Hypotheses-Based Study for Adapting LEED to a Qatari Green Metric for Tall Buildings

Abstract

The market has identified Qatar, in the Arabian Gulf, as one of the busiest construction areas in the world. In line with this, tall buildings have arisen in Doha city because of economic necessity. Accordingly, government officials have revealed that Qatar will see the rise of about 800 tall buildings by 2016.

A hypothesis-based study has been conducted using the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design – (LEED) as a reference, to measure the green performance of Qatari buildings including the variables: sustainable site, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, and innovation and design. These variables were analysed in accordance to the current needs of Qatar and its future plan. Using the LEED variables comparatively, this paper suggests adaptations to the weight assigned to these variables in the LEED scheme, to meet specific Qatari conditions for tall buildings in Qatar. The findings should encourage decision makers and local authorities who are interested in the subject to refine the knowledge related to the future development of the Qatari green scheme and contribute to the urgent need for research-based green criteria for Qatar by introducing knowledge and principles to be implemented in developing a green metric scheme for the tall buildings in Qatar.

Keywords

Green architecture Green building assessment tools Sustainable design Tall buildings Green metric mechanism Qatar green building Environmental assessment

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

SKLAIR

: The transnational capitalist class and contemporary architecture in globalizing cities: Int J Urban Region Res 2005; 29:485–500.

Business Monitor International, Country risk, industry and company intelligence on global market, Qatar economic report, July 2008: Available at: http://store.businessmonitor.com/banking/qatar_commercial_banking_report/ (accessed March 12, 2010).

Frej

: Green Office Buildings: A Practical Guide to Development. Washington, DC, The Urban Land Institute, 2005.

Arabian.Business.com, Qatar Green Building Council on the way: Available at: http://www.arabianbusiness.com/548113-qatar-green-building-council-on-the-way (accessed May 20, 2011).

Qatar Green Building Council, company overview: Available at: http://www.qatargbc.org/index.php (accessed May 20, 2011).

Constructionweekonline.com, The chairman of the Qatar Green Building Council has defended the multiple rating systems used in the Gulf for assessing sustainability: Available at: http://www.constructionweekonline.com/article-8720-qatar-green-council-boss-defends-multiple-ratings/ (accessed May 20, 2011).

Pr-inside.com, BQDRI Launches Full Version of QSAS Sustainability Rating System: Available at: http://www.pr-inside.com/barwa-and-qatari-diar-adopt-qsas-r1588241.htm (accessed May 20, 2011).

Eye of Dubai, Barwa's new rating system QS AS saves costs, energy and the environment: Available at: http://www.eyeofdubai.com/v1/news/newsdetail-31451.htm (accessed June 6, 2010).

Liu

Prasad

Liu

: A holistic approach to developing regionally specific framework for green building assessment tools in China: in World Sustainable Building Conference, Tokyo (SB05Tokyo), 2005, pp. 1605–1612.

10.

Building Research Association of New Zealand: BRANZ, 2009. Available at: http://www.pathnet.org/sp.asp?id=7989 (accessed January 29, 2011).

11.

BREEM: The world's leading design and assessment method for sustainable buildings. Available at: http://www.breeam.org/page.jsp?id=66 (accessed May 20, 2011).

12.

AME: The ultimate Middle East business resource. Available at: http://www.ameinfo.com/221621.html (accessed May 20, 2011).

13.

Barwa and Qatari Diar Research Institute- Latest News: Available at: http://www.bqdri.org/index.php?page=qsas (accessed May 20, 2011).

14.

Saudi Green Building Council (SGBC)- About SGBC: Available at: http://saudigbc.com/about.htm (accessed May 20, 2011).

15.

BSRIA: The built environment experts. Available at: http://www.bsria.co.uk/news/breeam-or-leed/ (accessed May 20, 2011).

16.

U.S. Green Building Council: LEED Reference Guide, Version 2.0, Washington, DC, U.S. Green Building Council, 2001.

17.

USGBC: Building Momentum: National Trends and Prospects for High Performance Green Buildings. Baltimore, U.S. Green Building Council, 2002.

18.

Qatar-Forests, Grassland and Drylands, Earth Trends Country Profiles: Available at: http://www.scribd.com/doc/16611524/Qatar-Forests-Grassland-Drylands (accessed May 20, 2011).

19.

NationMAster.com, transportation statistics- motor vehicles by country: Available at: http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/tra_mot_veh-transportation-motor-vehicles (accessed May 20, 2011).

20.

International Hydrological Programme-Regional Future: Available at: http://webworld.unesco.org/water/ihp/publications/waterway/wat7/Wat7_Feature.html (accessed May 20, 2011).

21.

OAPEC: The secretary general's 35^th annual report. Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC), 2008.

22.

CWF

Kim

: Building Environmental Assessment Schemes for Rating of IAQ in Sustainable Buildings: Indoor Built Environ 2011;20; 1: 5–15.

23.

CLYDE & Co, Assistance with escalated costs in Qatar: Available at: http://www.clydeco.com/knowledge/articles/assistance-with-escalated-costs-in-qatar.cfm (accessed May 20, 2011).

24.

World Resources Institute: Earth trends. The environmental information portal. Available at: http://earthtrends.wri.org/gsearch.php?kw=qatar&action=results (accessed May 20, 2011).