Developing a green building assessment tool for developing countries – Case of Jordan

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to contribute to a better understanding of the concept of green building assessment tool and its role for achieving sustainable development through developing an effective green building rating system for residential units in Jordan in terms of the dimensions through which sustainable development tools are being produced and according to the local context. Developing such system is becoming necessary in the Developing World because of the considerable environmental, social and economical problems. Jordan as one of these countries is in need for this system, especially with poor resources and inefficient use. Therefore, this research studied international green building assessment tools such as such as LEED, CASBEE, BREEAM, GBTool, and others. Then defined new assessment items respecting the local conditions of Jordan and discussed them with (60) various stakeholders; 50% of them were experts of sustainable development. After selecting the assessment items they were weighted using the AHP method. The outcome of the research was a suggested green building assessment tool (SABA Green Building Rating System) – computer based program – that suits the Jordanian context in terms of environmental, social and economical perspectives.