Sustainability Assessment of the Building Construction Stage Using Building Sustainability Assessment Schemes (BSAS)

Abstract

Building Sustainability Assessment Schemes (BSAS) are the key instruments to measure, evaluate and implement sustainability goals through all building’s life-cycle. The current trend for the establishment of practices resulting to green and sustainable buildings is based on environmental protection aspirations, as well as on rising real estate market demands for improved indoor air quality (IAQ) conditions. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of the construction stage process on the results of BSAS ratings. Seven administrative buildings rated by BREEAM or LEED, located in Lithuania, were assessed in terms of this study. Five criteria were employed to assess the sustainability of the investigated buildings at the construction phase, including the project management, the responsible purchase of building materials, the use of legal timber materials, the construction waste and the protection against environmental contamination. The selected criteria constitute a significant part of the established sustainability assessment schemes such as BREEAM and LEED. Following the analysis of the actual ratings for the selected categories, weights of the construction stage as well as their impact on the final evaluation results were defined. The findings of this study revealed that the impact of the selected criteria on the final BREEAM scheme rating ranged from 6.98 to 8.57 percent. The impact of the construction stage criteria on LEED system final results ranged from 4.05 to 6.97 percent and in any case demonstrated reduced impact on the final rating result. The study also revealed the contractor’s point of view to a building sustainability at the construction stage in Lithuania. The findings of this study may serve as a framework for contractor’s organizations intended to improve the construction sustainability of green building projects and this way to increase the overall building sustainability ratings.