Customizing the green pyramid rating system for assessing university buildings' sustainability: A stakeholder-involved weighting approach

Abstract

Universities are large institutions that consume significant amounts of energy and water, produce waste and greenhouse gases, and significantly impact the surrounding environment, making evaluating and improving universities' sustainability crucial. Egypt has its building sustainability rating tool called the Green Pyramid Rating System (GPRS), which is not specifically customized for university buildings. Hence, this study aims to develop a customized weighting system based on the green pyramid rating system to assess the sustainability of university buildings by involving stakeholders. A comprehensive questionnaire was developed and distributed to a targeted sample of experts and university building stakeholders, including architects, engineers, project managers, consultants, contractors, decision-makers, policymakers, operation managers, facility managers, and senior students majoring in architecture, construction, and sustainable engineering. The data collected was analyzed using statistical analysis and the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) to assign weights to each category and criterion. The results highlighted that the respondents prioritize Energy Efficiency (EE) with a weight of 21%, followed by Water Efficiency (WE) at 19%. Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) and Sustainable Sites (SS) are given equal priority with a weight of 17% each. Materials and Resources (MR) receive a weight of 14%, and Management Protocols (MP) have the lowest weight of 12%. Hence, prioritizing these aspects can significantly enhance university buildings' energy efficiency and overall sustainability.