GREEN COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS FOR BENEFITS REALIZATION IN NIGERIAN CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

Abstract

Despite all the global stakeholders call for a paradigm shift from the traditional design and construction practices, green buildings awareness for greater client`s benefits realization is still lagging in the Nigerian construction industry. It is premise that, lack of adequate client awareness on the potential benefits realization and high costs associated with design and construction are seen to be key barriers in delivering green and sustainable buildings in the construction industry. Viewed from the concept of community of practice (CoP), it is the corporate social responsibility of the construction industry stakeholders to improve the current level of client`s awareness on green buildings and benefits realization. It is argued that a major set-back to green building programs adoption is the lack of public awareness. This paper seeks to assess the level of client`s awareness on green building designs and the potential long term benefits to be achieved by delivering green and sustainable buildings. The study adopts an inductive approach and qualitative method. The data for analysis was collated through interview with both informed and ill-informed in the Nigerian construction industry and analyzed using thematic analysis. In this paper, design and developing green buildings is seen to have a great potential to optimize client?s/owners benefits realization, through energy efficiency; organizational level of productivity and minimize building lifecycle operation costs in Nigerian commercial buildings. This can only be achieved if the client is well informed of the benefits to be realized in short term and in the long term.