Record Details

Green buildings: A Mauritian built environment stakeholders’ perspective

Acta Structilia

View Archive Info
 
 
Field Value
 
Title Green buildings: A Mauritian built environment stakeholders’ perspective
 
Creator Buys, F
Hurbissoon, R
 
Subject Building costs, built environment, green buildings, sustainability
 
Description The earth’s health is deteriorating and will deteriorate even more rapidly unless people adopt eco-friendly policies. Green building has long been a concept but it has not yet been universally applied in practice. The concept of sustainability emerged in 1713 in Germany and was internationalised in the 1970s and can be associated with the energy crisis and environmental pollution concerns. This research is aimed at comparing ‘green’ buildings with ‘non-green’ (traditional) buildings in terms of cost and to determine contractors’ and professionals’ knowledge of green buildings and materials.The literature reviewed and results of a survey among professionals and contractors from the island of Mauritius formed the basis of the study. Theliterature study on green buildings generally revealed that green  buildings may be more costly at the outset, but they contribute to long-term savings. This was confirmed by the majority of the survey respondents who stated that green building materials are more durable than traditional materials, resulting in cost savings. Furthermore, the most emphasised advantage is reduced energy and water use. Contractors are more familiar with traditional materials than green materials and professionals do not have sufficient experience in green building materials/concepts, resulting in a low growth rate of green building construction. The outcome of the study is very important for construction and design team members, clients and environmentalists.Keywords: Building costs, built environment, green buildings, sustainabilityDie toestand van die aarde neem gedurig af en die tempo daarvan sal nie afneem tensy die bevolking meer eko-vriendelike beginsels toepas nie. Die konsep van ‘groen geboue’ is reeds lank bekend alhoewel dit nog nie universeel toegepas word nie. Die konsep ‘volhoubaarheid’ het sy oorsprong in 1713 in Duitsland en internasionalisering in die 1970’s toe die energiekrisis en kommer oor omgewingsbesoedeling ontstaan het. Navorsing is gedoen om vergelykings te tref tussen ‘groen’ en ‘nie-groen’  (tradisionele) geboue, in terme van kostes en kennis van kontrakteurs en ontwerpspanlede.Die navorsing is op ‘n literatuurstudie en resultate van ‘n opname tussen verskillende professionele konsultante en kontrakteurs in Mauritius gebaseer. Die algemene literatuurstudie toon aan dat ‘groen’ geboue aanvanklik meer kos as tradisionele geboue, maar meer voordelig is in terme van langtermynbesparings. Dit is bevestig deur die navorsingsrespondente wat aangedui het dat ‘groen’ boumateriale meer duursaam as tradisionele materiale is met gevolglike vermindering in langtermynkostes. Verder is die laer energie- en waterverbruik van ‘groen’ geboue baie voordelig. Kontrakteurs is meer vertroud met tradisionele materiale as met ‘groen’ materiale en professionele konsultante het onvoldoende ondervinding in ‘groen’ geboue; dit alles lei daartoe dat diegroeitempo van groen geboue nie na wense is nie. Die resultate van die navorsing is van uiterste belang vir alle persone in die bouomgwing, kliënte en omgewingbewustes.Sleutelwoorde: Boukostes, bou-omgewing, groen geboue, volhoubaarheid
 
Publisher University of the Free State
 
Contributor —
 
Date 2012-05-31
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
Peer-reviewed Article
 
Format application/pdf
 
Identifier https://www.ajol.info/index.php/actas/article/view/77175
 
Source Acta Structilia; Vol 18, No 1 (2011); 81-101
2415-0487
1023-0564
 
Language eng
 
Relation https://www.ajol.info/index.php/actas/article/view/77175/67625
 
Rights Copyright: Copyright is transferred to the author(s)  when an article is accepted for publication.   Publishing rights: When an author/s publish an article in Acta Structilia, the author/s enter into a non-exclusive publishing agreement. This means that author/s may upload a second copy to institutional repositories.