Abstract
In the face of the heavy resource consumption of conventional construction, the concept of sustainable construction has been proposed as an alternative. However, evidence indicates that the concept is, unfortunately, not implemented in many developing countries, and even where it is (e.g., South Africa), the uptake is still slow. In the present study, four objectives were set: i) to determine the awareness level of South Africa’s developers of the concept of sustainable construction; ii) to determine the developers perceived barriers, opportunities, and solutions to mainstreaming sustainable construction in South Africa; iii) to determine the awareness levels and residents-led performance assessment of the sustainability measures implemented in the Belhar Gardens Rental Estate (BGRE), and iv) to identify the determinants of water saving sustainability measures implemented in BGRE. Data were collected through online questionnaires administered to experienced professional developers (n=19) and residents (n=106) of BGRE. These data were analysed using descriptive statistics and fitting a cumulative link model. In the population of targeted developers, 95% understand the concept of the sustainable construction and 74% know the existence of National Building Regulations and Building Standards (as amended) Act 103 of 1977 (the Building Act). However, 68% of those aware of the building Act acknowledge that the Act is actually in use in their organization. Furthermore, 85% believe that i) the environment and sustainability concept is more important than saving costs on constructions, ii) future technological development will assist in reducing the costs of sustainable construction, and iii) sustainable construction contributes to reducing global warming. However, some barriers to sustainable construction are raised: i) it is expensive (52% of developers believe so) and ii) there is limited knowledge and understanding of how the concept of sustainability can benefit the construction industry (68%). Along the same line, 74% agree that disseminating the knowledge of the concept of sustainable construction will not only contribute to reducing the cost of construction but also to meeting the Green Building Council South Africa’s requirements for sustainability. In terms of mainstreaming sustainable construction in South Africa, ecological design and procurement are the proposed solution by 63% of the developers while 95% indicated that the onus is on the government to promote sustainable construction within the construction industry. In the assessment of efficient energy use, 63% of the developers indicated that centralized heat pumps are a solution to creating sustainable housing in terms of efficient energy use. Only 55% of BGRE residents are aware that BGRE is EDGE-rated for water and energy efficiency. Also, 53% and 59% of residents are aware of the EDGE-rated initiatives implemented in BGRE for energy and water consumption efficiencies, respectively. Overall, 61% of residents are aware that energy-saving measures are implemented in BGRE. On the efficacy of the sustainable energy measures implemented, only 40% of the residents agree that the energy-saving measures implemented are efficient. On the usefulness of the information carried by energy meters installed, only 42% of residents find the information useful, i.e., contribute to a sustainable behaviour towards energy consumption. Interestingly, on the question of efficiency of energy consumption in BGRE in comparison with consumption in conventional housing where residents lived in the past, 65% indicated that the consumption in BGRE is less than in conventional construction. Finally, among all the variables tested, none correlates with residents’ satisfaction towards water saving measures implemented and even towards water flow restrictors measures. However, gender correlates significantly with satisfaction toward information displayed on water meters with males being the less satisfied gender (P=0.02). Overall, the present residents and professionals’ perceived barriers and benefits of sustainable construction provide opportunities on which mechanisms to employ if we want to improve the awareness, mainstreaming, and uptake of sustainable construction approach in South Africa. Keywords: Sustainable construction, Construction industry, Awareness, Satisfaction-level, Residents.
M.Sc. (Environmental Management)