Developing a sustainability assessment framework for buildings in Uganda

Abstract

Sustainability aims to fulfill the current generation's needs without jeopardizing the quality of life for future generations. This is primarily achieved through saving the environment, enhancing society, and prospering the economy; hence, developing a construction sustainability assessment framework for buildings in Uganda will help to streamline the construction industry towards achieving environmental, social, and economic sustainability. The purpose of this research was to develop a Uganda Building Sustainability Assessment Framework (UBSAF). The rationale is based on the fact that sustainability assessment of buildings has acquired new momentum in recent years. Currently, the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) in the United Kingdom (UK), LEED Green Building Rating System in the US), and the Green Star Assessment Method (GSAM) in Australia (AU) are being used as best practices globally. However, these methods have been criticized for their unsuitability and inability to consider country and regional contexts, such as global variations in climate, geographical differences, etc., which need consideration. Therefore, this study was intended to address this challenge by developing a building assessment framework specifically for buildings in Uganda. Triangulation research method was used to collect relevant data for the study. A systematic literature search and review was conducted on the available literature, and various sustainability assessment indicators were established under the environmental, social, and economic aspects. Forty nine (49) sustainability assessment indicators were obtained from the literature and the pilot study done by industry experts. Delph technique was used to obtain primary data from an expert group of 30 construction industry experts, including structural engineers, urban planners, environmentalists, architects, quantity surveyors, mechanical engineers, and academicians. A three-round questionnaire was administered to construction industry experts to ascertain the importance of the various sustainability indicators in the construction industry in Uganda, with the overall objective of achieving consistency in the construction industry experts' opinions about the various sustainability indicators. The contribution of this research will be developing a sustainability assessment framework for buildings in Uganda. Several statistical measures like weighted mean score, standard deviation, Cronbach's alpha reliability test, a Shapiro-Wilk test of normality, Kendall's concordance test, Chi-square test, and inter rater agreement (IRA), were used to analyze the various sustainability indicators and discussions. Consistency was achieved after Delphi round three; hence, the various sustainability indicators relevant to the construction industry were attained. These indicators include but are not limited to land use, access to social, domestic, and socio-economic facilities, building form and orientation, daylighting and viewing comfort, building total lifecycle costs, access to public transport, parking capacity, annual operating costs, natural ventilation, and affordability. The relative weights of the sub-criteria (indicators) were determined using the CRiteria Importance Through Intercriteria Correlation (CRITIC) method, a Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) technique. This method measures the correlation between different criteria and helps to determine their relative weights. The study used the Normalized Weighted Mean Score (NWMS) to evaluate the sustainability of construction projects in Uganda. This is a commonly used sustainability study technique that aggregates the scores of different sub criteria to provide an overall score for sustainability. To test the proposed framework's practicality, the study applied it to three case studies, including one completed and two ongoing construction projects. The framework's applicability was determined by consulting with experts, and the results indicated that it could be widely used in different projects to assess their sustainability. The proposed framework will enable contractors and developers to evaluate sustainability in new construction. In addition, the framework promotes corporate social responsibility, which can enhance the quality and standards of the construction industry.