A new stakeholder opinion-based rapid sustainability assessment method (RSAM) for existing residential buildings

Abstract

In many developing countries, several strategies and programs have been established to support the green building initiative, but overall progress is too slow to keep up with the global advances. To accelerate progress in building sustainability as well as to aid the decision-making process of different parties involved, a tailored quantification method for the sustainability performance of buildings is needed. The study presents a Rapid Sustainability Assessment Method (RSAM) – a fast and easy-to-implement system developed using indicators and their respective weights obtained from stakeholders and an assessment approach based on residents’ responses. It was then applied to measure the sustainability performance of several residential buildings (from eras: before 1991, from 1991 to 1998, and after 1998) in the capital of Kazakhstan, Nur-Sultan (formerly Astana). Results differentiated well between the buildings of different era, revealing that even new buildings certified via international green building rating systems do not entirely satisfy the vision of sustainability of the capital’s residents. Although the residents’ opinion-based method was developed for existing residential buildings, it is flexible enough to accommodate future changes e.g. including data obtained from other stakeholders (e.g. building management) and assessing non-residential buildings. RSAM is further applicable to residential buildings constructed after 1950s in other similar regions including post-Soviet and Eastern Bloc countries.