were to identify gaps in information and access to green building materials as viewed by Oregon design professionals. The scope was limited to the major structural materials: concrete, steel, and wood. This article focuses on the results unique to wood products. Information was collected through group interviews. Each group was composed of professionals representing different aspects of material selection and construction of different scales. The results showed that structural material selection is driven by building code, cost, and building performance requirements. The environmental performance of the material was not considered. However, once the material was selected, designers tried to maximize environmental performance. The results showed that green building rating systems do not influence structural material selection, and interviewees noted that there is room for improvement in this area. Respondents had a positive view of wood and a strong desire to use more wood, particularly Forest Stewardship Council certified wood. Wood was viewed as the most sustainable structural material available. However, there were some concerns about wood products, with formaldehyde emissions being the most significant.

scholarly journals CRITERIA FOR THE EVALUATION OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE OF RESIDENTIAL AND PUBLIC BUILDINGS BASED ON GREEN BUILDING CONCEPT

2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. V. Bakaeva ◽  
A. Yu. Natarova ◽  
A. Yu. Igin
Keyword(s):  
Real Estate ◽  
Environmental Assessment ◽  
Environmental Performance ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Ecological Assessment ◽  
Assessment System ◽  
National Standards ◽  
Rating Systems ◽  
Minimum Criteria ◽  
The Impact

The article is devoted to the ecological assessment of buildings as the human environment based on the Green building conception. Authors proved the relevance of assessment of the impact of real estate as the man-made environment elements on the environment and human health. The concepts of comfort and safety of buildings and facilities for the people, which are considered as the basic category required for the formation of an effective human capital, were introduced in this article. The need to move from a traditional design and construction to the "green" was highlighted and its main objectives were marked. The actions of "green standards", which are an effective tool for environmental assessment of buildings, were described. The main objectives of the introduction of eco-standards and rating systems, and eco-certification were identified in this article. International and national standards were reviewed separately. The main criteria for evaluating the environmental performance of real estate included in the structure of various "green" standards are systematized. The structure of the existing national and international eco-standards, including Russian is reflected intuitively. Their basic features (for example, the minimum requirements for certification in one of the standards require compliance with all the criteria perfectly, and in the other - a certain set of minimum criteria) are marked, as well as strengths and weaknesses. In the article possibilities of adaptation of the most common eco-standards for use in other countries with different climatic, social, political and other features are indicated. Authors compare national and international "green" standards (including the Russian GOST R 54964-2012) in terms of their structure and composition of the main criteria for the environmental assessment of the property. The comparison highlighted basic categories common to all existing standards, as well as unique criteria inherent in this or that assessment systems. The authors also examined the application of various eco-standards and concluded that the same standard cannot be used simultaneously for residential, public and industrial buildings because the priority requirements for environmental safety directly depend on the destination of the property. The authors have formulated proposals for improvement of the Russian national ecological assessment system: the introduction of new criteria and a detailed study of existing, developing effective evaluation methodologies, the adjustment of the standard requirements depending on the destination of the property.

scholarly journals Green building for office interiors: challenges and opportunities

Facilities ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (11/12) ◽  
pp. 614-629 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhonghua Gou
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Performance ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Urban Context ◽  
Rating Systems ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Air Conditioning Systems ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to examine the concept and practice of green building for office interiors: whether the green intent can be effectively implemented in an interior retrofitting project. Design/methodology/approach Reviewing green building rating systems for interiors, examining certified interior projects and interviewing occupants working in certified green offices. Findings The green building credits for interiors fall into three relational layers: the urban context, the host building and interior fit-outs. Most projects under study performed well on credits for interior fit-outs (e.g. low emitting materials, energy efficient equipment and appliances, etc.), while underperformed on credits for its host building (e.g. air-conditioning systems, ventilation, etc.). The latter might more significantly affect working experience. The other important green aspects, such as daylight availability, facilities accessibility, might be subject to its location and urban context. Research limitations/implications This article presents a multi-examination of green interiors. The data came from second-hand Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design scorecards and qualitative interviews. More quantitative surveys are expected to be conducted. Practical implications Green interior retrofitting should go beyond selecting environmental-friendly finishes and furniture or resource-efficient fixtures and appliances. It should proactively start from assessing the environmental performance of the host building and its urban context. Originality/value Most research looked at green building as a whole. Green interiors are actually more practical for tenants who intend to reduce their corporate environmental impacts, whereas they do not have control over whole building design and operations. This article highlights the importance of green interior retrofitting and provides guidance.

scholarly journals Grease the Green Wheels: A Framework for Expediting the Green Building Movement in the Arab World

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (20) ◽  
pp. 5545 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mostafa Sabbagh ◽  
Osama Mansour ◽  
Abdulaziz Banawi
Keyword(s):  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Sustainability Assessment ◽  
Arab World ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Arab Countries ◽  
Assessment System ◽  
Building Industry ◽  
Rating Systems

It has been over three decades since the term “sustainable development” was coined in Brundtland’s report in 1987, and 28 years have passed since the world’s first sustainability assessment method for buildings was founded by the Building Research Establishment in UK in 1990. During these three decades, many sustainability standards, codes, and rating systems were created and used to help in designing, constructing, maintaining, rating, and labeling buildings with attaining the principles of sustainability. Yet by looking at the Arab world at the beginning of 2019, one can argue that, although the Arab countries have dedicated the effort and budget to save energy, water, and natural resources, the region as a whole is still struggling to shift the paradigm of the building industry from conventional to sustainable. This struggle raises some questions; are there any challenges that Arab countries must overcome to leap forward to a prosperous sustainable building design and construction practices? Why are existing green building rating systems such as Estidama in United Arab Emirates, global sustainability assessment system (GSAS) in Qatar, and ARZ in Lebanon lagging behind the trends of green building rating systems in the developed countries? What are the coordinated steps needed to expedite this movement across the region? The current study explores the limits and potentials of the green building industry in the Arab world through analysis of the green building initiatives, academic scholarship activities in architecture and engineering sectors, and feedback from green building professionals across the Arab world. This article introduces a theoretical framework to expedite the green building movement in the Arab region; the framework is shaped by the environmental, social, and economic factors that are crucial to the transformation of the building industry from conventional to sustainable. The study seeks to support a line of research that could help governments in the Arab world catch up with the global green building trends.

scholarly journals Comparison of Four Global Sustainable Building Rating Systems Carried out With Focus on Hot and Dry Climate

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hind Abdel Moneim Khogali
Keyword(s):  
Sustainability Assessment ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Assessment System ◽  
Rating System ◽  
Global Rating ◽  
Indoor Environmental Quality ◽  
Water Efficiency ◽  
Rating Systems ◽  
Energy Effect ◽  
Sustainable Building

<p>Several assessment programmes has been developed worldwide on the environmental and energy effect of buildings. The aim of this study is to identify the main and sub categories of sustainable design. The researcher has investigated and compared four global building rating systems, namely leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) in USA, Emirates Green Building Rating System (ESTIDAMA) in Abu Dhabi city, Qatar Sustainability assessment System (QSAS) in the State of Qatar and Australian green Star rating system (AGBC rating system), in Australia. This paper focuses mainly on their processes, contents, similarities and differences, processes, evaluation, their development and wither these systems are applicable to all environments?</p><p>The paper outlined six main categories developed by these global rating systems being: Sustainable site, indoor environmental quality, materials, water efficiency, power supply system and innovations. Sub categories were added according to their social, cultural, economical and legislations conditions.</p>The paper recommended adding four main categories suitable to hot and dry climate.

scholarly journals Effect of LCA Data Sources on GBRS Reference Values: The Envelope of an Italian Passive House

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (7) ◽  
pp. 1883
Author(s):  
Elisabetta Palumbo
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Performance ◽  
Building Materials ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Environmental Indicators ◽  
Data Sources ◽  
Threshold Values ◽  
Rating Systems ◽  
Passive House ◽  
The Impact

Scientific literature provides evidence that mitigating the effects of a building’s operation does not in itself ensure an overall improvement in its environmental performance. A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) plays a key role in gauging the overall environmental performance of a building although several authors argue that the lack of LCA threshold values makes it difficult to compare design options or measure whether reduced impact targets are achieved. This has led the Green Building Rating Systems (GBRS) to include the LCA within their evaluation criteria and, in like Active House (AH), establish threshold values of the main impact categories to quantify the level of performance achieved. Since the reliability of the data sources is a crucial issue for applying the LCA method, the effectiveness of their implementation within the GBRS also strictly depends on the origin of the impact values. To quantify the extent to which the source affects the impacts calculated by the LCA threshold value in AH, the present study compared the outcomes of two assessments carried out in parallel using two different data sources: AH–LCA evaluation tool v.1.6 and the Environmental Product Declaration (EPD). A Passive House (PH)-compliant, small residential building was selected as a case study, as this is a standard that excels in ultra-low-energy performance. Moreover, given the crucial role that the envelope plays in the PH standard, the analysis was undertaken on the envelope of a PH-compliant building located in Northern Italy. To stress the influence of embedded effects in a Passive House, the assessment focused on the production and end-of-life stages of building materials. The comparison showed a relevant difference between the two scenarios for all the environmental indicators: e.g., deviations of 10% for Global Warming Potential, 20% for Acidification Potential and Eutrophication Potential, and 40–50% for Renewable Primary Energy.

scholarly journals Embodied Carbon as a Material Selection Criterion: Insights from Sri Lankan Construction Sector

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 2202
Author(s):  
Amalka Nawarathna ◽  
Muditha Siriwardana ◽  
Zaid Alwan
Keyword(s):  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Material Selection ◽  
Selection Criterion ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Rating Systems ◽  
Embodied Carbon ◽  
The Government

The choice of materials is crucial in responding to the increasing embodied carbon (EC) impacts of buildings. Building professionals involved in material selection for construction projects have a vital role to play in this regard. This paper aimed to explore the extent to which building professionals in Sri Lanka considered EC as a material selection criterion. A questionnaire survey was conducted among a sample of building professionals in Sri Lanka. The results indicated that the consideration of EC as a material selection criterion remained low among key professionals, such as architects, engineers, and sustainability managers, despite their reasonable influencing powers and knowledge of EC. Those respondents who had considered EC as a selection criterion said they had been primarily driven by green building rating systems and previous experience. Those respondents who had not considered EC during material selection commonly reported that they had been prevented from doing so by the lack of regulations and the lack of alternative low carbon materials. Respondents believed that the involvement of actors, such as the government, professional bodies, environmental organizations, activist groups, and the public, may be significant in promoting the greater consideration of EC during material selection.

scholarly journals Energy Rating of Buildings to Promote Energy-Conscious Design in Israel

Buildings ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 59
Author(s):  
Abraham Yezioro ◽  
Isaac Guedi Capeluto
Keyword(s):  
Design Process ◽  
Architectural Design ◽  
Residential Building ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Basic Unit ◽  
Design Stage ◽  
Design Decision ◽  
Rating Systems ◽  
New Buildings

Improving the energy efficiency of existing and new buildings is an important step towards achieving more sustainable environments. There are various methods for grading buildings that are required according to regulations in different places for green building certification. However, in new buildings, these rating systems are usually implemented at late design stages due to their complexity and lack of integration in the architectural design process, thus limiting the available options for improving their performance. In this paper, the model ENERGYui used for design and rating buildings in Israel is presented. One of its main advantages is that it can be used at any design stage, including the early ones. It requires information that is available at each stage only, as the additional necessary information is supplemented by the model. In this way, architects can design buildings in a way where they are aware of each design decision and its impact on their energy performance, while testing different design directions. ENERGYui rates the energy performance of each basic unit, as well as the entire building. The use of the model is demonstrated in two different scenarios: an office building in which basic architectural features such as form and orientation are tested from the very beginning, and a residential building in which the intervention focuses on its envelope, highlighting the possibilities of improving their design during the whole design process.

scholarly journals Role of Spatial Design in Green Buildings-A Critical Review of Green Building Rating Systems

2021 ◽  
Vol 1116 (1) ◽  
pp. 012166
Author(s):  
Manoj Katiyar ◽  
Ashok Kumar Sahu ◽  
Sanjay Agarwal ◽  
Pravesh Tiwari
Keyword(s):  
Critical Review ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Green Buildings ◽  
Rating Systems ◽  
Spatial Design
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