Special Issue on Green and Sustainable Construction Projects: The Facets of Sustainability

Abstract

Green and sustainable projects have become the norm for new developments. With the increasing environmental consciousness and the aim of combating global warming, many countries are devising policies to promote green and sustainable developments. The primary focus is incentivizing the efficient use of energy. Notably, various concessions are now available for energy saving by using design innovation, choice of materials, and alternative energy sources. Against this background, Azizi et al. reviewed energymanagement strategies reported in literature and developed a framework for assessing the practice of energy management in buildings in Malaysia. The framework includes 19 measures. Using a certified building, a noncertified building, and a conventional building as case studies, it was found that the certified building adopted 18 out of the 19 measures included in the framework. Perhaps that is the main reason the building is certified. More significantly, the case studies also suggest that having a framework provides a convenient start for facilities managers to devise energy-management measures. This, in turn, would make more likely the chance that the facilities managers would employ energy-saving design initiatives. Many governments have taken proactive moves to demonstrate their commitment to reduction of carbon. In Australia, a carbon tax was introduced in 2012. While its effect has not yet been fully realized, Wong et al., with reference to the experience in the European Union project, note that end-users will have to bear the inevitable rise in construction costs. Carbon reduction is now a global trend, and so, the authors remind us, the endeavor for attitude change as a means of understanding is an important part of this process. Nonetheless, a delicate balance has to be maintained between the betterment of humankind and the preservation of the nature. Tam and Zeng developed a set of sustainability-performance indicators to assess residential buildings in Australia. These indicators are artifacts that exemplify the sustainability potential of a building. A survey that the authors took identified that, among the indicators, access to daylight is perceived by the respondents as the most significant connotation of sustainability. In New Zealand, incentivizing schemes are in place to encourage sustainable design. Olorunkiya et al. used the example of lowimpact design (LID) in storm water management to illustrate the paradigm shift. Incentives, in whatever format, can serve as catalysts to boost stakeholders’ interest in implementing LID. This interest can be extended to other sustainable and green construction initiatives. Goh and Rowlinson suggest a maturity model to gauge sustainable construction. The model dwells on five domains: (1) performance, (2) culture, (3) management capability and capacity, (4) tactical framework development, and (5) research and development. This conceptual framework offers an initial baseline to track the evolution of sustainable developments. Further work is suggested to validate the framework. A similar type of maturity model has been developed to illustrate the adoption of information technology. In addition, some examples that highlight the relevancy and usefulness of the proposed framework would be useful. Industrialized construction is one of the means to decrease construction costs and indirectly contributes to sustainable construction. An integrated approach that brings together the expertise of constructors and designers would, in general, further enhance the savings; moreover, it would improve constructability. Jelodar et al. used the Malaysian construction industry as an example to illustrate the importance of having contractors’ input to advance the wider use of industrialized building systems. Also, changes in contracting approaches are advocated to fully embrace industrial building systems as one of the means to achieve sustainable construction.