Understanding sustainable construction
In the current society, sustainability is regarded among
the hottest topics discussed but hardly understood. Its core value and
importance are often associated with various interpretations that superficially
treat the subject matter. For instance, some of the ways of conducting
arrangements involve green, eco, and smart rhetoric. However, people working
in both government and non-governmental sectors tend to take this
issue seriously, making sustainably embrace the long-term endurance of the environment
as it is a matter of concern to the entire people. This paper sets to discuss
the significance of sustainability in the development issues, especially in the
use of scarce and available resources responsibly within the economic circular
and nurturing social equity by an equal wealth distribution.
In most cases, the construction industry is regarded to
contribute to the objectives mentioned above effectively. In a nutshell, the
construction industry considers the massive materials and resources of energy
needed to yield and sustain the constructed environment (OBE, de Brito, Silva,
& Lye, 2019). Not forgetting the number of waste products and emissions
generated during the entire use rotation of the bodily constructions. Based on
research by Chamikara, Perera, and Rodrigo (2020), the global extent of
urbanization in most countries today has led to sustainability, focusing most
of its attention to the environmental, economic and social sectors. Even though
there are a few recorded cases of an action necessity, such debates still
exist about if sustainable construction should continue in minor or significant phases.
Construction of a sustainable future
Sustainable construction solely aims at meeting the needs
of the present-day society, such as housing, working environments and infrastructure,
minus negatively affecting the capability of generations in future to achieve
their desired wants such as spaces for work, shelter, and establishment of
service (Layla et al., 2019). Having the ability to meet all these needs as at
currently and in the long run makes sustainable construction turn out to be
more supportive socially after a long period because it tends to reduce its
overall footprint in the ecological sector. Additionally, it also becomes
innovatively responsible for the continuing increased demand for the constructed
space.
Regarding the impact on the environment, sustainable
construction entails the management and design of constructed structures, either
at the infrastructure, the buildings scales, or the urban collections. Shurrab,
Hussain and Khan (2019) add that some of the issues put into consideration
entail the use of resources in renewable energy and their technological
attendant in building, material performance across various gauges and during
the course of the whole use phases. Multiple operations and maintenance also
reduce cases of international greenhouse gas emissions.
Regarding the economic perspective, sustainable
construction entails the transitions that are linked to a circular economy
of the generation of renewable energy (Layla et al. 2019). Harvesting and
preserving water, recycling of materials and wastes, mobile technologies, and
how structures are adaptable to fluctuations in the use of innovative models of
financing.
Concerning the social effect, sustainable construction
entails adhering to the uppermost ethical standards in the commercial and manufacturing
practices all through the project stages (Shurrab, Hussain, & Khan, 2019).
It also entails promoting socially viable environments for working and living,
not forgetting the occupational health and standards of safety for the users
and the labour force. Additionally, the democratization of all production
processes and the built environment as a commonwealth are also getting
conducted.
Fulfilling these concurrent objectives involves
sustainable construction is concerned with the built environment’s aesthetic
quality, infrastructure, architecture, and urban organization. All agreed to
the local culture’s specificities and the global commonalities (Shurrab,
Hussain & Khan, 2019).
issues targeted for a sustainable production
Foundations such as the Lafargeholcim for Sustainable
Construction plays a vital role in committing to sustainability’s underlying
principles. The principle asserts that the development which is long-term in a constructed
the environment needs to have a jointly enforcing relationship of responsible ecological,
economic, aesthetic, and communal objectives (Chamikara, Perera, & Rodrigo,
2020). Furthermore, the Paris Climate arrangement working beneath the UN
Framework Convention on Climate Change postulates that the foundation needs to
place an exceptional on reducing the worldwide greenhouse emissions of gases in
all the construction-related undertakings in the whole cycle use of constructed
structures (Layla et al., 2019).
On that note, the foundation, together with its accompanying
institution of higher education, has put forward an array of target issues to
act as guiding principles for sustaining the human-made environment for both present
and forthcoming generations. Some of these target issues draw a parallel with
the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Sustainable
Development Strategy of the LafargeHolcim associate company (OBE et al., 2019).
These target issues function as principles for assessing projects taken to the
LafargeHolcim Rewards. It also provides a roadmap that is operative to the
whole foundation (Chamikara, Perera, & Rodrigo, 2020). Such activities
include international conferences, expert roundtables, research grants,
best-practice publications, and next-generation publications.
References
Chamikara, P. B. S., Perera, B. S., & Rodrigo, M. N.
(, 2020). Competencies of the quantity surveyor in performing for sustainable
construction. International
Journal of Construction Management, 20(3),
237-251.
OBE, R. K. D., de Brito, J., Silva, R. V., & Lye, C.
- (2019). Sustainable
construction materials: recycled aggregates. Woodhead Publishing.
Layla, N., Liebe, E., Bodaghi, E., Prajapati, T., Hisham,
- T. M., Abdelaziz, M. B., … & Moyano, G. R. L. (2019). Sustainable
Construction. Sustainable
Cities II, 13.
Shurrab, J., Hussain, M., & Khan, M. (2019). Green
and sustainable practices in the construction industry. Engineering, Construction, and Architectural
Management.