Establishing a Green Building Certification Scheme and Standards for Multifamily Residential Buildings: Case of Jordan

Abstract

Jordan's built environment is considered a major contributor to local environmental concerns. The construction industry faces pressures to increase the sustainability of its practices through the development of green buildings and their associated rating tools. The reliance on international green building rating tools has proven influence on steering the national sustainable route. However, their application remains challenging when considering the contextual particularities and the multiplicity in building types subjected to them, highlighting the need for their customization. This study describes a research that aims at developing a localized green building rating tool that suits the Jordanian context for multifamily housing. It builds upon an investigation of globally/regionally recognized tools, identifying areas of convergence and distinction, for the aim of their consolidation into the proposed scheme. This was achieved through the deployment of the Delphi technique and the Analytic Hierarchy Process in rounds of facilitated local expert discussions. The outcome is a green building tool (Diana) that is suited to the local requirements and the specificity of building type as compared with other rating tools.